Are Dandelion Root Capsules Safe During Pregnancy?

During your pregnancy, you'll likely experience many uncomfortable symptoms and side effects. You're also likely to want to avoid over-the-counter and prescription pharmaceuticals as much as possible, and may turn to herbs for many of your health-care needs. There isn't sufficient evidence to suggest that dandelion root capsules are safe during pregnancy, however.

Pregnancy And Food Safety

During pregnancy, the safety of the food you eat and herbs you take becomes even more important than usual. This is because some herbs and foods can pose a danger to your developing fetus, either because they interfere with development, or because they're inherently toxic even in small doses. For this reason, explain Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz in their book "You: Having A Baby," you need to be especially careful about using alternative remedies during pregnancy.

Dandelion Root Capsules

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, dandelion roots are rich in some vitamins and minerals, including the iron that's so important during pregnancy because it helps your body to produce more red blood cells. It's a traditional remedy for certain liver problems, though there aren't scientific studies to support this use. During pregnancy, notes AmericanPregnancy.org, most women who take dandelion root do so for the vitamins and minerals.

Pregnancy Safety

According to AmericanPregnancy.org, there isn't sufficient information available about the safety of dandelion root capsules during pregnancy to make a reliable safety determination. You should talk to your doctor for guidance if you're interested in trying the capsules during pregnancy. Additionally, herbs aren't regulated by the FDA in the same manner as foods and pharmaceuticals, so just because a manufacturer is selling an herb for use during pregnancy doesn't mean it's safe.

Alternatives

If you have liver problems during pregnancy, you should talk to your obstetrician about appropriate therapies and control measures. If you're interested in dandelion root for the vitamins and minerals, you might want to try prenatal vitamins instead. You obstetrician can help you find a brand that meets your needs without posing unnecessary risk to your developing fetus. You'll also get more complete vitamin and mineral nutrition from a supplement than you would from dandelion.