Open AccessFrequently Used Herbal Teas During Pregnancy - Short Update
Author(s) -
Berna Terzi̇oğlu Bebi̇toğlu
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
medeniyet medical journal
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.128
H-Index - 4
eISSN - 2149-2042
pISSN - 2149-4606
DOI - 10.5222/mmj.2020.69851
Subject(s) - pregnancy , traditional medicine , medicine , herbal tea , adverse effect , phytotherapy , pharmacology , biology , alternative medicine , biochemistry , genetics , antioxidant , pathology
The prevalence of herbal medicine use during pregnancy varies depending upon the geographical location and socio-cultural factors. With the belief of "being natural is safe", use of herbs and herbal products has become popular worldwide and used more frequently including period of pregnancy. The potential unwanted effects of any substance is more important during pregnancy period, because cellular development and division of the rapidly growing fetus is vulnerable to these adverse effects. As with medicines, herbal products must at least interact with a component of the organism at the molecular level in order to exert a response. Herbal preparations most commonly used during pregnancy were teas or infusions (hot-water extracts of dried herbs) which usually have the lowest concentrations and contain the least amount of compounds. The purpose of this review is to summarize the herbs that are most commonly used as "herbal teas" during pregnancy and their potential toxic effects to highlight the importance of being cautious about their use.