Herbs for Hepatitis C in Pregnancy
Answered by: Susan Eagles
Question from: Karen
Posted on: January 21, 2001

I am 5 weeks pregnant. I have been diagnosed with the Hepatitis C virus and have stopped taking the herbs my naturopath suggested for me. After some research she suggested I continue taking the following: Garlic, Milk Thistle, Turmeric, ACES, Udos Oil, and Licorice Tea.

I suppose I’m looking for a second confirmation that these herbs are safe to take while pregnant.

Licorice is not recommended in pregnancy, because it has an estrogenic effect. Herbs that affect the female hormones should be avoided in pregnancy. I assume "ACES" is a combination of vitamins A, C and E. The other herbs on your list are generally safe in pregnancy.

During pregnancy, we usually recommend that organic herbs be taken in their natural state or in the form of a herbal tea. Garlic can be taken fresh by chopping it into small pieces and swallowing the pieces with water. If you take this at night, the garlic smell usually disappears from the body by morning. Turmeric, available as a powder from health food stores can be added to food or drink. One teaspoon of the powder, three times a day. Milk Thistle can be ground in a coffee grinder and added to your morning cereal and sprinkled on salads and other dishes. The dose is one teaspoon of the seeds, three times a day.

For more information, please see previous questions listed on the Richters web site http://www.richters.com. Choose "Q&A" from the main menu, then choose "Search Richters Q&A", and enter "Herbs for Hepatitis C" for one search, and "Herbs to Avoid in Pregnancy" for another search.

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