Anti-inflammatory
Polyphenolics
This Site is for Educational Use Only: The information on this page is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. I am not a licensed medical professional. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any medicinal plants, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition.
Research pending
Okay can we just take a moment because feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) looks like the most precious little daisies and I love daisies and finding out a plant this pretty is also this useful feels like a personal gift. Just wanted to acknowledge that before we get into it.
Now, one thing to note right off the bat: you don't eat the flower on this one. Just the leaf. The flower is doing its job by being adorable. The leaf is doing the medicinal heavy lifting.
Feverfew is anti-inflammatory and a bitter, which means it also stimulates appetite and digestive activity as a bonus side effect of existing. But the headline use here is migraines and tension headaches, and this is one where timing is everything. If you take it the second you feel a migraine coming on, it can help head it off. Wait too long and you've missed your window. For the best overall results though, feverfew works better as a long game. Taking it regularly over several months can reduce the frequency of tension headaches and minimize migraines overall rather than just treating them in the moment.
It can also help with arthritis (anti-inflammatory, there it is again), stimulate menstrual blood flow, and relieve menstrual pain. Some people even use it as part of a treatment for worms, which is a sentence I did not expect to write today but here we are.
You can take one small fresh leaf with food or go the measured capsule route if you'd rather not eat a leaf, which is fair.
Safety note: Feverfew can cause allergic reactions, stomach upset, and mouth ulcers in some people, so start slow and pay attention to how your body responds. And since it stimulates menstrual blood flow, avoid it during pregnancy.
Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.): A systematic review https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3210009/
Feverfew https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/feverfew
Herbal Remedies by Andrew Chevallier
Disclaimer: The content on this website is provided for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. No provider-patient relationship is created by use of this site. The author makes no representations regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information and assumes no liability for any adverse effects resulting from the use of plants or remedies described herein.
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