Ayurvedic Teas and Pregnancy: Which Ones to Avoid

Most Ayurvedic teas made with gentle culinary spices — cumin, coriander, light fennel, cardamom — remain compatible with pregnancy in moderate amounts. One herb, common in "digestive" or "Vata" blends, does deserve real caution, backed by solid research directly focused on pregnancy: licorice.

What research shows about licorice during pregnancy

A study by Räikkönen, Pesonen, Heinonen and colleagues, published in 2017 in the American Journal of Epidemiology, followed 378 children born in 1998 in Helsinki up to an average age of 12.5, based on how much licorice their mothers had consumed during pregnancy. Children whose mothers had consumed large amounts of fennel/">licorice showed, on average, higher behavioral-problem scores and slightly earlier puberty than children of mothers with low or no consumption (study available on the journal's website). The mechanism proposed by the authors: glycyrrhizin, licorice's active compound, inhibits a placental enzyme that normally protects the fetus from high maternal cortisol levels, potentially exposing the fetus to more of this stress hormone.

This study looked at heavy, regular licorice consumption during pregnancy, not an occasional cup of tea. It still confirms why licorice is the herb to watch most closely in Ayurvedic teas during this period.

The link with blood pressure, already documented outside pregnancy

As detailed in our article Ayurvedic teas: the real danger of licorice and other precautions, a meta-analysis by Penninkilampi, Eslick and Eslick, published in 2017 in the Journal of Human Hypertension, confirmed that regular licorice consumption raises blood pressure and lowers blood potassium. This effect adds to what the Finnish study documented during pregnancy, a period when blood-pressure changes already warrant particular monitoring anyway.

Tea / ingredient	During pregnancy
Licorice (regular consumption)	Avoid as a precaution, given a documented risk for child development and blood pressure
Cinnamon in large amounts	Moderate; an occasional daily cup poses no problem for most people
Concentrated ginger	Generally tolerated in moderate doses; medical advice if on anticoagulant treatment
Fennel, cumin, coriander as a light tea	Generally well tolerated in moderate amounts

How can you drink Ayurvedic teas safely during pregnancy?

• Read the composition before buying, to spot licorice listed high on the ingredient list;
• Avoid licorice-concentrated blends rather than a daily prolonged intake during pregnancy;
• Vary your blends rather than sticking to one tea, especially if it contains licorice;
• Ask your midwife or doctor if you're unsure about a specific blend, particularly if you have high blood pressure.

Our article licorice also details this herb's other uses and precautions, independent of the Ayurvedic-tea context.

Pregnancy nausea and teas: a useful nuance

Ginger is often recommended as a light tea to relieve first-trimester nausea, a widespread traditional use. It's generally considered safe in moderate doses during pregnancy, but should be distinguished from more complex "digestive" blends, which sometimes combine ginger and licorice in the same tea. In that case, it's licorice's presence, not ginger, that justifies the caution described above.

Spotting licorice on a tea label

Licorice often appears in blends marketed as "digestive," "detox" or "Vata," sometimes under its botanical name Glycyrrhiza glabra rather than its common name. It gives an infusion a characteristic sweet, anise-like taste, even in small amounts. During pregnancy, this taste cue can help spot its presence in a blend whose composition isn't clearly listed, alongside reading the label.

Precautions

The large majority of gentle-spice Ayurvedic teas remain suitable for moderate consumption during pregnancy. Licorice is the most solidly documented precaution: a multi-year follow-up study linked heavy, regular consumption during pregnancy to measurable effects on child development. It's therefore better to reserve licorice-rich blends for occasional use, or avoid them entirely during this period, and ask for advice if unsure. For the full set of guidelines applicable to pregnancy, see our article Ayurveda during pregnancy and our safety and precautions guide.