Most feverfew searches concern the plant rather than the capsule, at 40770 a month. That leaves 1 obvious question, about the tea.
There are 0 trials of feverfew tea for migraine prevention. Everything positive in this hub came from capsules or a standardised extract.
Quick Answer: Is Feverfew Tea Any Good?
There is no trial evidence for it. Every positive migraine result for feverfew came from capsules or a standardised CO2 extract, and 0 from tea or fresh leaves. Chewing fresh leaves is the traditional practice most associated with mouth ulceration, which is why capsules replaced it.
Key Takeaways
- There are 0 trials of feverfew tea for preventing migraine.
- The positive trial used a CO2 extract at 6.25 mg, 3 times daily.
- Chewing fresh leaves is the 1 practice most linked to mouth ulceration.
- Cochrane pooled 6 trials in 561 patients, all using capsules or extracts.
- Feverfew is Tanacetum parthenium, 1 member of the daisy family.
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The Plant Itself
Feverfew is a short-lived perennial that self-seeds enthusiastically, which is why so many searches for it are about gardening rather than supplements.
- Botanical name: Tanacetum parthenium.
- Appearance: Small white daisy-like flowers, yellow centres.
- Part traditionally used: The leaves.
- Family: Asteraceae, which matters for 1 allergy caution.
The daisy resemblance causes a genuine identification problem, covered in the chamomile comparison.
What the Trials Used, and Did Not
The gap between traditional practice and trial evidence is wide here.
| Form | Trial evidence |
|---|---|
| Standardised CO2 extract | The rigorous trial Cochrane singled out |
| Capsules of dried herb | Included in older trials |
| Tea or infusion | None |
| Fresh chewed leaves | The traditional practice, not the trial method |
| Tincture | None in the Cochrane set |
Cochrane included 6 trials in 561 patients and could not pool them, partly because preparations differed so much between studies.[1]Feverfew for preventing migraine — Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2015) View source Which form to actually buy is worked through in how much and in what form.
Chewing the Leaves
This is the oldest way of using feverfew and the one with the clearest downside.
- Traditional practice: A few fresh leaves daily.
- Reported effect: Mouth ulceration and soreness.
- Also reported: Swelling of the lips and tongue.
- Why capsules exist: To avoid that 1 problem.
The trial that worked used 18.75 mg a day of a concentrated extract, so nothing about leaf-chewing reproduces it.[2]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 — Cephalalgia (2005) View source Two very different practices share one plant name.
Making Feverfew Tea
People do make it, and the honest framing is culinary rather than clinical.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Which part | The leaves, fresh or dried |
| Taste | Distinctly bitter |
| Migraine evidence | 0 trials |
| Dose control | None; leaf content varies by plant and season |
| Allergy caution | Same daisy-family rule as the capsules |
The absence of dose control is the practical problem: a 0.6-attack difference cannot be chased with a preparation whose strength you cannot measure.
If You Grow It
Three things are worth knowing before using a homegrown plant.
- Identification: Be certain of the plant before using it.
- Allergy: The daisy-family caution applies to garden plants too.
- Pregnancy: Avoid entirely, in any form.
- Consistency: A capsule is 1 measured amount; a leaf is not.
The safety picture is the same whatever the form, and pregnancy is an absolute exclusion in all of them.
| Form | Dose control |
|---|---|
| A 1000 mg capsule | Exact, every time |
| A standardised extract | Exact, and the trial format |
| Garden leaves | None |
| Home-made tea | None |
A 2025 pooling of 9 trials in 899 participants found attack frequency down 1.11, and every one of those trials used a measured preparation.[3]Systematic review and meta-analysis of Tanacetum parthenium: evaluating its efficacy in migraine relief — Natural Product Research (2025) View source If a measured amount is the goal, a 1000 mg capsule is the closest format.
Seek Urgent Assessment Rather Than Reaching for the Garden If
- A sudden severe headache unlike any before, or a headache with fever, neck stiffness, confusion, weakness, vision loss or after a head injury
- Any change in the pattern, frequency or character of long-standing migraines
- Pregnancy, or planning a pregnancy
- Taking warfarin, another anticoagulant, or an antiplatelet medicine
- A known allergy to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds or daisies
Frequently Asked Questions
What is feverfew tea good for? +
There are 0 trials of feverfew tea for migraine prevention. It is a traditional bitter herbal infusion rather than a studied preparation.
Is feverfew tea good for migraines? +
No trial has tested it. All 6 trials in the Cochrane review used capsules or extracts instead.
How do you make feverfew tea? +
Fresh or dried leaves, steeped. The practical problem is that 1 leaf differs from another, so there is no dose control.
What part of feverfew is used for tea? +
The leaves, which is also the part traditionally chewed fresh. That 1 practice is the source of the mouth-ulcer reports.
Is feverfew edible? +
The leaves have been eaten traditionally, and chewing them is associated with mouth ulceration. It is 1 of the commonest reported effects.
Can I use leaves from my garden? +
People do, and identification and the daisy-family allergy caution both apply. A capsule gives 1 measured amount that a leaf cannot.
Does the tea have parthenolide in it? +
Some, and the amount varies by plant, season and preparation. The trial used a standardised extract at 6.25 mg 3 times daily instead.
Why does it taste so bitter? +
That is characteristic of the leaves. Bitterness is 1 reason the tea never became the standard way of taking it.
Is feverfew tea safe in pregnancy? +
No. Feverfew should be avoided in pregnancy in all its forms, including the 2 traditional ones.
Is the flower used as well? +
Traditional use centres on the leaves. There are 0 trials distinguishing flower from leaf preparations.
Is the garden plant the same species? +
Usually yes, Tanacetum parthenium, though ornamental varieties exist. Identification matters before any of the 2 traditional uses.
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