Herbal Teas
Everyday exposureFood & drinkAlso called · 8 names▾▴
herbal tea, herbal teas pregnancy, ginger tea, raspberry leaf tea, chamomile tea, peppermint tea, herbal infusion, pregnancy tea
Drinks
General information · effects depend on amount, timing, and how it is used. About these sources
Research strength: 2 / 5
Herbal teas contain different plants and are not one exposure. Ginger trials studied specific products for nausea, not every brewed tea or blend. NHS advises no more than four cups of herbal tea daily and no liquorice-root tea because pregnancy research is limited. Because herbs differ, the NHS limit applies to herbal teas in general, and specific herbs can carry their own cautions. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Sources
Research strength: 2 / 5
Evidence differs by herb, amount, and preparation. NHS advises limiting herbal tea to four cups daily and not drinking teas containing liquorice root, while Pregnancy, Birth and Baby gives a two-cup daily limit. These limits do not establish one effect for all teas. Because herbs differ, these limits apply to herbal teas in general, and specific herbs can carry their own cautions. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Sources
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancyUK government
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby: Herbal teas during pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Chen et al. 2026, herbal medicines and offspring outcomes reviewUS government
Research strength: 2 / 5
Simpson et al. tested raspberry-leaf tablets, not tea, in 192 low-risk first-time mothers from week 32 and found no significant relationship between tablet use and birth outcomes. UK COT described raspberry leaf as low risk with high uncertainty; that finding does not cover every herb or preparation. Specific herbs can carry their own cautions. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Sources
- Simpson et al. 2001, Raspberry leaf in pregnancyUS government
- UK Committee on Toxicity: Raspberry leaf statementUK government
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancyUK government
Herbal Teas — Breastfeeding
Research strength: 2 / 5
MotherToBaby distinguishes ginger eaten as food from herbal supplements and says information on ginger supplements during breastfeeding is limited. A 2026 review found low-certainty evidence for a few specific galactagogues in mothers of preterm infants, including anise seed tea, not for herbal teas as a group. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby advises a two-cup daily limit and watching for unusual side effects while breastfeeding. Because herbs differ, this limit applies to herbal teas in general, and specific herbs can carry their own cautions. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Sources
- MotherToBaby: GingerTeratology service
- Cragg et al. 2026, Herbal galactagogues reviewUS government
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby: Herbal teas during pregnancy and breastfeeding
Pregnancy
Viljoen et al. (2014) reviewed 12 randomized trials involving 1,278 pregnant participants who used oral ginger for nausea or vomiting. Ginger improved nausea scores compared with placebo, but did not significantly reduce vomiting episodes. The interventions included different ginger products, so the results do not set a dose or effect for every brewed tea. A 2026 umbrella review examined 18 earlier ginger reviews and reported mostly low or critically low methodological quality; it focused on ginger supplements for symptoms. For raspberry leaf, Simpson et al. (2001) randomized 192 low-risk first-time mothers to tablets or placebo from week 32. Its abstract reports no significant relationship between tablet use and birth outcomes. UK COT later described the pregnancy risk from raspberry leaf as low but with high uncertainty. A 2026 review of herbal medicines included 111 varied studies, but noted differences in exposure definitions and study quality. These findings do not establish one effect for all herbal teas, blends, or preparations.
Breastfeeding
MotherToBaby distinguishes ginger eaten as food from herbal supplements and says information on ginger supplements during breastfeeding is limited. A 2026 review included ten trials of different galactagogues in mothers of preterm infants. It found low-certainty evidence for a few specific products, including anise seed tea, and called for higher-quality trials. These findings do not establish effects for all herbal teas, ordinary brew strengths, or mixed blends.
Herbal tea is a broad label for infusions made from plants other than the tea plant. It may use leaves, flowers, roots, seeds, or several plants together. A brewed cup, a concentrated extract, an essential oil, a tincture, and a supplement are different preparations; evidence for one does not automatically apply to another.
What was tested
The studies summarized here assessed ginger products for nausea, raspberry-leaf tablets in one late-pregnancy trial, and specific galactagogues in mothers of preterm infants. They did not test every plant, infusion strength, commercial blend, extract, oil, or tincture.
Daily herbal-tea limit during pregnancy
- Source A says
- NHS advises no more than four cups of herbal tea daily during pregnancy and recommends not drinking tea containing liquorice root. (NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy)
- Source B says
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby advises limiting herbal tea to two cups daily. (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby: Herbal teas during pregnancy and breastfeeding)
- Why they differ
- The pages give different broad limits. The NHS links its limit to limited pregnancy research, and neither page provides a common method that explains the difference between the two totals.
- What the evidence shows overall
- These are agency recommendations, not trials of every herb or preparation. The difference supports showing both limits and keeping the broad entry at Insufficient Evidence rather than turning one limit into a universal rule.
- NHS advises limiting herbal tea to four cups daily during pregnancy and not drinking teas containing liquorice root. (NHS)
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby advises limiting herbal tea to two cups daily and watching for unusual side effects while breastfeeding. (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby)
- MotherToBaby advises discussing supplements with a healthcare provider and distinguishes herbal products from ginger eaten as food. (MotherToBaby)
Not enough research found yet.
Experiences from moms and non-medical voices. Not medical evidence.
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancyUK governmentSecondaryPage dated 2026-06-15
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby: Herbal teas during pregnancy and breastfeedingSecondaryIndependent check
- MotherToBaby: GingerTeratology serviceSecondary
- Viljoen et al. 2014, ginger review and meta-analysisUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Tahergorabi et al. 2026, ginger umbrella reviewUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Chen et al. 2026, herbal medicines and offspring outcomes reviewUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Simpson et al. 2001, Raspberry leaf in pregnancyUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- UK Committee on Toxicity: Raspberry leaf statementUK governmentSecondaryPage dated 2024-11-13Independent check
- UK Committee on Toxicity: Ginger supplement statementUK governmentSecondaryPage dated 2025-05-22Independent check
- Cragg et al. 2026, Herbal galactagogues reviewUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
Last reviewed 2026-10-18
Independent check 2026-10-18
Not yet clinician-reviewed
Ask your provider about your situation.