Tanacetum parthenium Compositae

The active ingredients, sesquiterpene lactones, and volatile oils are found in the leaves. Use fresh or frozen leaves if possible. The flowers have also been used in the past and preparing them as an infusion was said to cure poor circulation.

Feverfew leaves have always, been taken to cure headaches, but recently their beneficial effects on migraine have been proven. In a clinical experiment, seven out of ten sufferers found that their headaches reduced in frequency or severity when they ate a feverfew leaf three times a day. It is important to give this remedy time to work as its effect is cumulative and may take about six months before you get a positive result. A combination of feverfew, balm, meadowsweet and rosemary used to make an infusion that is drunk a cupful at a time, three times a day is also beneficial for mild or infrequent migraine. If you know that nervous tension is a contributing factor to your headache, add skullcap to this mixture.