Use of alternative medicine, ginger and licorice among Danish pregnant women – a prospective cohort study

Abstract

BackgroundThe use of alternative medicines and dietary supplements is constantly changing, as are dietary habits. One example of this phenomenon is the current popularity of ginger products as an everyday health boost. Ginger and licorice has also been shown to ameliorate nausea a common complaint in early pregnancy. Alternative medicines are often regarded as safe. However, they might affect fetal development, such as through alterations of hormone metabolism and cytochrome P450 function. Health care professionals may be unaware of the supplementation habits of pregnant women, which may allow adverse exposures to go unnoticed, especially if the rates of use in pregnancy are not known. We therefore investigated the use of alternative medicines and licorice among pregnant Danish women.MethodsA total of 225 pregnant women were included in a prospective cohort when attending the national prenatal screening program at gestational weeks 10–16. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their socio-economic status and lifestyle habits, including their intake of alternative medicine and licorice.ResultsWe found that 22.7% of women reported taking alternative medicines, with 14.7% reporting daily consumption. Ginger supplements were consumed by 11.1%, mainly as health boost and 87.1% reported consumption of licorice. Regular or daily licorice consumption was reported by 38.2 and 7.1%, respectively. Notably, the use of licorice was reflected by an increase in blood pressure of the pregnant women.ConclusionsThe use of licorice and alternative medicines appears to be common in pregnant Danish women, supporting the need for further investigations into the safety of alternative medicine use during pregnancy and the importance of up-to-date personalized counseling regarding popular health trends and lifestyle habits.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12906-018-2419-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Bioactive Candy: Effects of Licorice on the Cardiovascular System

“…Since the 18th century, the primary use comprises mainly licorice extracts (in pharmacy called Succus liquiritae ) as a flavoring additive in tea, tobacco, candy (Figure 1b) and other sweets, but the licorice root itself ( Liquiritae radix ) is still used as a dietary supplement in some parts of the world [7]. Among people preferring alternative or complementary medicine, historical uses for licorice were revived and are still practiced today [8,9,10].…”

“…On the one hand, the health benefits ascribed to licorice are numerous: for centuries it has been used in herbal and folk medicine to treat multiple diseases such as gastrointestinal symptoms and respiratory diseases [10]. The broad spectrum of activities known today comprises immunostimulatory and anti-ulcer effects [11,12,13], anti-viral and anti-microbial effects [14,15], hepatoprotective [16,17], anti-carcinogenic [18] and several other positive effects that contribute to the protection of the nervous, respiratory, endocrine and cardiovascular system [9]. Licorice is also effective against gastrointestinal problems by repairing the inner layer of the stomach and cleansing the respiratory system by increasing the production of mucus.…”

The Sex–Gender Effects in the Road to Tailored Botanicals

“…In Italy, the following botanicals chamomile, licorice, fennel, aloe, valerian, echinacea, almond oil, propolis, and cranberry are the most widely used [119], whereas in the USA, the most used herbs are ginger, cranberry, valerian, raspberry, and chamomile [120]. Licorice supplements are also extensively used in Denmark [121]. However, studies on natural alternatives in pregnancy and lactation are few [122].…”

“…Prenatal exposure to St. John’s wort increases fetal malformations [135]. Licorice may induce the so-called mineralocorticoid-excess syndrome, inhibiting 11-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 [121]. Licorice use may contribute to an increased risk of preeclampsia [136], miscarriage [119], and preterm birth [137].…”

Frequently Used Herbal Teas During Pregnancy - Short Update

“…Risk of vaginal bleeding was reported to be associated with ginger use in pregnant women due to its possible inhibiting thromboxane synthetase activity 46 , 47 . Interaction of ginger with fetal testosterone metabolism has been also shown 48 , 49 . Ginger’s anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects have been demonstrated and its use in dysmenorrhea has been suggested to be due to its inhibition of cyclooxygenase enzyme 50 .…”