Botanicals for Women’s Health

Reference Sheet

NOTICE
Only discuss dosage with patients if it is within your scope of practice to prescribe medications. The dosage
examples provided are for general population adult patients with no outstanding risk factors. Always consult other
dosage references and adjust as necessary to specific patient health status. If you are considering taking a
botanical yourself, always talk with your doctor to make sure it is right for you.

Botanical Plant part Therapeutic/clinical Safety concerns Example Dosage

used indications
Black cohosh Rhizome • Menopausal symptoms • AVOID in patients who have • Standardized
(Cimicifuga liver disease, who drink extracts with
racemosa) alcohol frequently, or who 2.5% triterpene
are on medications that glycosides;
affect the liver. 40-80 mg 2x/day.
• May cause gastrointestinal
OR
(GI) upset, headaches,
and/or vomiting. • 500 mg dried
root; 2-3x/day.

Chastetree Dried berries • PMS symptoms • AVOID in pregnancy. • 300-500 mg

(Vitex angus- dried fruit/day.
castus)
OR
• Standardized
extract; 20-40
mg/day.

Fennel Seeds • May increase breast • AVOID in pregnancy. • 1-3 teaspoons

(Foeniculum milk production. • AVOID if taking seeds steeped in
vulgare) fluoroquinolone antibiotics. 8 oz. boiling
water for 10
minutes;
1-3x/day.

Fenugreek Seeds • May increase breast • AVOID in pregnancy. • 2-4 500-600 mg

(Trigonella milk production. • May cause lowered blood seed capsules;
foenum- glucose levels in patients 3x/day.
graecum) with diabetes.
• While not harmful, it may
cause the urine to smell like
maple syrup.

 2018 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.

Botanicals for Women’s Health
Reference Sheet

Botanical Plant part Therapeutic/clinical Safety concerns Example Dosage

used indications
Ginkgo Leaves • PMS symptoms; • AVOID in patients on blood • Standardized
(Ginkgo especially breast pain thinners and those taking extracts with
biloba) and mood swings. aminoglycoside antibiotics. 24%
• AVOID consumption of seeds ginkgoflavones
due to toxicity concerns. and 6% terpenes;
• AVOID in pregnancy. 80 mg 2x/day.
• May interact with diabetes
medications, seizure
medications, and calcium
channel blockers.

Red clover Flowers • Hot flashes of • AVOID in women with • 40 mg

(Trifolium menopause. history of or high risk for isoflavones;
pratense) breast or uterine cancer. 1-2x/day.
• AVOID in patients taking
anticoagulants.

Rhubarb Roots • Menopausal • Use in caution in patients • ½-1 teaspoon

(Rheum symptoms; especially with history of kidney root steeped in 8
rhaponticum) hot flashes, night stones. oz. boiling water
sweats, and mood for 10 minutes;
swings. 2-3 x/day.
• Researched
product was
rhubarb extract
ERr 731;
4 mg/day.

Sage Leaves • Hot flashes of • Avoid ethanolic extracts and • 500-1000

(Salvia menopause. essential oils due to mg/day of dried
officinalis) potential toxicity of thujone. sage leaf.
• Avoid long-term use or
excessive doses.

 2018 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.