Ginseng
The use of herbal remedies during pregnancy is becoming increasingly common. This is scary because there is little evidence on the safety and effectiveness of these herbal remedies. Natural herbs do not go through the same evaluation process by the FDA. The quality and strength of a herbal supplement may vary between two batches of the same product and between products from different manufacturers. There is no way of knowing how safe the product is. If you become pregnant, it is advised that you avoid herbs during pregnancy because they are rarely tested in pregnant women. There are concerns that testing may damage the fetus.
Unsafe Herbs
Blue Cohosh
It is estimated that one third of herbal remedies are deemed unsafe for use by pregnant women. Blue cohosh was once thought to safely induce uterine contractions, but now it is learned that it may increase the risk of heart failure in the baby. It can also induce labour. Ginseng, which is the most commonly used herb in the world is now found to cause malformations in rat embryos. If it causes malformations in rat’s embryos, human embryos could be affected as well. Gingko may promote excessive bleeding. Other unsafe herbs during pregnancy include:
- Aloe vera
- Anise
- Black cohosh
- Black haw
- Borage
- Buckthorn
- Comfrey
- Cotton root
- Dandelion leaf
- Dong Quai – uterine stimulant and relaxant effects
- Ephedra, ma huang
- Ergot
- Feverfew
- Goldenseal – may cross the placenta
- Juniper
- Kava
- Licorice
- Pennyroyal
- Saw palmetto – has hormonal activity
- Senna
Safe Herbs
Not all herbs are considered unsafe. Although the list is shorter, there are some herbs (if taken in small amounts) that can be taken during pregnancy without harm to you or your baby. Peppermint tea and ginger root are considered safe and are taken for nausea. One gram oral doses of ginger for four days was found to decrease the severity of nausea and vomiting in the majority of women. Rosemary is considered safe when taken is small amounts (eg. sprinkled on your tomato sauce). Other herbs considered safe in small amounts are:
- Garlic
- Sage
- Tumeric
- Red raspberry leaf – rich in iron, helped tone the uterus, increase milk production, decrease nausea, ease labour pains
- Slippery Elm Bark – help relieve nausea and heartburn
- Oats and Oat Straw – rich in calcium and magnesium; helps relieve anxiety, restlessness and irritated skin
Red Raspberry Leaf
As you can see, there are many different herbs available to pregnant women. It is advised that pregnant women stay away from them because they are not evaluated by the FDA. However, there are some herbs that are considered safe, but not many. You may end up taking some herbal supplements to decrease nausea and vomiting and become interested to take different ones, that may risk your baby’s health.
Sources
Brown, J. (2008). Nutrition through the lifecycle. Belmont, USA: Thomson Wadsworth
Women’s Health Series: Herbs of Special Interest to Women. J Am Pharm Assoc 40(2):234-242, 2000.
I agree that the use of herbal remedies during pregnancy is a bit scary because some herbs may not even be safe period! I know that if I were pregnant, I would be super cautious of all products I would consume. Thanks for all your posts, there are definitely many pregnancy myths out there and people need some direction as to what they should do.
Emily Q.
Emily,
I completely agree that herbs are a little sketchy to begin with, not only during pregnancy. I have one friend that used to work at a health food store and she would go on and on about the newest health products and herbs. She would tell me to try them, but they seem too unreliable to me, especially if the FDA doesn’t approve them.
Emma