{"id":11765,"date":"2024-04-22T15:17:39","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T14:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.herbalreality.com\/?post_type=herb&p=11765"},"modified":"2025-08-29T09:18:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T08:18:44","slug":"feverfew","status":"publish","type":"herb","link":"https:\/\/www.herbalreality.com\/herb\/feverfew\/","title":{"rendered":"Feverfew"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":11770,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","beyondwords_generate_audio":"1","beyondwords_project_id":"47224","beyondwords_content_id":"cc23726f-8962-4433-a04e-914d50189e52","beyondwords_preview_token":"9c57826f-71fd-4ef8-b289-b20b48525df8","beyondwords_player_content":"","beyondwords_player_style":"","beyondwords_language_code":"","beyondwords_language_id":"","beyondwords_title_voice_id":"","beyondwords_body_voice_id":"","beyondwords_summary_voice_id":"","beyondwords_error_message":"","beyondwords_disabled":"","beyondwords_delete_content":"","beyondwords_podcast_id":"","beyondwords_hash":"","publish_post_to_speechkit":"","speechkit_hash":"","speechkit_generate_audio":"","speechkit_project_id":"","speechkit_podcast_id":"","speechkit_error_message":"","speechkit_disabled":"","speechkit_access_key":"","speechkit_error":"","speechkit_info":"","speechkit_response":"","speechkit_retries":"","speechkit_status":"","speechkit_updated_at":"","_speechkit_link":"","_speechkit_text":""},"tags":[],"conditions":[694,685,699,696,695],"sustainability":[1575],"sense":[17,31,18],"western_action":[990,991,992,993,1132,996,1001,1003,1007,1008,1009,1017,1020,1021,1024,1252],"chinese_action":[],"ayurvedic_action":[],"energetics_action":[1908,1498,1383,1487,1492],"region":[1893],"class_list":["post-11765","herb","type-herb","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","conditions-cardiovascular-system","conditions-digestive-system","conditions-musculoskeletal-system","conditions-nervous-system","conditions-respiratory-system","sustainability-amber-sustainability-status","sense-aromatic","sense-astringent-taste","sense-bitter","western_action-analgesic","western_action-anthelmintic","western_action-anti-inflammatory","western_action-antimicrobial","western_action-antipyretic","western_action-antirheumatic","western_action-bitter","western_action-carminatives","western_action-diaphoretic","western_action-diuretic","western_action-emmenagogue","western_action-nervine","western_action-stimulant","western_action-stomachic","western_action-vasodilator","western_action-vermifuge","energetics_action-aromatic","energetics_action-bitter","energetics_action-cold","energetics_action-dry","energetics_action-toning","region-western-herbs"],"acf":{"last_reviewed":"20240422","herb_author":null,"banner_text":"Feverfew is a traditional European medicine used in fever management","latin_name":"Tanacetum parthenium<\/em>","pseudonym_name":"","family_name":"Asteraceae","herb_summary":"Feverfew has been at the heart of much research for its pain relieving actions. It is a modern herb with a long standing use for the treatment of migraines, headaches and digestive problems.","key_benefits":"Fever management \r\nDigestive aid\r\nPain reliever","how_does_it_feel":"Feverfew is a powerfully aromatic plant. On tasting the tea of feverfew the initial sensory impact brings a rich profile of aromatic and bitter qualities.","hdif_image_1":11770,"hdif_image_2":11768,"hdif_image_3":13554,"hdif_video":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/lAZzVaJOEuI","sense":[17,31,18],"what_can_i_use_it_for":"[caption id=\"attachment_11770\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"600\"]\"Feverfew Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium<\/em>)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nFeverfew is best used as <\/span>antipyretic<\/span><\/a> to support through a fever. It works by stimulating perspiration and movement of heat out through the skin. This helps to regulate the core body temperature whilst also encouraging the body's<\/span> natural defence mechanisms.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe overall objective of holistic fever support is to encourage the \u2018breaking\u2019 of a fever whilst supporting a healthy immune response that enables better detoxification of pathogens. Feverfew may be used in combination with herbs like <\/span>elderflower<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>peppermint<\/span><\/a> for this purpose.<\/span>\r\n\r\nMarketing pressures have resulted in the common use of feverfew for the prevention and treatment of migraines and headaches. Whilst feverfew may be very effective for the treatment of acute headaches and migraines,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the use of herbs like feverfew for this purpose is very much limited to being a symptomatic approach and overlooks the more important focus \u2014<\/span> to identify the root cause and correct the physiological problems that lead to such symptoms.<\/span>\r\n\r\nFeverfew may be used intermittently to help with occasional headaches. However,<\/span> ongoing, chronic or recurring headaches and migraines should first be investigated immediately by a medical professional to ensure there is no serious cause. In the situation where no serious cause has been identified, a clinical herbalist should be consulted. A herbalist seeks to support or encourage <\/span>the body\u2019s natural physiological processes with a view to creating a lasting resolution, rather than a short-term<\/span>\u00a0symptomatic intervention.<\/span>\r\n\r\nFeverfew has numerous other uses that include the treatment of painful menstruation, as well as toothache. It is also sometimes used topically as an <\/span>anti-inflammatory<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>antimicrobial<\/span><\/a> for insect bites.<\/span>","into_the_heart_of":"[caption id=\"attachment_11769\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"500\"]\"Feverfew Feverfew plants (Tanacetum parthenium<\/em>)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nFeverfew is an aromatic herb whose qualities are well allied with the grounding effect of its bitterness and acridity. Bitterness in a herb indicates a cooling effect in the body. This is because bitter compounds directly stimulate the function of the liver \u2014<\/span>\u00a0a primary organ of elimination. Toxins in the blood are better eliminated when the eliminatory function is promoted.<\/span>\r\n\r\nFeverfew\u2019s aromatic compounds combined with its bitter effects work directly to support digestive function. This enables better assimilation of digestive nutrients and helps to support <\/span>a number of digestive complaints, such as nausea and indigestion.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nFeverfew is an effective vasodilator, which may be applied to relieve constriction in the periphery. Migraines and headaches are often associated with tension in the micro-circulation, which can be caused by stress. Feverfew opens up the channels and allows better movement from the blood into the tissues by this opening effect in the cardiovascular system.<\/span>\r\n\r\nFeverfew can be combined with nervine herbs like <\/span>oat straw<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>lemon balm<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>skullcap<\/span><\/a> to ensure there is support in place for soothing and regenerating the nervous tissues.<\/span>","tradtional_uses":"[caption id=\"attachment_11772\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"600\"]\"Feverfew Feverfew in summer (Tanacetum parthenium<\/em>)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nFeverfew was once commonly used in Europe to reduce fevers and chills, hence its common name \u2018feverfew\u2019 (Latin <\/span>febrifugia<\/span><\/i>). The first-century Greek physician Dioscorides prescribed feverfew for \u201c<\/span>all hot inflammations\u201d<\/span>.<\/span>\r\n\r\nWarm infusions were given to purge chole <\/span>r and to treat the common cold, febrile diseases, bring on menstruation and expel worms. A decoction of feverfew (a strong tea) was given to ease a cough, wheezing and breathing difficulties.<\/span>\r\n\r\nIn English folk medicine, feverfew was reportedly bound close to the skin, perhaps around the wrists for this purpose during the medieval period.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nAccording to one story in Ancient Greece, feverfew was used to save the life of someone who had fallen from the Parthenon, the Doric temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, on the Acropolis in Athens. This is where feverfew gained its name <\/span>parthenium.<\/span><\/i>\r\n\r\nIt is also possible that the Greco-Roman practice of using feverfew for treating menstrual cramps in young women may have suggested the name <\/span>parthenium<\/span><\/i>, as \u201cparthenos\u201d means \u201cvirgin\u201d in Greek.<\/span>\r\n\r\nFeverfew has a very long-standing<\/span> tradition for use in the treatment of headaches, migraine headaches, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach aches, toothaches and insect bites in Greek and early European herbalists. The English Herbalist Gerard (1400s), for instance, says of it: \u201cvery good for them that are giddie in the head\u201d and \u201cfor such as be melancholic, sad, pensive and without speech.\u201d<\/span>","what_practioners_say":"[caption id=\"attachment_11767\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"400\"]\"Feverfew Feverfew flowers (Tanacetum parthenium<\/em>)[\/caption]\r\n

Nervous system<\/h3>\r\nIts feathery, aromatic leaves are used to prevent and treat migraines and headaches. A compound called parthenolide which is found in feverfew affects vascular smooth muscle in the brain. Parthenolide blocks the action of vasoconstrictors like serotonin, prostaglandins and norepinephrine in the brain (4). These are natural chemicals in the body that constrict the blood vessels which are thought to be responsible for triggering some types of migraine headaches.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThere are a number of pharmacological findings relating to this mechanism of action. Parthenolide has also been shown to inhibit granular secretion aggregation and arachidonic acid mediated responses. Which likely works to help in pain conditions, again by means of vascular smooth muscle contractility <\/span>inhibition (2, 3). It is likely that a number of compounds in feverfew work synergistically to create the combined effect of analgesia and inflammatory mediation.<\/span>\r\n\r\nOther<\/span> nervous system<\/span> symptoms that feverfew may be indicated for include dizziness, tinnitus (2), vertigo and Meniere\u2019s disease, working by the same mechanisms as those described above (4). It combines with <\/span>ginkgo<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>black cohosh<\/span><\/a> for tinnitus and dizziness.<\/span>\r\n

Musculoskeletal system<\/h3>\r\nInhibiting prostaglandins in the body produces <\/span>analgesic<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>anti-inflammatory<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>antipyretic<\/span><\/a> effects. It is likely this same mechanism that makes feverfew a useful pain-relieving herb in rheumatic conditions by reducing inflammatory processes in the body.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nA herbalist may use feverfew to help during active flare-ups or in the most painful active stages of these conditions, rather than as an isolated approach. Holistic<\/span> treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis most often involves a combined approach, which focuses on the\u00a0 <\/span>systemic inflammation and immunological processes<\/span>.<\/span>\r\n

Skin<\/h3>\r\nFeverfew is often referenced in herbalists' texts as being specific for the treatment of psoriasis, an inflammatory skin condition<\/span> that causes flaky patches of skin which form scales. This is most likely as a result of its powerful anti-inflammatory actions, whilst also improving the direct microcirculation<\/span>\u00a0to the skin (4).\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

Digestive system<\/h3>\r\nFeverfew may be used in combination with other <\/span>anthelmintic<\/span><\/a> herbs as part of a treatment approach for intestinal worms and pinworms (5).<\/span>","research":"[caption id=\"attachment_11773\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"600\"]\"Young Young feverfew plants (Tanacetum parthenium<\/em>)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nFeverfew\u2019s active compounds have been fairly well researched with some studies that demonstrate its mechanism of action and efficacy for a number of different applications including migraines, analgesia, febrifugal and even cancer. Some earlier studies suggest negative findings, however, it is important to note that these trials were based on an extract standardised for the concentration of parthenolides. It is these parthenolides that<\/span> science has been most interested in, as they were thought of as feverfew\u2019s \u2018active constituent\u2019. This, however, indicates that other active compounds found in the whole leaf extract may be important.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThis is the common problem with certain modes of herbal research, such as those which use isolated or standardised extracts. The important synergy of multiple herbal compounds interacting together to create an effect is overlooked. For this reason, clinical trials in human subjects are the most relevant and reliable form of evidence. Most clinical trials are carried out using \u2018whole plant\u2019 extracts that better validate the effects of a full spectrum of active herbal compounds. Unfortunately, there is very little of this type of research into the uses of feverfew.<\/span>\r\n

Migraines<\/h3>\r\nA systematic review was carried out to evaluate the available data on the efficacy of feverfew in the treatment of migraine headaches. Six randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials of feverfew for the prevention of migraine in human subjects were included. The review concluded that feverfew is likely to be effective in the treatment and prevention of migraines (7).<\/span>\r\n

Medicinal actions<\/h3>\r\nA systematic review was carried out to evaluate the available research on the use of feverfew for a number of its well-known<\/span>\u00a0medicinal applications. The review focused on a number of studies with isolated compounds from the flowers and leaves and also some clinical data. The review confirms that across the spectrum of data analysed, feverfew shows significant analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities (6).<\/span>\r\n

Cancer<\/h3>\r\nAn in vitro study also found parthenolide to effectively inhibit hepatoma cell growth in a tumor cell-specific manner and trigger apoptosis of hepatoma cells. Prior to parthenolide-induced apoptotic cell death, depletion of glutathione, generation of reactive oxygen species, reduction of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, activation of caspases, and overexpression of GADD153 were observed, suggestive of parthenolide\u2019s mechanistic underpinnings. Further clinical studies are needed to explore the safety and efficacy of parthenolide in humans.We strongly advise when treating cancer to work with an integrative specialist who can guide you on the safest steps to take. You can read more about this topic<\/span> in our article \"Mushrooms for cancer care<\/a>\".","did_you_know":"","additional_information_right":{"illustration":13897},"additional_information_left":{"botany":"Feverfew belongs to the daisy family. It is a daisy-like plant which is a short, bushy, aromatic perennial that grows to around 0.3\u20131 m in height. Its yellow-green leaves are usually less than 8 cm in length, almost hairless, and pinnate\u2013bipinnate (these may be likened to the leaves of chrysanthemum).\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nIts yellow and white flowers bloom from July to October, are about 2 cm in diameter. They slightly resemble those of chamomile, for which they are sometimes confused. They have a yellow capitulum and a single layer of white outer-ray florets.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThis aromatic plant gives off a strong and bitter odor. Its yellow-green leaves are alternate, and turn downward with short fine hairs. The small, daisy-like yellow flowers are arranged in a dense flat-topped cluster.<\/span>","common_names":"