Emmenagogue

Emmenagogues are herbs that stimulate or promote menstruation by increasing blood flow to the pelvic area and toning the uterine and pelvic tissues.

Emmenagogues work via multiple mechanisms including vasodilation, hormonal modulation, muscle stimulation or relaxation as a result of phytoconstituents including volatile oils and flavonoids. They can be applied to help treat amenorrhea, dysmenorrhoea, irregular menstruation or premenstrual syndrome.

Examples of emmenagogue herbs include ginger (Zingiber officinale) and agnus castus (Vitex agnus-castus) and mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris).