Herbal teas to avoid during pregnancy

During pregnancy, you should avoid drinking teas made from, or taking medicinal amounts of, the following:

Angelica/ dong quai Anise Aloe vera Alfalfa Agrimony Autumn crocus Basil Barberry Bayberry Bearberry/ uva ursi Bethroot/ red trillium Bloodroot Boneset Borage Broom Buckthorn bark Burdock root Calamus root Calendula Catnip Celery seed Chamomile Chasteberry/ vitex Chicory root Cinnamon (medicinal amounts) Coca (contains cocaine) Coltsfoot Cohosh, blue or black Comfrey Damiana leaf Devil’s claw Don Quai Duck root Eucalyptus False unicorn root Fenugreek Fennel (medicinal amounts) Feverfew Gentian Ginkgo Ginseng Goldenseal Gotu kola Guarana (contains caffeine) Henbane Hawthorne Hibiscus/rosemallow Hoodia Horehound Hyssop Joe Pye weed/ gravel root Juniper berry Kava Kola nut Kombucha Labrador tea Lemongrass Licorice root Lobelia (contains nicotine) Lovage Mallow Mayapple Ma huang/ ephedra Mistletoe Motherwort Mugwort Noni Nutmeg (medicinal amounts) Oregano (medicinal amounts) Oregon grape root Osha Parsely (medicinal amounts) Passion flower Pau d’Arco Pennyroyal Peruvian bark/cinchona Pleurisy root Poke root/ pokeweed Pulsatilla Poppy (avoid completely) Red clover blossom Red raspberry (avoid in first trimester only) Rhubarb Rosemary (medicinal amounts) Rue Sage Sassafras Saw palmetto Senna leaves Shepherd’s purse Skullcap Stinging nettle St. John’s wort Sumac berries Tansy Thuja/ white cedar Turmeric root Thyme (medicinal amounts) Valerian Vervain Vetiver Wild carrot Wild yam Woodruff Wormwood Yarrow Yellow dock Yerba maté (contains caffeine) Yohimbe/yohimbine

Originally posted in July 2011. 

Read more: Pregnancy food guide: Truth about what you can eat (+ cheat sheet) 6 caffeine alternatives that are safer during pregnancy The debate: Did you drink at all while pregnant?