Yarrow is a herb that can help period pain by easing menstrual cramps, reducing heavy flow and supporting the digestive system. It has antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and anodyne properties, as well as haemostatic properties. It is used by herbalists to reduce period pain and there is scientific evidence to support its use as well.
- Yarrow eases menstrual cramps
- Yarrow reduces a heavy flow
- Yarrow supports the digestive system
Yarrow’s Latin botanical name is Achillea millefolium. Named after Achilles, this herb has been renowned since Ancient Greece as a remedy to staunch bleeding. The fresh leaf can be chewed up and made into a poultice and placed directly on a wound to stop bleeding; handy one to have in your garden for grazed knees or the odd stab from a rose’s thorn! It also helps to regulate the menstrual cycle, particularly with heavy bleeding. The hot tea of Yarrow is great to drink if you have a fever as well, and it can be helpful for rashes, allergies and incontinence. Like with many herbs, it has a wide array of uses, but today we will focus on how it can help ease period pain, by easing cramps, reducing a heavy flow and supporting the digestive system.
1. Yarrow eases menstrual cramps
Yarrow is a flowering herb that has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to address various health concerns, including menstrual discomfort. This beautiful plant, with its feathery leaves and clusters of small flowers, contains potent compounds that possess anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and analgesic properties, making it a brilliant herb for period pain.
In terms of its phytochemistry, Yarrow contains flavonoids, alkaloids, and volatile oils that work synergistically to reduce inflammation. By calming the inflammation associated with menstrual cramps, Yarrow can help alleviate the intensity of pain.
The antispasmodic properties of Yarrow help relax the smooth muscles of the uterus, reducing excessive contractions that cause discomfort during menstruation. This relaxation can significantly ease cramping sensations.
Yarrow also has a mild analgesic effect. It contains salicylates, natural compounds with pain-relieving properties and the plant compounds from which aspirin is derived. These compounds can act as mild analgesics, adding to Yarrow’s ability to gently ease cramps. Interestingly, aspirin comes with the unwanted side effect of having an erosive action on the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, but most plants containing these salicylates have a soothing and toning effect on the digestive tract. This is why I call a plant’s myriad of uses ‘side benefits’, rather than side-effects. Just one of the examples of the magic of plants and how well they interact with our human bodies!
These are just a few of the ways that Yarrow seems to work to ease period pain. And while we’re not sure of all the ways Yarrow works to help relieve period pain, we do know that it works, both from my personal and clinical experience, and from the scientific research! A 2018 study (1) looked at both Yarrow and Chamomile for their use for period pain. It was a double-blind randomised controlled trial of 50 women with primary dysmenorrhea, which is basically period pain without any other condition like endometriosis. During the study, the average pain severity decreased significantly, even during the first cycle through which the women were taking the herbs. The pain reduction was slightly more noticeable in the Yarrow group compared to the Chamomile group, and they found Yarrow to have a more long-lasting sedative effect. They concluded that both herbs can be used to help ease menstrual cramps naturally.
2. Yarrow reduces a heavy flow
Yarrow is also a brilliant herb for heavy periods. Often heavy periods and period pain go hand in hand. As I mentioned, Yarrow’s Latin name Achillea comes from its association with Achilles, who used this herb to heal his warriors’ wounds, staunching their bleeding enough to send them back to battle! This so-called styptic quality, the haemostatic ability to reduce bleeding, extends to menstruation as well. It will help to reduce a heavy flow, but won’t stop the period all together. It has a more balancing effect. In fact, it also has an emmenagogue action, meaning it can help to bring on a delayed period too, depending on what your body needs!
Yarrow's astringent properties make it particularly effective in reducing heavy menstrual bleeding, so it can be very helpful in perimenopause as well, when excessive bleeding, often called flooding, can be debilitating. It contains compounds that help constrict blood vessels, promoting clotting and reducing excessive bleeding. By tightening the blood vessels in the pelvic region, Yarrow helps regulate blood flow, alleviating both the discomfort and the inconvenience caused by heavy periods.
3. Yarrow supports the digestive system
Yarrow also helps to balance the appetite, aid digestion and absorption, and is an overall wonderful herb for digestion. This is important if you get cramps, because often cramps are made worse by inflammation in the digestive tract. It is common for women to get constipated before their period and /or have diarrhoea once the period arrives. Your intestines and uterus are in very close proximity, so if the bowels are inflamed, swollen or congested, then they can have an impact on the neighbouring organs (like our womb) too.
Yarrow is also helpful for IBS symptoms: forn gas, bloating and indigestion. It contains a lot of tannins, which are astringent and help to protect the gut from infection and irritation, and is also helpful for diarrhoea and inflammation in the digestive tract. If you are prone to digestive discomfort before your period and experience any of the above symptoms, then it could be worth taking Yarrow in the premenstrual week, as well as during your period. It’s a herb I take daily anyway as part of my general digestive support and pre-meal bitter herbal formula that gets my digestive juices flowing and ready for food; so, it is suitable to take long-term or acutely, depending on what you need.
Yarrow may help balance hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, potentially reducing the severity of symptoms such as mood swings and bloating. Some herbalists find it helpful for balancing an irregular cycle as well. Its bitter components offer support for the liver and digestion, which could be part of how it helps balance hormones. The liver often needs support to clear the body of excess hormones, and the digestive tract needs to clear them out of the body afterwards. Basically, if you are constipated and eating processed food, drinking alcohol or taking medications that your liver is already working hard to process, then the excess hormones don’t have their normal exit route and can stay in the body, leading to further hormone imbalance. And oftentimes this hormone imbalance (usually an excess of oestrogen) leads to symptoms like period pain.
How to take Yarrow
You can work with Yarrow in many ways: as a tea, a tincture, topically as an essential oil, as a flower essence, and simply by planting some or admiring the wild ones you find growing around you.
Yarrow is a so-called “weed” that grows wildly in Ireland and the UK. If you plant some in your garden it will spread easily, so you always have fresh Yarrow for homemade tea! You can buy pink and yellow varieties in many garden centres, but it is usually the wild white one which is used in herbal medicine. Simply planting Yarrow in your garden can be a great way to get to know this plant. Once you get to know what the leaves look like, you may be surprised to find many of the leaves growing in your lawn without ever having to plant it! It grows undetected in may lawns already! If you let your lawn turn into more of a wildflower garden than rolling green expanse, you may find the flowers popping up alongside dandelions, daisies, plantain and many other wonders. Science also finds simply replacing your lawn with wildflowers has tons of benefits too! (2)
Yarrow tea - Prepare a soothing Yarrow tea by steeping 1-2 teaspoons of dried or fresh Yarrow flowers and/or leaves in a cup of hot water for 10-15 minutes. Place a lid over it while it infuses. This will help to keep the volatile essential oils in, otherwise they can escape off into the ether and you can miss out on their many benefits! This is a safe way to consume essential oils, as part of a whole plant extract. Isolated essential oils should never be ingested. I would suggest drinking this tea 2-3 times a day during your period, and perhaps a few days before as well, especially if you are prone to premenstrual bloating or heavy bleeding.
Yarrow Essential Oil: Yarrow Essential Oil is incredible! Like chamomile Essential Oil, it is blue! If you have never seen either of these oils, they are absolutely amazing to see! Despite some of the information available on the internet, you should never ingest essential oils. Do not add them to water – they are an oil and do not disperse well in water, so the molecules float on top of the water and can cause serious damage to your gastrointestinal tract. Topically, however, they are great! Dilute a few drops of Yarrow Essential Oil in a carrier oil, such as coconut or almond oil. Gently massage the blend onto your lower abdomen and back to relax your muscles and ease your cramps and help you feel like a Goddess!
Yarrow tincture: Yarrow tincture is probably the simplest way to work with Yarrow. A tincture is an alcohol extract of the plant. The leaves and flowers are covered in an alcohol and water mix for a few weeks, so the alcohol can extract and preserve the phytochemicals. I take a few drops of Yarrow tincture as part of my herbal bitters blend that I use before every meal to support my digestion.
Yarrow tablets: Depending on the form, herbal tablets have varying amounts of efficacy. Dried herbs tend to lose their potency a year after harvest, so if you are taking capsules of dried herbs, they need to be very fresh. A better option is usually a herbal extract tablet, one where the tea or tincture of Yarrow is then processed into a tablet. If you prefer tablets or are averse to strong tastes this may be a good option for you. Just make sure you know what quality of tablet you are getting.
Yarrow flower essence: Yarrow is also a lovely flower essence. It offers a sense of protection and helps you to build strong healthy boundaries. This could be especially helpful if you find it hard to say no, especially during your period when your body might be calling out for more rest. Flower essences are a more energetic type of herbal remedy and work at a different level to the herbal medicines above. They will help to clear emotional and energetic blocks that can manifest in physical symptoms. Often those symptoms like period pain and cramping can be a sign from your body that you need more rest. So, if you need to create some better boundaries to make some time for rest and self-care during your period, then try some Yarrow flower essence.
Yarrow is a wonderful herbal ally of mine, a plant that has helped both me and my clients in many ways. If you are struggling with period pain and are looking for something natural to help, I hope you find some solace in this blog and some relief from Yarrow herself!
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