What is an Emmenagogue?

Strictly speaking these are remedies that stimulate and regulate menstrual flow and function. In most herbal texts the term is used in the wide sense of a remedy that normalizes and tones the female reproductive system. With herbal remedies there is a whole range of distinct treatments that can be used for the reproductive system either directly or indirectly. Uterine tonics and hormonal normalizers can often be included in this group.

Herbal Examples:

• Artemisia vulgaris (Mugwort)
• Achillea millefolium (Yarrow)
• Actaea racemosa (Black Cohosh)
• Caulophyllum thalictroides (Blue Cohosh)

• Adapted from David Hoffman’s ‘The Herbal Handbook: A User’s Guide to Medical Herbalism”.