On the box or bottle of every product the manufacturer puts a warning – “Do not use this product is you are pregnant, nursing, or have kidney disease.” We get a lot of phone calls from pregnant woman asking why they can not use these products. Yes, these products are safe for people, but they are not safe for a growing fetus. One time a woman called asking if she can use any of our detox products. We explained to her that on every box there is a warning label. That information was not enough for her and she wanted to know why she could not use these products.

Most of these products like the detox drinks include artificial colorings and preservatives. Though most are considered safe, some are not safe at all.

Herbs are not harmful to a regular person, but to a baby they can do some harm. The FDA recommends that all pregnant women speak with their doctor before taking any herbal products. Some herbs may cause miscarriages, uterine contractions, injury to the fetus or premature birth. There is no reason a pregnant woman should be taking any extra herbal supplements except her prenatal vitamins.

Pregnant woman should stay away from: Green tea, Slippery Elm, Ginseng, Barberry, Basil oil, Black and clue cohosh, Clove oil, Feverfew, Juniper, Mistletoe, Pennyroyal, Mugwort, Sassafras, Wild yam, Wormwood, Pokeroot, Comfrey, Kava root, Skullcap, Valerian, Woodruff and many more.

Most of the detox products do contain these herbs.

Also, this information is useful if you have problems with your kidneys. All herbs make the kidneys work better and faster, this may cause pain and other side effects.

We explained this information to her and told her that the manufacturer would not put a warning label on the box if these products were recommended for pregnant woman. She thanked us for the information. Now she had a better understanding.

To be on the safe side, you really should not take anything that is not given to you, suggested, or prescribed by your doctor. If in doubt, call and ask before taking any medication or herb, for any reason.