Emmenagogues (also spelled ''emmenagogs'') are

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

s which stimulate

blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood is com ...

flow in the

pelvic The pelvis (: pelves or pelvises) is the lower part of an anatomical trunk, between the abdomen and the thighs (sometimes also called pelvic region), together with its embedded skeleton (sometimes also called bony pelvis or pelvic skeleton). ...

area and

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', : uteri or uteruses) or womb () is the hollow organ, organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans, that accommodates the embryonic development, embryonic and prenatal development, f ...

; some stimulate

menstruation Menstruation (also known as a period, among other colloquial terms) is the regular discharge of blood and Mucous membrane, mucosal tissue from the endometrium, inner lining of the uterus through the vagina. The menstrual cycle is characterized ...

. Women may use emmenagogues to stimulate menstrual flow when menstruation is absent for reasons other than pregnancy, such as hormonal disorders or conditions like oligomenorrhea (infrequent menses). According to Riddle, these herbs were also used to assist women whose menstruation was "delayed", for the reason that they had conceived. There are a large number of substances which can act as emmenagogues. Many, such as ''

Mentha pulegium ''Mentha pulegium'', commonly (European) pennyroyal, or pennyrile, also called mosquito plant and pudding grass, is a species of flowering plant in the Mentha, mint Family (biology), family, Lamiaceae, native to Europe, North Africa, and the Midd ...

'', European pennyroyal, or tansy, may bring on menses when administered as a tea. However, if a concentrated dose is taken, such as by consuming an oil, they can pose serious medical risks including organ damage and incomplete abortions. Rue ('' Ruta graveolens'') and wild rue ('' Peganum harmala'') are other commonly available emmenagogues which can result in serious harm.

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