Women’s Wellness
Nutrients connected to Women’s Wellness
A link means the body needs the nutrient for this, or that low intake is linked to it. It does not mean extra supplements help if your intake is already adequate; each link shows how strong the evidence is.
- Vitamin B9 (folate and folic acid)Clinically supported
Official bodies advise a folic acid supplement for anyone who could become pregnant, because it lowers the chance of neural tube defects in the baby. It is not a general women's health supplement.
- IronDeficiency link
Heavy periods and pregnancy are very common causes of iron deficiency anaemia, so women are more often affected. Needs are set separately for women aged 19 to 49 by the NHS.
- ChasteberryPreliminary or mixed
Used mainly for premenstrual symptoms; studies are limited and mixed in quality, so evidence is promising but not firm.
- ShatavariPreliminary or mixed
Used for breast milk, menopause, low desire and PCOS in small trials of branded extracts. Evidence is limited and one trial was retracted.
- Shepherd's pursePreliminary or mixed
Used in the EU as a traditional herbal medicine for heavy periods in adult women; one small trial supports it and larger studies are needed. It is not recommended in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
- OshaDocumented risk
Osha is traditionally avoided in pregnancy because it may induce menstruation; AHPA recommended a not-for-pregnancy label in 1997.
- RueDocumented risk
Women who try rue tea to end a pregnancy are at risk of severe illness and death in the poison-centre series. Not a wellness product.
- Moutan (tree peony root bark, mu dan pi)Documented risk
A university herbal database lists pregnancy and excessive menstruation as contraindications for moutan. Trials of the Guizhi Fuling formula for painful periods are promising but limited and cannot be credited to moutan alone.
- AsparagusDeficiency link
Enough folate or folic acid before and during pregnancy helps prevent neural tube defects; asparagus is one folate food, but supplements are advised.
- Neroli OilPreliminary or mixed
A systematic review of 12 trials (1,170 women) summarized pain, anxiety and discomfort outcomes, but could not pool them.
- Red Raspberry Leaf TeaPreliminary or mixed
Raspberry leaf is mainly used around pregnancy and birth. A tablet trial gave small and mixed results, a small observational study could not be generalized, and a 2021 review called the evidence weak. These are not trials of the tea.
- Rose TeaPreliminary or mixed
One randomized trial in teenage girls found less menstrual pain with rose tea. It is a single study, so the evidence is limited.
- Prenatal and Postnatal VitaminsDeficiency link
Used before, during and after pregnancy to fill gaps in folic acid, iron and other nutrients; the NHS recommends specific nutrients, not one fixed formula.
Official choline intake levels are higher in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Whether extra choline improves a child's brain development is not settled.
- GingerPreliminary or mixed
NCCIH says research suggests ginger supplements might reduce menstrual cramp severity; evidence is limited.
- MacaPreliminary or mixed
Menopause-symptom trials in women were favourable but small and limited.
- Black cohoshClinically supported
Its main studied use is easing menopause symptoms in adult women; this is the only well-supported women's health use.
- Red raspberry leafPreliminary or mixed
Used by women during pregnancy and labor. One trial found no shorter first stage and only small, uncertain effects on later labor outcomes.
- MoringaPreliminary or mixed
Short trials reported more breast milk with leaf supplements (low-certainty evidence); Memorial Sloan Kettering advises breastfeeding women to avoid moringa, so ask a clinician.
- Pau d'arcoPreliminary or mixed
One small uncontrolled trial saw lower menstrual pain scores; it cannot show the herb works.
- CorydalisPreliminary or mixed
Traditionally used for menstrual pain; Memorial Sloan Kettering says small studies of a corydalis formula suggest relief and more research is needed. No trial of corydalis alone for period pain was found.
- AgrimonyDocumented risk
Not recommended in pregnancy or breastfeeding because safety has not been established (EMA).
- KudzuPreliminary or mixed
Small studies suggest some relief of menopausal symptoms (a root extract in an open-label study, a flower-and-peel blend in a placebo-controlled trial), but MSK says a systematic review found no benefit, so evidence is mixed.
- ShankhpushpiPreliminary or mixed
The only human trial found was in women with menopause-type symptoms after hysterectomy; it was a very small pilot.
- GingerPreliminary or mixed
NCCIH says research suggests ginger supplements might reduce menstrual cramp severity; evidence is limited.
- Nut grass (mustaka, xiang fu)Preliminary or mixed
Traditional use for irregular periods in Chinese medicine; no human trial of the herb alone was read, so support is traditional only.
- Cuscuta seed (tu si zi)Preliminary or mixed
Used for female infertility and ovarian insufficiency in formulas; details and quality are limited.
- Dill seedPreliminary or mixed
One small trial found less period pain with dill powder; a labor review is limited.
- Juniper berryPreliminary or mixed
One small trial in period pain; pregnancy and breastfeeding are cautions.
- Pueraria mirifica (kwao krua)Preliminary or mixed
Small open-label Thai studies and two gel trials suggest relief of menopause symptoms, but they are small and a 2026 review calls for better safety and dose data.
- Lemon OilPreliminary or mixed
Small trials: scent for pregnancy nausea and diluted massage (with peppermint) for menopausal symptoms.
- Orange Oil (Sweet and Bitter)Preliminary or mixed
A single-blind labor trial of sweet orange scent reported lower pain and anxiety scores.
- Grapefruit OilPreliminary or mixed
One trial of 90 women reported lower PMS scores after inhaling grapefruit oil.
- Bergamot OilPreliminary or mixed
One 2025 trial of 90 women found lower premenstrual syndrome scores after smelling bergamot oil.
- Sage TeaPreliminary or mixed
Pregnancy not recommended and hot flash data for products only.
- Cranberry JuiceClinically supported
Recurrent UTIs are common in women, and Cochrane found cranberry products probably lower the risk in women with recurrent UTIs. Not a treatment.
- Evening Primrose OilPreliminary or mixed
Used for PMS, breast pain, menopause symptoms and late pregnancy. Trials found no benefit for breast pain, none established for PMS, and mixed results for hot flashes and labor.
- LanolinPreliminary or mixed
Widely used on sore nipples while breastfeeding; trials are mixed and do not show it beats no treatment or milk.
- Women's and Men's MultivitaminsDeficiency link
Women aged 19 to 49 have a higher UK iron reference amount than men, and heavy periods raise the risk of iron deficiency anemia. This is about iron needs, not about a general 'women's wellness' effect of the product.
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