Historic Uses: Used to help regulate menstrual cycles and ‘inflammation of the uterus’ since the time of Hippocrates (430-377 BCE). This included many “female hormonal imbalances such as depression, cramps, mood swings, water retention and weight gain associated with the menstrual cycle…. [it was] also prescribed for uterine fibroid cysts and to help alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of menopause.” (Source)
Also used to sooth headaches, colic, gas and other digestive problems.
Vitex was popular in the ancient world through the Renaissance, but by the mid-1600s it had declined in popularity as a medicine.