Educational information, not medical advice — ask your doctor or midwife.
Motherwort is a tall, weedy plant in the mint family. Its botanical name is Leonurus cardiaca, which points to a lion's tail and to the heart. Herbalists use the dried leaf and flowering top.
It is taken mostly as a bitter tea or as drops of tincture. American folk and Eclectic healers reached for it when the heart pounded with nerves, and for period pain.
The honest verdict: human evidence is thin. Only a few small, weak studies exist, and none settle the question. Long traditional use is not proof that a remedy works, and it is not proof that it is safe.
No one has shown how motherwort works in people. Nearly all of what is known comes from the lab bench.
In test tubes and in animals, motherwort extracts appear to slow the heartbeat. They also appear to relax blood vessels a little. Whether this happens at the amounts people drink is not established.
Animal work points to a mild calming effect on the nervous system. That fits the way the herb was used. It is still animal data, not proof in humans.
In lab studies, the alkaloid leonurine appears to make the womb contract. This matches the old use after childbirth. It is also the main reason the plant is kept away from pregnancy.
Motherwort is sold mainly as a liquid tincture and as dried leaf for tea.
Tincture is an alcohol extract taken by the drop. Dried loose leaf and tea bags are brewed as an infusion. Capsules of powdered leaf are also common.
The tea is very bitter. Many people pick drops or capsules instead. Glycerine extracts are made for people who avoid alcohol.
Products are not standardised for strength. One brand or batch can be much stronger than another. A good label names Leonurus cardiaca and the plant part used.
Motherwort has been used in Europe for centuries. Old writers tied it to the heart, and the name cardiaca stuck.
In 1800s America, Eclectic doctors listed it for a nervous, fluttering heart. They also gave it for cramping periods. It was given in the weeks after childbirth, which is where the English name came from.
Chinese medicine used a close relative, Leonurus japonicus, for similar reasons. Folk use carried on into modern herbal practice in the United States and Europe.
Stop taking it and call emergency services if your lips or tongue swell, or you struggle to breathe. These are signs of a serious allergic reaction.
Stop and seek urgent care if you faint, or get chest pain or sudden breathlessness. Very heavy vaginal bleeding also needs urgent care.
Stop and speak to a doctor soon if your pulse feels very slow or skips beats. Do the same for lasting dizziness, easy bruising or nosebleeds.
See a doctor before you start if you are already treated for heart, blood pressure or thyroid problems.
In the United States, motherwort is sold as a dietary supplement. The FDA does not check it for safety or effect before sale. In the UK and EU it is sold as a food supplement, and some products are registered as traditional herbal remedies.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
What it is typically used for, usual dose, cautions, and the study behind it where real trial data exists.
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