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Supplement evidence

148 / 575Botanical

Feverfew

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The short answer

Some standardized extracts may reduce migraine frequency, but studies are small and inconsistent.

Evidence and scope
Mixed evidence

This status does not grade the ingredient for every goal, outcome, or person.

Important limitation
Trials are inconsistent or small, so a reliable clinically important benefit is not established.
Before deciding
Key concern: Pregnancy, anticoagulants, ragweed allergy, mouth ulcers, surgery, and abrupt discontinuation require review.

01 / PRACTICAL GUIDE

Dose, absorption, and combinations

These are indication-specific reference or studied ranges—not a personalized prescription. Start with the objective, then check the form, label, medicines, and health conditions.

Reference range by objective
Migraine prevention50–150 mg/day dried leaf-equivalent in trials

Reference or studied range—not a personalized prescription. The product label or a clinician may specify a different dose.

Dose source

More is not automatically better. A clinician or product label may specify a different amount.

Absorption / solubilityFormulation-dependent

Not usefully classified as a fat- or water-soluble vitamin; absorption depends on the salt, extract, delivery system, and meal.

How it is commonly taken

Take daily for prevention, not acute treatment.

Do not combine casually

Pregnancy, anticoagulants, ragweed allergy, mouth ulcers, surgery, and abrupt discontinuation require review.

Dose and use source

Dose and use links lead to primary or official source material. Search links are discovery tools, not proof that every returned paper applies.

02 / EVIDENCE

What the research says

We keep supportive, mixed, negative, safety, and contextual findings together. The headline never replaces the underlying papers.

1research papers in this ledger
6unique primary studies represented
561unique participants represented

These are audited counts for this JIVANA collection, not search-result totals. Participants are counted once when multiple papers use the same cohort; review papers are not added again to participant totals.

Open the research timelineResearch timeline

Entries are ordered by publication year. A study period appears only when the source reports it.

2015
Mixed or qualifiedPMID 25892430 · CD002286

Feverfew for preventing migraine

The largest rigorous trial found only 0.6 fewer attacks per month than placebo, with no significant improvement in intensity, duration, nausea, vomiting, or global assessment. Earlier trials were mixed; overall evidence was low quality and inconclusive.

Study design and methods
Design
Cochrane systematic review of 6 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials
Population
561 people with migraine
Intervention
Feverfew mono-preparations versus placebo
Outcome
Migraine frequency, intensity, duration, associated symptoms, and adverse events

Funding or conflict note: The review authors reported no known conflicts of interest.

Open research record
Unscreened discovery appendix—not evidence11 candidate publicationsSearch run: Aug 21, 2026

Complete for the displayed PubMed query at the search timestamp—not for all databases or every possible synonym. Candidates can be irrelevant, duplicate the same study, or report negative findings. They are never summed as evidence or participants until screened.

03 / SOURCES

Start with the source material

The live search is for discovery only. Search-result counts change and are not included in the audited totals above.

Recent PubMed discovery recordsDirect links to the first 12 records returned by the reproducible search. These are discovery candidates—not reviewed summaries or a count of supportive findings.
  1. Feverfew for migraine prophylaxis: a systematic review.Saranitzky E, White CM, Baker EL et al. · 2009 · Journal of dietary supplements · PMID 22435410Open on PubMed
  2. Tanacetum parthenium and Salix alba (Mig-RL) combination in migraine prophylaxis: a prospective, open-label study.Shrivastava R, Pechadre JC, John GW · 2006 · Clinical drug investigation · PMID 17163262Open on PubMed
  3. 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.Diener HC, Pfaffenrath V, Schnitker J et al. · 2005 · Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache · PMID 16232154Open on PubMed
  4. A combination of riboflavin, magnesium, and feverfew for migraine prophylaxis: a randomized trial.Maizels M, Blumenfeld A, Burchette R · 2004 · Headache · PMID 15447697Open on PubMed
  5. Feverfew for preventing migraine.Pittler MH, Ernst E · 2004 · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · PMID 14973986Open on PubMed
  6. The efficacy and safety of Tanacetum parthenium (feverfew) in migraine prophylaxis--a double-blind, multicentre, randomized placebo-controlled dose-response study.Pfaffenrath V, Diener HC, Fischer M et al. · 2002 · Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache · PMID 12230594Open on PubMed
  7. The efficacy and safety of feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.): an update of a systematic review.Ernst E, Pittler MH · 2000 · Public health nutrition · PMID 11276299Open on PubMed
  8. Feverfew for preventing migraine.Pittler MH, Vogler BK, Ernst E · 2000 · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · PMID 10908545Open on PubMed
  9. Feverfew as a preventive treatment for migraine: a systematic review.Vogler BK, Pittler MH, Ernst E · 1998 · Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache · PMID 9950629Open on PubMed
  10. Randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of feverfew in migraine prevention.Murphy JJ, Heptinstall S, Mitchell JR · 1988 · Lancet (London, England) · PMID 2899663Open on PubMed
  11. Efficacy of feverfew as prophylactic treatment of migraine.Johnson ES, Kadam NP, Hylands DM et al. · 1985 · British medical journal (Clinical research ed.) · PMID 3929876Open on PubMed

04 / EXPERT CONTEXT

Expert context—not evidence

Expert positions are dated context—not scientific evidence. They never raise the evidence status or become consensus by repetition.

No direct, source-verified endorsement is currently recorded. Research authorship or discussion alone is not treated as endorsement.

Educational information only—not medical advice. Product quality, dose, medicines, pregnancy, and kidney or liver disease can materially change safety.