According to researchers from Yale, they may know how the herb feverfew works to relieve migraines. The herb has substance known as parthenolide. Pathenolide targets a protein called I kappaB Kinase, which may be involved in inflammation. The researchers made a derivative of parthenolide and found that it bound I kappaB Kinase. The researchers are looking to find other inhibitors in hopes of developing a new drug. The results of the study appears in the August 2001 issue of Chemistry and Biology.
More recent research, in BMC Complement Altern Med. (2017 Aug 30;17(1):433) looked at adults suffering from migraine according to the criteria of the International Headache Society. Subjects had more than 2 migraine attacks during previous month. After a one-month baseline phase, supplemented with one tablet of 100 mg feverfew, 100 mg coenzyme Q10 and 112.5 mg magnesium per day for 3 months. Supplementation significantly reduced the number of days with migraine headache during third month of supplementation compared to baseline phase.
