Can pregnant women eat Isatis root?

Every friend should know how common isatis root is in life. Isatis root has relatively good effects and efficacy, and can be used to treat influenza, sore throat, high fever headache, etc. If pregnant women have a cold or fever, they can take Isatis root for treatment, but it is not recommended to take it in large quantities or frequently.

Isatis root

Isatis root (common aliases: indigo root, blue indigo root, and isatis root) is a traditional Chinese medicinal material that can clear away heat, detoxify, and prevent diseases. It is produced in all parts of China. Isatis root is the root of the annual or biennial herb Isatis indigotica, which is divided into northern isatis root and southern isatis root. Northern isatis root comes from the roots of Isatis indigotica and Indigofera chinensis, both of which belong to the cruciferous family; southern isatis root comes from the rhizome and root of Isatis tinctoria, both of which belong to the Acanthaceae family.

Isatis root is slender and cylindrical, about 10 to 20 to 30 cm long and 3 to 8 mm in diameter. The surface is light gray-yellow, rough, with longitudinal wrinkles, transverse spots, and root scars. The root head is slightly swollen, with a depression at the top, surrounded by dark green petiole residues. The thicker roots have dense wart-like protrusions and gray-brown petiole scars arranged in a circle. The texture is firm and brittle, the cross section of the bark is yellowish white to light brown, and the wood is yellow. The smell is weak and the taste is slightly sweet.

Effects and functions of Isatis root

Isatis root is bitter and cold in nature. It has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, cooling blood and relieving sore throat. It is mainly used to treat fever and toxic rashes; high fever and headache; big head plague; dark purple tongue, sore throat and red sha; erysipelas; mumps; throat paralysis; sores and carbuncles; chickenpox; measles; hepatitis; influenza, meningitis, Japanese encephalitis, pneumonia, coma, vomiting and epistaxis, swollen throat, conjunctivitis, sores and rashes; it can prevent and treat epidemic encephalitis B, acute and chronic hepatitis, mumps, and osteomyelitis.

Can pregnant women drink Isatis root?

If you have symptoms of cold and fever, it is okay to drink Isatis root. If you have a cold or fever during pregnancy, you can take some Chinese herbal medicines with fewer toxic and side effects. For example, isatis root, isatis indigotica, forsythia, angelica dahurica, honeysuckle, etc., which have the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying and resisting viruses, have good therapeutic effects. You can also use some Chinese patent medicines and their preparations, such as Yinqiao Jiedu Pills, Yinhuang Oral Liquid, etc. However, if you just want to enhance your immunity, it is not recommended to drink Isatis root frequently.