The largest feverfew trial reduced migraine attacks by 1.9 a month, and almost every page stops there. Placebo reduced them by 1.3.
The difference between the 2 groups was 0.6 attacks a month. That number decides whether this herb is worth buying, and it is rarely printed.
Quick Answer: What Is Feverfew?
Feverfew is Tanacetum parthenium, a daisy-family herb used traditionally to prevent migraines. In the largest and most rigorous trial it cut attacks by 1.9 a month against 1.3 on placebo, a difference of 0.6 attacks. Cochrane pooled 6 trials in 561 patients and could not combine them at all because the outcome measures differed.
Key Takeaways
- Feverfew is Tanacetum parthenium, 1 herb in the daisy family.
- The best trial cut attacks by 1.9 a month against 1.3 on placebo.
- The difference between the 2 groups was 0.6 attacks a month.
- Cochrane pooled 6 trials in 561 patients and could not combine them.
- That positive trial used 6.25 mg of extract, not 1000 mg of herb.
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What It Actually Is
Feverfew is a small flowering plant that looks like a daisy, and the confusion this causes is itself a live search question.
- Botanical name: Tanacetum parthenium.
- Family: Asteraceae, the daisy family.
- Compound of interest: Parthenolide, in the leaves.
- Our capsule: 1000 mg of feverfew herb.
Being an Asteraceae plant is why the allergy caution exists, and it is set out in side effects and who should avoid it.
The Number That Decides It
Cochrane reviewed the whole literature, and the most useful sentence in its summary is the last one.
| What the review found | Result |
|---|---|
| Trials meeting inclusion criteria | 6, covering 561 patients |
| Trials reporting migraine frequency | 5 |
| Pooled analysis | Not possible; outcome measures differed |
| Risk of bias on sample size | Unclear or high in every study |
| Best trial, feverfew | 4.8 down to 2.9 attacks a month |
| Best trial, placebo | 4.8 down to 3.5 attacks a month |
| Difference between groups | 0.6 attacks a month |
Placebo did roughly two thirds of the work in that trial, which is normal in migraine research and rarely mentioned in supplement copy.[1]Feverfew for preventing migraine — Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2015) View source Six trials in 561 patients is a small base for a herb this widely sold.
What a 2025 Pooling Found
A newer meta-analysis managed what Cochrane could not, and its own heterogeneity numbers are the caveat.
- Scope: 9 randomized trials, 899 participants.
- Attack frequency: Down 1.11, with heterogeneity of 28%.
- Attack duration: Down 4.43, with heterogeneity of 98%.
- Pain severity: Down 0.63, and not significant.
Nausea, vomiting, photophobia and phonophobia showed no significant effect at all, and the authors concluded feverfew may offer modest benefits.[2]Systematic review and meta-analysis of Tanacetum parthenium: evaluating its efficacy in migraine relief — Natural Product Research (2025) View source The full reading is in what the migraine trials show.
The Preparation Problem
This is the part almost nobody states, and it changes how you should read every dosing table online.
| The positive trial | A typical capsule | |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | Standardised CO2 extract | Dried feverfew herb |
| Amount | 6.25 mg three times daily | 1000 mg once daily |
| Daily total | 18.75 mg | 1000 mg |
| Duration | 16 weeks | Open-ended |
| Comparable? | No | No |
An extract and a herb powder are different substances, and a bigger number on the label does not mean a bigger dose of what was tested. That comparison is worked through in dosage and which form works.
Where It Sits Against Other Options
A 2020 systematic review of 19 studies looked at single-ingredient herbs for migraine, and its wording is precise.
- Feverfew: Findings described as mixed.
- Butterbur: Positive, albeit limited.
- Curcumin, citron, coriander: Positive preliminary findings.
- Risk of bias: High for many of the 19 studies.
Butterbur comes with its own separate liver-safety concern in unpurified preparations, which is a reason to read the comparison carefully rather than swap one for the other.[3]Herbal treatments for migraine: A systematic review of randomised-controlled studies — Phytotherapy Research (2020) View source
Who It Might Suit
Set against those numbers, the honest audience is narrow.
- Prevention, not attacks: Every trial here is prophylaxis.
- Patience: The trials ran 16 weeks or longer.
- Realistic target: Under 1 fewer attack a month.
- Not in pregnancy: And not alongside anticoagulants.
On those terms a 1000 mg capsule is a cheap thing to try and a poor thing to rely on.
Seek Urgent Assessment Rather Than Reaching for a Supplement 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 good for? +
Migraine prevention, and modestly. The best trial cut attacks by 1.9 a month against 1.3 on placebo, a difference of 0.6.
Does feverfew actually work for migraines? +
A 2025 pooling of 9 trials in 899 people found attack frequency down 1.11. Pain severity was down 0.63 and not statistically significant.
Is feverfew a type of daisy? +
Yes, it is in the Asteraceae family. That is why it gets mistaken for chamomile, which is 1 of the commonest questions about it.
How much feverfew should I take? +
The positive trial used 6.25 mg of a standardised CO2 extract 3 times daily. That is not the same as 1000 mg of dried herb.
How long does feverfew take to work? +
The trials ran 16 weeks or longer. There is no basis for judging it after 1 or 2 weeks.
Are there people who should skip feverfew? +
Yes: anyone pregnant, anyone on anticoagulants, and anyone allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds or daisies. Those are the 3 clearest exclusions.
Does feverfew stop a migraine once it starts? +
That is not what it was tested for. All 6 Cochrane trials studied prevention rather than treating an attack.
Is feverfew safe to take daily? +
In the largest trial, adverse events were 8.4% on feverfew against 10.2% on placebo. Daily use for 16 weeks was well tolerated.
What is parthenolide? +
A compound in feverfew leaves, and the usual basis for standardising extracts. It is 1 marker rather than a proven active ingredient.
Is feverfew or butterbur better? +
A 2020 review called feverfew mixed and butterbur positive but limited. Unpurified butterbur carries its own liver concern, so the 2 are not a simple swap.
Can I grow it and use the leaves? +
People do, and chewing fresh leaves is associated with mouth ulceration. It is 1 of the commonest reported effects.
Does feverfew help ordinary headaches? +
There are 0 trials of feverfew for tension-type headache. Everything here concerns migraine prevention specifically.
Related Reading
- Feverfew vs Butterbur and Other Options
- Feverfew Tea and the Feverfew Plant
- Is Feverfew the Same as Chamomile?
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