Five Herbs for Women's Reproductive Health

We should all be aware by now that we are surrounded by disease-causing toxins. Being a gardener with little disposable income has taught me two things. Don't put things on the soil that don't belong there, because fixing a problem is always harder than preventing one. Do what you can to increase soil fertility, because keeping your plants healthy is the best way to prevent disease. Being an amateur herbalist, I find these rules apply to the body as well.

Unfortunately the FDA does not agree. Women's reproductive health is being harmed by a number of additives and industrial food production processes. Irradiation of meat is becoming more common despite studies which show its potential to cause cancer, tumors, stillbirths, etc.(1) Beef is NOT being tested for levels of an estrogen called estradiol, that is commonly used to fatten cows, despite the proven risk of reproductive cancers and genetic damage.(2) Plastics (78% of sampled bottles in one study) leach chemicals shown to disrupt hormone production.(3)

Given that these dangers represent a small fraction of what's available in our chemical environment, I've compiled this list of five women's herbs. There were two criteria for making the list, both based off the personal experience of a gardener living in the urban South.. Each of these herbs is relatively easy to grow, and each has a number of benefits for women's reproductive health.

Red Raspberry

The raspberry offers several positive effects for reproductive health. While the uses have ranged from treating the common cold, sore throat, diarrhea, and constipation, raspberry has been used by midwives for thousands of years as an herbal treatment for excessive menstruation and as a preparation for childbirth. It does these by helping to tone the uterus and improve contractions, as well as drying up excess fluids in mucous membranes throughout the body.(4)

Growing raspberries is a particular process but worth the extra effort, because they are perennials. Soil pH must be more acidic than for normal vegetable gardening, between 5.6 and 6.2, which can be accomplished by adding lime. Meters to test pH at home are widely available, and USDA County Extension offices offer free soil testing. Compost and rock phosphate are the two most important soil amendments.(5) As for all gardening endeavors, I suggest building the soil up rather than tilling it down.(6)

Lemon Balm

Besides being known as a remedy for intestinal gas (always a plus), lemon balm was widely used by the Shakers of North America for menstrual problems, contraception, and birthing difficulties.(7) In Europe it is used to treat thyroid disorders (which are often implicated in menstrual problems), and studies have shown its anti-viral properties to be more effective in treating Herpes Simplex than pharmaceutical drugs.(8)

Though it is slow to germinate (two weeks or so as I recall), but it can be grown from cuttings if there's some in your area already. This herb is a ready reseeder, meaning watch your garden, which is something you do anyway, right? Over winter, the plant will die down, but the root will be read come spring with another 1-5 foot plant full of tasty leaves. You'll need a sunny, mulched site, and the best harvest time will be before and after the summer humidity.(9)

Yarrow

This herb was once reputed to impart visions of a future husband or wife.

'Thou pretty herb of Venus' tree,

Thy true name it is Yarrow;

Now who my bosom friend must be,

Pray tell thou me to-morrow.'(10)

Interestingly Yarrow stems were also used in the I Ching before coins became more popular.

Besides these divinatory properties and yarrow's affinity for romantic love, this herb is primarily a tonic for the kidneys. In Chinese medicine, the kidneys are seen as the seat of reproductive health or disease, and many of the other conditions yarrow is reputed to treat suggest just this. Important for women, yarrow offers an herbal treatment for menstrual cramps and irregularities, the symptoms of menopause, inflammation of the ovaries, and uterine fibrosis.(11) Traditional uses also include uses in contraception and stimulating abortion, but a midwife should be consulted before attempting either.(12) I usually prepare the flowers by soaking them in honey for several months or making a tea.

Yarrow is one of the easiest herbs to grow in my experience. One of its common uses is in erosion control, and it makes a good addition to the compost pile. It can tolerate the sunny dry spots as well as thyme, and the stress of drought tends to make its taste stronger. Likewise, yarrow prefers a poor soil and will not thrive in the magnificent soils red raspberry tends to prefer. I have only grown this from seed, and it does tend to take care of itself and propagate easily. There are hybrid varieties as well, for the decorative garden.(13)

Mugwort

Artemisia vulgaris, or mugwort, is a close relative to wormwood and southernwood. This herb has several uses, including as a ceremonial smudging herb and to make dream pillows. Chinese medicine uses mugwort in a treatment called moxibustion and to control excessive menstruation and prevent miscarriage, while the European tradition regards it as a uterine stimulant, or emmenagogue.(14) It is likely to do both, as the primary effect is to increase blood flow to the uterus. This would serve to correct reproductive dysfunctions, since proper circulation is necessary for hormonal balance.

Mugwort used in moxibustion has been found by the Journal of the American Medical Association to aid in reversing breech birth positions. The burning herb placed near a bladder meridian point near the toenail of the fifth toe, known as the Beautiful Baby point, was shown to have 75% success.(15) I have used cold infusions to help bring on a late period and seen it prescribed for PMS. Smoking mugwort tends to be relaxing for women and men.

Mugwort is very similar to yarrow in its growth needs. Basically, it's not needy. It can tolerate poor soils, drought, poor drainage, full sun, and partial shade. Give it harsh conditions, and you'll get a potent herb.(16) It can grow to ten feet tall, but mine have commonly stayed around 4-6 feet. Grow it from seed by setting them out before winter, or buy a plant and watch it spread. This one is invasive, because it grows easily anywhere below zone 3.

Chaste Berry

This one isn't technically an herb, it's a tree called Vitex that produces berries. However, it's also one of the most common herbal treatments for correcting hormonal imbalances. Once an herb prized by the Catholic Church for suppressing the libido of monks, Vitex was used by early American physicians to stimulate lactation and bring on late periods.

It's main action is to stimulate the pituitary and hypothalamus glands into producing a greater amount of progesterone. It has also been used to aid contraception and reverse the problems of excessive menstruation and abnormal growths in the uterus.(17) Often prepared as a tincture, this herb is a mild sedative and considered extremely safe.

Growing Vitex has not been my pleasure yet, but it is common and not difficult to do so. It's considered hardy to zone 6, but this can be extended by placing it in a sunny place, protecting it from northern winds, and maintaining a dark mulch for soil warmth. In the longer southern summers, this tree can reach a height of 20 feet, but elsewhere will stay around ten. Vitex is fast-growing, attracts butterflies, can handle partial shade, and will do well in a variety of well-draining soils.(18)

Using These Herbs

These herbs are not cure-alls. The best way to treat disease is to prevent it to begin with. As that has become increasingly difficult, these herbs have taken on new importance. For the most part, I have avoided adding preparation information for using these herbs effectively, because it is essential to consult either a professional or an amateur herbalist in person. At the very least you should read more about the herb from several sources.

There is a lot of scientific controversy over using certain of these herbs in certain circumstances like pregnancy or breast-feeding. Having a knowledgeable person assess your particular situation can be invaluable. Remember, these herbs have been used mostly by women working off of combined oral knowledge spanning thousands of years. Herbs are medicine and should be treated as such when taken in medicinal quantities.

Sources:

(1) http://www.alternet.org/environment/87713/zapped!_how_irradiation_is_threatening_our_food_system/
(2) http://www.preventcancer.com/press/editorials/march24_97.htm
(3) http://health.usnews.com/blogs/on-women/2009/03/12/plastic-water-bottles-should-you-avoid-the-disposable-kind-too.html
(4) http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_raspberry.htm
(5) http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/2066.htm
(6) http://www.agroforestry.net/pubs/Sheet_Mulching.html
(7) http://www.innvista.com/health/herbs/lemonbal.htm
(8) http://www.skin.health-info.org/content/inhibitory-activity-lemon-balm-(melissa-officinalis-l.)-extract-herpes-simplex-virus-type-2-
(9) http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf85273702.tip.html
(10) http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/y/yarrow02.html
(11) http://www.ryandrum.com/threeherbs.htm
(12) http://earthasylum.wordpress.com/2007/10/18/more-alternative-herbal-contraceptive-methods-including-abortifacients/
(13) http://www.gardening-tips-perennials.com/yarrow.html
(14) http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_mugwort.htm
(15) http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2603/is_0005/ai_2603000533/
(16) http://www.easy-organic-gardening.org/growing-mugwort.html
(17) http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/vitex.html
(18) http://www.finegardening.com/plantguide/vitex-agnus-castus-chaste-tree.aspx