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Is it safe? · Pregnancy Smart

Is ashwagandha safe during pregnancy?

Assigned clinical reviewerMatt Stahl· PharmDDraft · pending clinical reviewUpdated

What does the evidence say about ashwagandha during pregnancy?

  1. Ashwagandha has a long history in Ayurvedic medicine, and today it's commonly marketed to adults for stress, anxiety, sleep, and athletic performance. 1
  2. Some case reports link ashwagandha supplements to liver injury, which is why experts caution against high-dose, unsupervised use. 1
  3. Safety data is limited for most herbal supplements in pregnancy, and doctors default to avoidance when a plant has a documented history of use to end pregnancy. 2
  4. Ashwagandha can interact with thyroid medication, sedatives, and diabetes medication, which matters for the many pregnancies that involve levothyroxine, sleep aids, or gestational-diabetes therapy. 1

Is ashwagandha safe in each trimester?

  • First trimester. Avoid ashwagandha in the first trimester. Traditional Ayurvedic medicine links higher doses to pregnancy loss, and no human safety studies exist to say otherwise.
  • Second trimester. Same guidance.
  • Third trimester. Same guidance. Reports of liver injury with high-dose, long-term use add another reason for caution.

Frequently asked questions

Can ashwagandha help pregnancy stress or insomnia?

Other pregnancy-safe options, like good sleep habits, talk therapy for insomnia, provider-directed magnesium, or approved pain relief for aches, have a stronger safety record than ashwagandha in pregnancy.

I took ashwagandha before I knew I was pregnant. What now?

Stop taking it and mention it at your next appointment. A single early exposure rarely changes your care plan, but your provider will want to know.

Is a small dose safer than a larger one during pregnancy?

There's no known safe dose in pregnancy, since it hasn't been studied in pregnant women. The standard advice is to avoid it altogether.

Is ashwagandha okay during breastfeeding?

Safety data is limited for breastfeeding too, so most experts recommend avoiding it there as well. Talk to your pediatric and obstetric team about it.

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References

  1. Ashwagandha: Usefulness and Safety (NCCIH)

    NIH · https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/ashwagandha

  2. MotherToBaby Fact Sheets: Home

    MotherToBaby · https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.