Supplement
Feverfew is a traditional medicinal herb whose leaves have long been used in herbal remedies, and it is thought to work by dampening prostaglandins and the release of serotonin from platelets. People mostly look at it for migraine, but across four studies with 406 people, the evidence was very limited and found no clear difference in how often migraines came or how long they lasted. Some of the research was small, so the evidence is too thin to say whether it helps.
Sources: PMID 3929876; PMID 12230594
- Updated
- How we grade
- 6 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade D
- Conditions studied
- 4
- Outcomes
- 8
- Graded outcomes
- 0003
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Migraine Frequency No effect | NoneNo effect | 4 studies | 406 people | |||
Studies that measured migraine frequency
| ||||||
| Migraine Duration No effect | NoneNo effect | 389 people | ||||
| Migraine Severity | Improves (the measure goes down) | 219 people | ||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-Reactive Protein (CRP) No effect | NoneNo effect | 40 people | ||||
| Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 40 people | |||
Studies that measured rheumatoid arthritis symptoms | ||||||
| Immunity | Improves (the measure goes up) | 40 people | ||||
Dermatitis
- Erythema: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erythema | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 8 people | |||
Studies that measured erythema | ||||||
Immune Health
- Erythema: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erythema | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 8 people | |||
Studies that measured erythema | ||||||
Key findings
- Migraine Frequency
- Migraine Duration
- C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
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- Grade D
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Studies cited
6 studies from PubMed
- Feverfew in rheumatoid arthritis: a double blind, placebo controlled study
- Anti-inflammatory activity of parthenolide-depleted Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)
- Efficacy of feverfew as prophylactic treatment of migraine
- The efficacy and safety of Tanacetum parthenium (feverfew) in migraine prophylaxis--a double-blind, multicentre, randomized placebo-controlled dose-response study
- Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of feverfew in migraine prevention
- Efficacy and safety of 6.25 mg t.i.d. feverfew CO2-extract (MIG-99) in migraine prevention--a randomized, double-blind, multicentre, placebo-controlled study