Monday, June 30, 2008

Unsafe Herbs for Pregnant and Nursing Women

This information is from a book all Herbal people should own.
Natural Health Magazine Complete Guide to Safe Herbs, What eveyone should know about Herbal interactions and side effects. By Chris D. Meletis, N.D.
These Herbs can cause miscarriage and other pregnancy complications.
Agave (uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Aloe Vera (external is safe, internal use can cause uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Apricot, Peach and Cherry (Moderate dietary consumption is safe; the pits contain cyanide and should be avoided.); Arnica (external remedies are generally safe if you are not at high risk; consult your physician before using this herb); Ashwagandha ( miscarriage); Barberry (Uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Basil (may increase risk of birth defects);Bee Balm, Bergamot,Oswego Tea ( uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Beet Leaf (May increase the chances of uterine bleeding and miscarriage; dietary moderation is strongly advised); Betel Nut (this herb can cause birth defects); Birthroot, Beth root (uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Birthwort (uterine stimulant that can cause miscarriage); Bistort, snakeweed (miscarriage); Bitter Apple (Highly poisonous, may cause uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Bitter Orange Peel (can cause birth defects, uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Bitterwood, Quassia (miscarriage); Black Cohosh Root (miscarriage); Blazing Star (uterine stimulant that can cause miscarriage); Borage Oil (May cause liver damage to the mother and harm to the fetus); Bryony (Highly toxic and is used cautiously by physicians); Buchu (miscarriage); Buckthorn bark (trigger contractions); Buckthorn fruit (miscarriage); Burdock root (uterine stimulant that can cause miscarriage); Butternut (birth defects); Cabbage, Colewort (Can interfere with mental development in the fetus); Calendula (External is safe; Internal can cause uterine bleeding and miscarriage); California Poppy (increase risk of miscarriage); Camphor (Uterine bleeding and miscarriage and birth defects); Cascara Sagrada (trigger contractions); Catnip (miscarriage); Cayenne (Moderate dietary consumption is safe); Celandine (Liver damage and also cause uterine stimulation); Celery (uterine stimulant that can cause miscarriage, moderate dietary consumption is safe); Chasteberry (can cause hormonal changes and uterine bleeding); Chicory (moderate dietary consumption is safe. Large amounts could cause uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Cinchona (Uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Cinnamon (Moderate dietary consumption is safe. Large amounts may cause uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Citronella, Lemon Grass (Large doses can cause miscarriage and uterine bleeding); Citrus Fruits (Moderate dietary consumption is safe. Excess intake can result in uterine stimulation. Cocoa (Contains caffeine, which has been linked to miscarriage, low birth weights, premature delivery, and birth defects); Coffee (Contains caffeine, which has been linked to miscarriage, low birth weights, premature delivery, and birth defects); Coleus (uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Colombo (paralysis and uterine contractions); Corn Poppy (miscarriage and infant death); Cotton Root (uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Dandelion (it's safety has not yet been determined);Echinacea (may trigger autoimmune disorder); Elecampane (use only under a physicians supervision; may cause miscarriage); Ergot (Uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Fennel Seed (uterine stimulant that may cause contractions); Fenugreek Seed (uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Feverfew (miscarriage); Flaxseed (limit dietary intake, especially in 1st trimester of pregnancy);Garlic (lg doses may cause uterine bleeding and miscarriage, dietary moderation is strongly adviced); German Chamomile (Moderate dietary consumption and topical use are safe. Large doses can increase the risk of complications in pregnancy); Ginger (Dietary moderation is strongly advised; large amounts may cause uterine bleeding and miscarriage. Avoid completely if the risk of miscarriage is high.); Ginseng (May alter hormonal balance; use only under a physicians supervision.); Goldthread (miscarriage); Gotu Kola (Miscarriage particularly in the first trimester); Green Tea (Moderate dietary consumption is safe); Guarana ( Contains caffeine, which has been linked to miscarriage, low birth weights, premature delivery, and birth defects; Helonias (miscarriage); Hibiscus (miscarriage); Horehound (miscarriage); Horseradish (avoid dietary horseradish if you have high risk of miscarriage, uterine bleeding, or any other bleeding disorder.); Horsetail ( May interfere with metabolism of B vitamins); Hyssop (uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Ipecac (May stimulate the uterus, increasing chance of of miscarriage); Iris, Orris Root (uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Jaborandi (herb is Toxic; may cause birth defects and miscarriage); Jalap (uterine bleeding); Jujube (uterine bleeding) Kava Kava (toxic; may cause birth defects and miscarriage); Khella, Bishop's weed (uterine stimulant that can cause miscarriage) Kola Nut ( Contains caffeine, which has been linked to miscarriage, low birth weights, premature delivery, and birth defects); Kousso (miscarriage); Lavender (internal use may cause uterine bleeding); Lemon Balm (external use is safe; internal use may lead to altered hormone balance and uterine bleeding); Licorice Root (Use only under a physicians supervision; can cause high blood pressure and uterine bleeding); Liverwort (can cause severe gastrointestional irritation and should not be used during pregnancy); Lovage (uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Madagascar Periwinkle (miscarriage and birth defects); Malay Tea (miscarriage); Male Fern, sweet brake (vomiting and miscarriage); Marjoram (limit dietary intake; large amounts can cause uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Masterwort (uterine bleeding and uterine contractions); Mate (hypon on the e) (Pregnant and nursing women should avoid caffeine (present in Mate), which is linked to miscarriage, low birth weight, premature delivery, and birth defects); Milk Thistle (uterine bleeding); Motherwort (uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Myrrh (uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Nard (uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Nutmeg (limit dietary intake; large amounts can lead to miscarriage); Oregon Grape (Uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Osha (uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Papaya (May cause uterine bleeding or miscarriage); Parsley (uterine bleeding; uterine contractions, and miscarriage. Dietary moderation is strongly advised); Pasque Flower (miscarriage); Peony (uterine bleeding); Pleurisy Root (uterine stimulant that can cause miscarriage); Poison Ivy (they mean swallowing it, not getting a case of it) (miscarriage); Pomegranate ( uterine bleeding); Poppy (miscarriage and infant death); Prickly Ash (may cause uterine bleeding and miscarriage. Do not use while breast-feeding as it may irritate an infants digestion); Queen Anne's lace (uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Rhubarb (miscarriage); Roman Chamomile ( Moderate dietary consumption and topical use are safe. Large doses can increase the risk of complication in pregnancy); Rosemary leaf (moderate dietary consumption is safe); Safflower oil (Large amounts may cause uterine bleeding and miscarriage; Dietary moderation is strongly advised); Saffron (large doses can cause miscarriage and uterine bleeding. Dietary moderation is strongly advised.); Sage (Moderate dietary consumption is safe; large doses could cause utering contractions); Sandalwood ( miscarriage); Sarsaparilla (miscarriage); Sea Bukthorn (birth defects and miscarriage); Senna (may cause birth defects if pregnant or breast-feeding); Shephard's Purse ( May cause uterine bleeding or miscarriage); Speedwell (miscarriage and birth defects); St. John's Wort (uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Stinging Nettle Leaf (uterine bleeding, uterine contractions, and miscarriage); Strophanthus (may cause dangerous heart rhythm problems and uterine contractions); Thyme (Dietary moderation is strongly advised; large amounts may cause uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Tobacco (smoking during pregnancy causes low birth weight and may cause birth defects and premature delivery); Turmeric ( large doses can cause miscarriage and uterine bleeding. Dietary moderation is strongly advised); Uva Ursi (May cause uterine contractions while pregnant or nursing); Vervain (miscarriage); Watercress (dietary moderation is strongly advised; large amounts can cause uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Wintergreen (large doses can cause uterine bleeding and miscarriage. Dietary moderation is strongly advised.); Wood Sorrel (uterine bleeding and miscarriage); Yarrow (miscarriage); Yellow Jasmine (Uterine stimulant that can cause miscarriage)

9 comments:

  1. That is long list of herbs to avoid when pregnant.

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  2. I recently had a miscarriage and i blame chamomile for it. I had heard this tea was bad but than i read it wasn't. I drank 6oz, two bags of tea, on thursday and saturday ended up in er room. ever since no heartbeat was found. could the chamomile terminated the pregnancy?

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  3. i had some tea with ginger and nutmeg in it, but i didnt know that it could cause miscarriage, i only had one cup tho , so is it possible that that could cause me to lose my baby? im worried now.

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  4. NO!!!! It says in moderation! You are doing in moderation!

    It's large amounts you need to worry about. Rest assured you will be fine and so will baby!


    I'm sorry so many are finding this list so alarming. I only posted it to remind myself to avoid these things. And not do anything to cause harm. A cup of tea, a couple cookies are not going to make you miscarry. But taking nutmeg and ginger medicinally (large doses) could cause harm.

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  5. Thank you for posting this. I found it while researching herbal help for a threatened miscarriage, and will be refering back to it often

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  6. Since pregnancy causes constipation I take a dietary fiber supplement that contains both of these herbs. It is a proprietary blend of many herbs and it doesn't specify how much of each herb it contains. I take it like oncenevery two days and the dosis is 1 tablespoon in 8oz of water. Is this considered moderate intake or do you suggest I should stop taking this as often?

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  7. I would think you are only getting trace amounts of those 2 herbs. So I would think it's fine. Now if it was 1 whole tablespoon of just rosemary I would say stop. And the flax I think would be much larger amounts.

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  8. I have read conflicting reports about chasteberry(vitex) during pregnancy, if you take it to help conceive due to low progesterone do you think stopping it right away would decrease progesterone before the placenta takes over the production of progesterone and result in miscarriage? I have read to stop it once pregnancy is confirmed and I have read to continue it through the 1st trimester slowly weaning off by week 20.

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  9. I know that this is an old entry...but I did take hefty ammounts of Ginger during my last pregnancy due to morning sickness.


    Enough that I could feel it burning. Shonda Paker, a Christian herbalist, and one that focuses on herbs during pregnancy, says that Ginger is completely safe, *unless* you are prone to miss-carriage (meaning, you need a doctor's help to help you carry the baby)

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