No, pennyroyal is not safe during pregnancy. Memorial Sloan Kettering lists pregnancy and breastfeeding as times to avoid it, because it can cause miscarriage and other toxic effects. If you’ve been wondering whether pennyroyal is safe during pregnancy, the answer is no, in any form, and the oil is the most dangerous.
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What Is Pennyroyal?
Pennyroyal is a small plant in the mint family. It smells a bit like spearmint, which is exactly why people sometimes mistake it for harmless mint. You’ll find it sold as an essential oil, dried leaves, tea and extracts. The oil is the most concentrated form and the most dangerous one.
What Is Pennyroyal Traditionally Used For?
For centuries, people have turned to it for gas, colds, coughs and headaches. It was also used to bring on a period or end a pregnancy. MSK points out that there’s no scientific evidence it works for these uses. Today it also shows up as a flea repellent for pets.
Is Pennyroyal Safe During Pregnancy?
Researchers can’t ethically test it on pregnant women, so you won’t find a neat clinical trial. But herbal references say the toxic compound pulegone and the plant’s history of use are enough reason to avoid it while pregnant or nursing. It’s easy to assume “natural” means gentle. With pennyroyal, that assumption can be deadly.
Why Is Pennyroyal Oil Dangerous?
The oil is loaded with pulegone. Your liver turns it into a toxic by-product that drains the body’s glutathione and injures liver cells, much like an acetaminophen overdose. Even small amounts have been linked to severe and fatal liver problems. That’s why Poison Control says pennyroyal oil should never be swallowed.
Can Pennyroyal Cause Miscarriage?
It can, and that’s the heart of the problem. The effect likely comes from irritating the uterus, but the doses needed can be lethal, and the result isn’t even reliable. Young women have died trying to end a pregnancy with pennyroyal oil. Please never treat it as a home abortion remedy. If you’re worried about a pregnancy, a doctor or clinic can give you real options and real safety.
Side Effects and Toxicity of Pennyroyal
It usually starts with nausea, vomiting and belly pain. From there it can progress to liver and kidney failure, seizures, coma and death. Alcohol can raise the liver risk even more. It’s dangerous for little ones too. One child died after drinking tea made from garden mint that turned out to contain pennyroyal.
Is Pennyroyal Tea Safe During Pregnancy?
Skip it. Not enough is known about leaf tea, and it appears able to start menstruation, which could threaten a pregnancy. There’s a prenatal nutrition angle too. Pennyroyal may cut iron absorption by 50% or more, and iron matters a lot right now. Check labels on “mint” blends, and don’t brew homegrown mint unless you’re sure what it is.
Safer Herbal Alternatives During Pregnancy
If you’re after something soothing, ginger and peppermint tea are commonly suggested for nausea and upset stomach. Even so, run every herb or supplement past your OB-GYN or midwife first. Good prenatal nutrition does more for you than any tea, so keep taking your prenatal vitamin with folic acid, and ask about DHA too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pennyroyal safe during pregnancy?
No. Health sources advise against it in every form and every trimester.
What should I do if I swallowed pennyroyal oil?
Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 in the US, or your local emergency number, right away. Don’t wait for symptoms.
Is pennyroyal safe while breastfeeding?
No. MSK advises against it for breastfeeding women as well.
Can pennyroyal be used on the skin?
It’s listed as unsafe in pregnancy whether taken by mouth or applied to the skin.