Dandelion
HerbalAlso called · 6 names▾▴
lion’s tooth, blowball, Taraxacum officinale, common dandelion, dandelion root, dandelion leaf
Herbal supplement (digestive support and milk supply)
Herbs and supplements are not FDA-approved before sale. About these sources
- Food / spice
- Topical
- Other
Research strength: 1 / 5
According to NCCIH, little is known about dandelion use in amounts greater than those found in foods during pregnancy. MotherToBaby reports that many herbal supplements have not been evaluated during pregnancy, but its fact sheet does not assess dandelion specifically. An EMA assessment of medicinal dandelion root reports no pregnancy data and says use is not recommended when evidence is insufficient. These sources provide no dandelion-specific human findings for trimester 1, so evidence for medicinal use in this period remains insufficient. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-14
Research strength: 1 / 5
According to NCCIH, little is known about dandelion use in amounts greater than those found in foods during pregnancy. MotherToBaby reports that many herbal supplements have not been evaluated during pregnancy, but its fact sheet does not assess dandelion specifically. An EMA assessment of medicinal dandelion root reports no pregnancy data and says use is not recommended when evidence is insufficient. These sources provide no dandelion-specific human findings for trimester 2, so evidence for medicinal use in this period remains insufficient. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-14
Research strength: 1 / 5
According to NCCIH, little is known about dandelion use in amounts greater than those found in foods during pregnancy. MotherToBaby reports that many herbal supplements have not been evaluated during pregnancy, but its fact sheet does not assess dandelion specifically. An EMA assessment of medicinal dandelion root reports no pregnancy data and says use is not recommended when evidence is insufficient. These sources provide no dandelion-specific human findings for trimester 3, so evidence for medicinal use in this period remains insufficient. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-14
Dandelion — Breastfeeding
Research strength: 1 / 5
LactMed reports that no scientifically valid clinical trials support dandelion as a milk booster and that milk-level data are absent for most active components. LactMed also says use during lactation is unlikely to harm the infant, but it reports no data on dandelion's effects in nursing mothers or infants; EMA says medicinal root use during lactation is not recommended when data are insufficient. ABM cannot recommend a specific galactagogue, and Cochrane lists dandelion in an excluded-studies overview rather than among its included trials. A 2023 Pugongying study examined mastitis treatment and breastmilk microbes, not milk supply or infant outcomes; a 2025 review of 10 trials in mothers of preterm infants did not evaluate dandelion. Evidence for supplement use during breastfeeding remains insufficient. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-14
Sources
- LactMed: DandelionUS government
- NCCIH: DandelionUS government
- European Medicines Agency: Assessment report on Taraxacum officinale rootEU agencyEuropean guidance
- ABM Clinical Protocol #9: Use of Galactogogues, second revisionProfessional society
- Cochrane: Oral galactagogues for increasing breast milk productionUS government
- Jin et al. 2023: Breastmilk microbiome and dandelion extract for mastitisUS government
- Cragg et al. 2025: Herbal galactagogues in mothers of preterm babiesUS government
Pregnancy
NCCIH says very little research exists on dandelion overall and that little is known about use in amounts greater than food during pregnancy. Its page does not give trimester-specific human findings. MotherToBaby's general herbal-products sheet says many supplements have not been evaluated during pregnancy, but it does not assess dandelion specifically. The EMA's 2021 assessment report for medicinal dandelion root says no data are available and use is not recommended during pregnancy when evidence is insufficient. A PubMed search for dandelion or Taraxacum with pregnancy, lactation, breastfeeding, or galactagogue terms, dated 2025-10-14 through 2026-10-14, returned no records. No pregnancy outcome claim is included because no dandelion-specific human study was identified.
Breastfeeding
LactMed says no scientifically valid clinical trials support dandelion as a galactagogue. It reports no milk-transfer data for most pharmacologically active components and no data on dandelion's efficacy in nursing mothers or its effects in nursing infants. LactMed nevertheless states that use during lactation is unlikely to harm the breastfed infant; that conclusion is not confirmed by a primary infant-outcome study identified for this audit. Jin et al. 2023 analyzed breastmilk samples from women treated for mastitis with Pugongying granules or cefdinir, focusing on maternal clinical outcomes and milk microbes; the study did not test dandelion as a milk booster or report infant outcomes. Cragg et al. 2025 reviewed 10 RCTs involving 856 participants who were mothers of preterm infants; its included galactagogues did not include dandelion. The evidence for medicinal or supplement use during breastfeeding remains insufficient.
LactMed describes dandelion herb as containing vitamins, minerals, terpenoids, caffeic acid, and other compounds; it says the root contains high concentrations of inulin. NCCIH notes traditional use of the flowers, leaves, and root. MotherToBaby explains that herbal supplements can vary with the plant parts used and how they are made; its notes about product variability and contaminants are general and not specific findings about dandelion products.
What was tested
Traditional use and trial evidence are different. NCCIH says the flowers, leaves, and root have been traditionally used in Mexican and other North American medicine. LactMed calls dandelion a purported galactagogue, and ABM lists it among herbs commonly mentioned for milk supply; neither treats tradition as proof of efficacy. LactMed says no scientifically valid clinical trials support dandelion as a galactagogue. Cochrane's 2020 review lists dandelion in an appendix on excluded galactagogues, not among the included trials. NCCIH describes preliminary laboratory studies of dandelion extracts for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral properties; these are not pregnancy or breastfeeding trials. The 2023 Pugongying study used a dandelion extract for mastitis and analyzed breastmilk microbes, not milk production or infant outcomes. The 2025 review of 10 RCTs in mothers of preterm infants evaluated other herbs and mixtures, not dandelion.
How to describe dandelion use during breastfeeding
- Source A says
- LactMed says use during lactation is unlikely to harm the breastfed infant, while also reporting no data on the excretion of most active components into milk or on use in nursing mothers or infants. (LactMed: Dandelion)
- Source B says
- The EMA says medicinal dandelion root use during pregnancy and lactation is not recommended when data are insufficient. NCCIH says little is known about amounts greater than food during breastfeeding. (European Medicines Agency: Final assessment report on Taraxacum officinale root, NCCIH: Dandelion)
- Why they differ
- LactMed gives a broad lactation assessment, while the EMA statement concerns medicinal root preparations and is based on insufficient data. NCCIH also separates food amounts from larger amounts. The available human study used a particular Pugongying product for mastitis, not dandelion supplementation to increase milk supply.
- Other sources
- The 2023 Pugongying study measured mastitis outcomes and breastmilk microbial communities; it did not report infant outcomes or test galactagogue efficacy. (Jin et al. 2023: Breastmilk microbiome changes associated with lactational mastitis and treatment with dandelion extract)
- What the evidence shows overall
- No direct human infant-outcome study for common dandelion was identified. The LactMed reassurance is not confirmed by the primary study read, and the EMA caution reflects a data gap rather than a reported infant harm. The breastfeeding rating is proposed as insufficient, pending a decision on this source disagreement.
- ABM Protocol #9 describes assessing medical causes of low milk supply and the frequency and effectiveness of milk removal before considering a galactagogue. (Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, Clinical Protocol #9)
- LactMed says galactagogues do not replace evaluation and counseling on factors that can affect milk production. (LactMed)
- NCCIH notes theoretical interactions with some antidiabetes, anticoagulant, antiplatelet, and water-pill medicines and describes discussing herbal products with a health care provider. (NCCIH)
General research, not specific to pregnancy.
LactMed reports rare allergic reactions, diarrhea, and stomach upset. NCCIH describes possible interactions with some antidiabetes, anticoagulant, antiplatelet, and water-pill medicines as theoretical. MotherToBaby notes that herbal supplements in general can contain contaminants or ingredients not listed on the label; it does not report dandelion-specific product findings.
- LactMed reports that dandelion rarely can cause allergic reactions, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal upset. (LactMed: Dandelion)
- NCCIH lists theoretical interactions with antidiabetes, anticoagulant, antiplatelet, and water-pill medicines. (NCCIH: Dandelion)
- MotherToBaby says some herbal products may contain contaminants or ingredients not listed on the label; this is general supplement information, not a finding about dandelion specifically. (MotherToBaby: Herbal Products fact sheet)
- LactMed: DandelionUS governmentSecondaryPage dated 2024-05-15
- NCCIH: DandelionUS governmentSecondary
- MotherToBaby: Herbal Products fact sheetTeratology serviceSecondaryPage dated 2025-04-01Independent check
- European Medicines Agency: Final assessment report on Taraxacum officinale rootEU agencySecondaryPage dated 2021-11-24Independent checkEuropean guidance
- ABM Clinical Protocol #9: Use of Galactogogues, second revisionProfessional societySecondaryIndependent check
- Cochrane: Oral galactagogues for increasing breast milk productionUS governmentPrimaryPage dated 2020-05-18Independent check
- Jin et al. 2023: Breastmilk microbiome changes associated with lactational mastitis and treatment with dandelion extractUS governmentPrimaryPage dated 2023-11-13Independent check
- Cragg et al. 2025: Herbal galactagogues in mothers of preterm babiesUS governmentPrimaryPage dated 2025-12-05Independent check
Last reviewed 2026-10-14
Independent check 2026-10-14
Not yet clinician-reviewed
Ask your provider about your situation.