The Herbal Library

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Browse every herb in the database by name, category, or the body system it's traditionally associated with.

All categories Aromatic Culinary Medicinal

Filtered by body system:ReproductiveClear

Many herbs affect hormones, and several aren't safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding or with hormone-sensitive cancers. These herbs are listed because of traditional use or research, not because they're proven treatments. Check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist before using them, especially if you're pregnant, trying to conceive or taking hormonal medicines.

Results

51 herbs

No. 001Medicinal

Alstonia Boonei

Alstonia boonei

God's tree, a sacred West African tree whose bark is used for malaria and fever. Lab studies support its use against malaria.

Menstrual Discomfort

No. 002Medicinal

Alysicarpus Vaginalis

Alysicarpus vaginalis

A small creeping plant of the pea family, called medina in Jamaica, where it's one of the herbs boiled into the "strong back" root tonic drunk by men for stamina. Research so far is only in the lab and in animals.

Sexual Health

No. 003Culinary

Ashitaba

Angelica keiskei

A Japanese health-food herb. In one trial, its chalcone compounds reduced belly fat and waist size in overweight adults.

Menopausal Weight Gain

No. 004Medicinal

Ashok

Saraca asoca

A sacred Indian tree whose bark is a main herb in Ayurvedic gynecology. An Ashoka-based syrup cut heavy menstrual bleeding in an open study.

Menstrual Discomfort

No. 005Medicinal

Ashwagandha

Withania somnifera

A root from Ayurvedic medicine, traditionally used to help the body cope with stress.

Fertility · Sexual Health · Menopause Symptoms · Menopausal Weight Gain

No. 006Medicinal

Black Cohosh

Actaea racemosa

A root used traditionally by Native Americans and recognized in Europe for menopausal hot flushes. Rare liver problems have been reported.

Menstrual Discomfort · Menopause Symptoms · Menopausal Weight Gain

No. 007Medicinal

Castor Oil

Ricinus communis

Oil pressed from castor seeds, a strong traditional laxative also used to bring on labour. The seeds themselves contain ricin, one of the most toxic plant substances.

Pregnancy and Childbirth

No. 008Medicinal

Caulis Spatholobus

Spatholobus suberectus

Ji xue teng, or "chicken blood vine", a woody vine whose cut stem oozes red sap. It's used in Chinese medicine for anemia, irregular periods and rheumatic joint pain.

Menstrual Discomfort

No. 009Medicinal

Cerasee

Momordica charantia

A bitter plant known in Jamaica as cerasee and elsewhere as bitter melon, widely used as a folk remedy for diabetes and high blood pressure.

Fertility · Pregnancy and Childbirth

No. 010Medicinal

Chaney Root

Smilax balbisiana

A Jamaican climbing plant related to sarsaparilla. Its root is boiled into the popular "root tonic" drunk for stamina, and into teas for colds and flu. It hasn't been studied in people.

Sexual Health

No. 011Medicinal

Chasteberry

Vitex agnus-castus

The berries of the chaste tree (vitex), recognized in Europe for easing PMS (premenstrual syndrome).

Fertility · PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)

No. 012Medicinal

Cuscuta

Cuscuta chinensis

Dodder, a leafless-looking parasitic vine. Its seed, tu si zi, is a top-grade Chinese tonic for the liver and kidneys, eyesight, fertility and keeping pregnancies stable.

Fertility · Sexual Health

No. 013Medicinal

Damiana

Turnera diffusa

A plant used in folk medicine as an aphrodisiac. Lab and animal studies suggest effects on sexual function, but it hasn't been tested on its own in people.

Sexual Health

No. 014Medicinal

Devil's Horsewhip

Achyranthes aspera

Prickly chaff flower, a weedy plant used in folk medicine around the world, including for menstrual problems and fertility control. Research so far is in lab and animal studies.

Fertility · Menstrual Discomfort · Menopause Symptoms · Pregnancy and Childbirth

No. 015Medicinal

Dong Quai

Angelica sinensis

A root that is one of the most widely used herbs in traditional Chinese medicine for women's health, including period pain and menopause.

Menstrual Discomfort · PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) · Menopause Symptoms

No. 016Medicinal

Fenugreek

Trigonella foenum-graecum

A maple-scented seed used as a spice and traditional medicine for about 6,000 years. It may lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, but it isn't safe in pregnancy beyond food amounts.

Breast Milk Supply

No. 017Culinary

Flaxseed

Linum usitatissimum

Small seeds rich in fiber and the omega-3 fat ALA, eaten whole, ground or as oil. Research suggests flaxseed may lower blood pressure and cholesterol slightly.

Menopausal Weight Gain

No. 018Medicinal

Ginseng

Panax ginseng

A root long used in traditional Chinese medicine as a calming herb and an adaptogen. Research on its effects is mixed.

Menopause Symptoms

No. 019Medicinal

Golden Eye Grass

Curculigo orchioides

Kali musli or xian mao, an endangered herb valued in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine as a tonic and aphrodisiac, and used for rheumatic conditions. Research so far is in the lab and in animals.

Sexual Health

No. 020Medicinal

Hops

Humulus lupulus

The cone-like flowers of the hop vine, best known for flavoring beer. Recognised in Europe as a traditional remedy for mild stress and to help sleep.

Menopause Symptoms

No. 021Medicinal

Jasmine

Jasminum sambac

Arabian jasmine, a fragrant white flower. Jasmine flowers placed on the breasts have been tested as a way to stop breast milk after childbirth, and a trial found they worked about as well as a standard medicine.

Breast Milk Supply

No. 022Medicinal

John Charles

Hyptis verticillata

A Caribbean bush in the mint family, used since Maya and Aztec times for breathing, digestive, women's health and skin problems. It hasn't been tested in clinical trials.

Menstrual Discomfort

No. 023Medicinal

Leaf of Life

Bryophyllum pinnatum

One of Jamaica's most popular bush medicines, used for colds and flu. In Switzerland, tablets made from its leaf juice have been studied for overactive bladder and sleep.

Menstrual Discomfort

No. 024Medicinal

Lesser Galangal

Alpinia officinarum

Gao liang jiang, an aromatic ginger-family rhizome used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years to warm the stomach and relieve stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Fertility

No. 025Medicinal

Maca

Lepidium meyenii

A root vegetable from the high Andes of Peru, used for centuries as food and to boost energy and fertility. Its effects haven't been proven in rigorous trials.

Fertility · Sexual Health · Menopause Symptoms

No. 026Medicinal

Manjistha

Rubia cordifolia

A climbing plant with long red roots, used in Chinese medicine to stop bleeding and in Ayurveda for inflammation, skin problems and menstrual pain. Most research is in labs and animals.

Menstrual Discomfort

No. 027Medicinal

Milk Thistle

Silybum marianum

A tall, purple-flowered thistle from Europe, long used for liver problems. Studies of it and its extract silymarin in liver disease have been conflicting or too limited to show a clear benefit.

Breast Milk Supply

No. 028Medicinal

Mucuna

Mucuna pruriens

Velvet bean, a climbing bean whose seeds are a natural source of levodopa, the main Parkinson's medicine. Used in Ayurveda for male infertility, nerve disorders and Parkinson's disease.

Fertility · Sexual Health

No. 029Medicinal

Mugwort

Artemisia vulgaris

A common plant called the "mother of herbs" in the Middle Ages, when it was used on wounds. It is also used in Chinese moxibustion. Mugwort is a major cause of pollen allergy and can cause skin allergies.

Menstrual Discomfort

No. 030Medicinal

Penny Royal

Clinopodium brownei

Jamaican pennyroyal, one of the island's popular bush medicines for breathing and digestive problems. It is a different plant from European pennyroyal, but its oil contains the same toxic compound, pulegone.

Pregnancy and Childbirth

No. 031Medicinal

Queen Anne's Lace

Daucus carota

Wild carrot, whose seeds have long been used in folk medicine to prevent pregnancy. It hasn't been proven safe or effective, and it looks like deadly poison hemlock.

Fertility

No. 032Medicinal

Ra-Moon

Trophis racemosa

Ramoon, a Jamaican tree whose bark is made into tea and roots drinks as a traditional remedy for libido, and whose leaves feed livestock. It hasn't been studied in people.

Sexual Health

No. 033Medicinal

Ramie Root

Boehmeria nivea

Zhu ma gen, the root of a nettle-family plant used in Chinese medicine for threatened miscarriage, colic in pregnancy and skin infections. It hasn't been tested on its own in people.

Pregnancy and Childbirth

No. 034Medicinal

Raspberry Leaf

Rubus idaeus

Leaves of the raspberry plant, made into tea. Traditionally used for period cramps and widely used in pregnancy, though its safety in pregnancy hasn't been proven.

Menstrual Discomfort · Pregnancy and Childbirth

No. 035Medicinal

Red Clover

Trifolium pratense

A pink-flowered clover traditionally used for skin problems and whooping cough. It has been studied for menopausal hot flashes, with inconsistent results.

Menopause Symptoms

No. 036Medicinal

Red Peony Root

Paeonia lactiflora

Chi shao, a root from Paeonia lactiflora, used to "cool the blood" and relieve "blood stasis" and pain: for nosebleeds, sore eyes, period pain and injuries. Research is in animals.

Menstrual Discomfort

No. 037Medicinal

Rehmannia Root

Rehmannia glutinosa

Di huang, a Chinese medicine root used raw or steamed black, recorded in the Shennong Herbal Classic for injuries, joint pain and as a "kidney" tonic. Research is in the lab and in animals.

Menopause Symptoms

No. 038Culinary

Sage

Salvia officinalis

A silvery-leaved kitchen herb with a savory, slightly peppery flavor, traditionally used for sore throats and indigestion.

Menopause Symptoms

No. 039Medicinal

Sarsaparilla

Smilax ornata

A plant whose root is boiled into Jamaican roots tonics and used for colds and flu. Research on sarsaparilla plants is mostly preliminary lab and animal work.

Sexual Health

No. 040Medicinal

Schisandra

Schisandra chinensis

A fruit known in Chinese as wu wei zi ("five-flavor fruit"), long used in traditional Chinese medicine for the liver, coughs and energy. Studies in people are few and small.

Menopause Symptoms

No. 041Medicinal

Shame O' Lady

Mimosa pudica

The sensitive plant, whose leaves fold up when touched. TRAMIL, the Caribbean traditional-medicine network, recommends it as a tea for period cramps.

Menstrual Discomfort · Pregnancy and Childbirth

No. 042Medicinal

Shatavari

Asparagus racemosus

A root used in Ayurveda as a tonic and to increase breast milk. Research on it is limited.

Breast Milk Supply · Menopause Symptoms

No. 043Medicinal

Snake Gourd Root

Trichosanthes kirilowii

Tian hua fen, a Chinese medicine root used for centuries for diabetes, swelling and menstrual problems. Its protein, trichosanthin, ends pregnancies and was once widely used in China for abortion.

Pregnancy and Childbirth

No. 044Culinary

Soybean

Glycine max

A bean long grown in Asia and eaten as tofu, miso, tempeh, edamame and soy milk. Soy protein may lower cholesterol slightly, and isoflavones may ease hot flashes a little.

Menopause Symptoms

No. 045Medicinal

Strong Back Root

Morinda royoc

Redgal, a root boiled into Jamaica's "strong back" roots tonic, used by men for impotence and stamina. It hasn't been studied in people.

Sexual Health

No. 046Culinary

Tiger Flower

Tigridia pavonia

A Mexican iris with spotted flowers, whose small corm is baked and eaten and tastes like sweet potato. Its flowers are offerings to saints in Michoacán.

Fertility

No. 047Medicinal

Turmeric

Curcuma longa

A golden root used in curries, known for its natural compound curcumin and traditionally used for inflammation.

Menstrual Discomfort · PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)

No. 048Medicinal

Vervain

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis

Called vervain in Jamaica and vervine in Antigua and Trinidad, a weedy plant whose leaves make a "cooling" tea used for the stomach, colds and coughs, and to clean wounds.

Breast Milk Supply · Pregnancy and Childbirth

No. 049Medicinal

Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

An herb recognised in Europe as a traditional remedy for loss of appetite, mild digestive problems, period cramps and small wounds.

Menstrual Discomfort

No. 050Medicinal

Yerba Mansa

Anemopsis californica

A plant of the Southwest and California, one of the region's most used Native American remedies for wounds, colds and sore throats. Its root compounds stopped some germs in lab tests.

Menstrual Discomfort

No. 051Medicinal

Yohimbe

Pausinystalia johimbe

The bark of a central and west African tree, promoted for erectile dysfunction, sports performance and weight loss. There's little research in people, and yohimbine, its main compound, has been linked to heart attacks and seizures.

Sexual Health