Herbs and spices to avoid during pregnancy 

Although herbs are natural and very effective at treating specific ailments, not all herbs are safe to take during pregnancy. Therefore, the FDA advises pregnant women not to take any herbal products without first talking to their healthcare provider. Women are also urged to consult a trained and experienced herbalist/naturopathic doctor to take herbs during their pregnancy.

Some herbal products may contain agents that are dangerous in pregnancy. For example, herbs may contain substances that can cause miscarriage, premature birth, uterine contractions, or injury to the fetus.

The following plants may be used occasionally as mildly flavored beverages, teas, seasonings, or food. These plants should be avoided in an extract or a tincture form-even in small doses while pregnant.

• Allium Sativa (garlic)
• Allium cepa (onion)
• Apium graveolens (celery)
• Armoracia lapathifolia (horseradish)
• Artemisia dracunculus (tarragon)
• Beta vulgaris (beet)
• Brassica spp. (broccoli, cabbage)
• Capsicum frutescent (cayenne)
• Caryophyllus aromaticus (clove)
• Carica papaya (papaya)
• Cichorium intybus (chicory)
• Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon)
• Crocus sativus (saffron)
• Daucus carota (carrot)
• Equisetum arvense (horsetail)
• Ferula asafetida (asafetida)
• Foeniculum vulgare (fennel)
• Mentha spicata (spearmint)
• Myristica fragrans (nutmeg)
• Nasturtium Officinalis (watercress)
• Ocimum basilicum (basil)
• Oreganum Vulgaris (oregano)
• Oreganum Majorana (marjoram)
• Petroselinum crispum (parsley)
• Piper nigra (black pepper)
• Prunus persica (peach seed)
• Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary)
• Satureja hortensis (savory)
• Silybum marianum(milk thistle)
• Thymus vulgaris (thyme)
•  Ulmus rubra (slippery elm)
• Zingiber officinale (ginger)
• Mitchella repens – 3rd trimester only Rubus idaeus (red raspberry)
• Trifolium pratense (red clover)
• Zingiber Officinale (ginger)

 To identify specific naturopathic treatments that can support you during pregnancy, please call (416) 684-55-14 or click on the following link to book an appointment.

Resources

AmericanCollegeofNaturopathicObstetricians:HomeObstetricalCare,AHandbookforthePractitioner.