What is a Galactagogue?

These are herbs that will increase the flow of breast-milk in a lactating woman. They do this safely without forcing any hormonal pressure on the body. However, it is essential for general health to be at its peak for the galactagogues to do their work as well as they can.

How Galactagogues Work

A not unusual situation in herbal medicine, little work seems to have been done on these herbs and no one seems to know!

Herbal Examples: 

• Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel)
• Vitex agnus-castus (Chasteberry)
• Medicago sativa (Alfalfa)
• Humulus lupulus (Hops)
• Galega off. (Goat’s Rue)
• Trigonella foenum-graecum (Fenugreek)

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