A Detailed Explanation of Motherwort's Benefits, Actions, Contraindications and Culinary Uses

The Lamiaceae family, genus Leonurus plant motherwort is a common blood-activating Chinese herbal medicine. The whole plant can be used as medicine, and it has also been an essential herb used by physicians of past dynasties to treat gynecological diseases, which is why it has earned the laudatory title of “a woman's prized herb.” So, specifically, what are motherwort's benefits and actions? What are its contraindications and culinary uses?

I. Motherwort's Benefits

Motherwort mainly has the benefits of promoting diuresis and reducing swelling and contracting the uterus. It can activate blood and regulate menstruation, dispel blood stasis and relieve pain, and also reduce swelling and promote urination, making it very suitable for women with painful periods and for women who experience physiological edema during menstruation.

Moreover, motherwort has therapeutic benefits for women's irregular menstruation, painful periods, and physiological edema during menstruation; because it has the action of dissipating blood stasis and relieving pain, it is also somewhat helpful for treating traumatic injuries; and it also has an auxiliary therapeutic effect on the treatment of postpartum lochiorrhea (persistent lochia).

II. Motherwort's Actions

1. Action on the uterus

Motherwort decoction, ethanol extract, and leonurine have an excitatory effect on the isolated uterus of rabbits, cats and various other animals.

2. Action on the cardiovascular system

In isolated guinea pig hearts, using isoproterenol to create a myocardial ischemia model, motherwort can significantly increase coronary flow and quite markedly slow the heart rate. Intravenous injection of motherwort preparations caused anesthetized dogs to show a clear increase in coronary flow, a reduction in coronary resistance, a slowing of heart rate, and a decrease in cardiac output and left ventricular work.

3. Anti-platelet aggregation and anti-thrombosis

In vitro experiments have shown that motherwort and its extracts have an antagonistic effect on ADP-induced platelet aggregation in normal animals. In vivo experiments also proved that motherwort can significantly reduce the total number of platelets in the peripheral circulation and the platelets and their aggregates within the alveolar wall capillaries. Motherwort has a significant dissolving effect on red thrombi in the pulmonary circulation of rabbits.

In addition, motherwort also has actions such as enhancing the body's cellular immunity.

III. Motherwort's Contraindications

1. Motherwort's active ingredients have an excitatory effect on the uterus and can contract it, so it must be avoided during pregnancy. There are currently many dosage forms containing motherwort on the market, such as motherwort paste, motherwort granules, motherwort tablets, etc. The active ingredients of each medicine differ, so patients should follow a doctor's guidance, depending on the specific medicine and with reference to changes in their condition.

2. Common patterns of scanty menstruation include blood deficiency, kidney deficiency, and blood stasis. If the menstrual flow is scanty and pale in color, accompanied by fatigue, lack of energy, sallow complexion, pale lips, or a sensation of emptiness and bearing-down in the lower abdomen, it mostly belongs to the blood deficiency type. If accompanied by cold pain in the lower abdomen, or soreness and pain in the lower back, and frequent nocturia, it mostly belongs to kidney deficiency. If the menstrual flow is scanty, dark red in color, with blood clots, often accompanied by abdominal pain, it mostly belongs to the blood stasis type. For patients with blood deficiency or kidney deficiency, using motherwort will damage their vital qi, and not only fail to treat the disease but may even worsen the symptoms. What are motherwort's contraindications for use? When choosing motherwort for blood stasis-type scanty menstruation, note that prolonged use of this medicine will damage vital qi, so one must “stop once the disease is addressed.” That is, once the menstrual flow improves, one should not keep taking it.

3. In addition, when taking motherwort medicines, note that they should not be taken together with the following drugs:

It should not be used together with adrenaline. Motherwort has a blood pressure-lowering effect and can reduce or even reverse the effect of adrenaline.

It should not be used together with isoproterenol. Motherwort increases coronary flow and slows the heart rate, and can antagonize the cardiac excitatory effect of the β-receptor agonist isoproterenol.

It should not be used together with atropine. This weakens motherwort's blood pressure-lowering effect.

IV. Medication Contraindications for Motherwort Granules

The medication contraindication for motherwort granules is that they are forbidden for pregnant women. In addition, note the following: during the period of taking motherwort granules, avoid eating raw and cold foods; those suffering from other diseases should take them under a doctor's guidance; for scanty menstruation caused by deficiency of both qi and blood, with pale, thin flow, accompanied by dizziness, palpitations, fatigue and weakness, etc., it is not suitable to choose this; abdominal pain accompanied by vaginal bleeding after any kind of abortion should be seen at a hospital; if menstruation is normally regular and suddenly becomes scanty, or the period is delayed, or there is irregular vaginal bleeding, one should go to a hospital; if symptoms do not improve after 2 weeks of medication, one should go to a hospital; it is forbidden for those allergic to this product, and it should be used with caution by those with an allergic constitution; it is forbidden to take it when the properties of the medicine have changed.

Some suggestions for scientifically taking motherwort granules:

1. It is recommended to take them dissolved in warm boiled water, once each morning and evening, one bag each time. Of course, if the attending doctor has special recommendations, then this method of taking them need not be followed.

2. Adolescents and menopausal women, and those with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, etc., need to take the medicine under a doctor's guidance, and those with an allergic constitution should use it with caution. If discomfort appears after taking motherwort granules, or if the properties of the medicine have changed, one should stop taking it.

3. If one is taking other medicines, one must first consult a doctor before taking it, and so on.

4. It is best to keep the medicine somewhere out of children's reach, to avoid the situation of children accidentally swallowing it.

5. When taking it, do not eat raw, cold or irritating foods.

6. Do not use it blindly. Although motherwort granules are a Chinese patent medicine and are themselves harmless, one should not take them blindly in daily life either. Every medicine has some toxicity, so if these granules are needed, it is best to use them under the guidance of a professional doctor.

V. Motherwort's Culinary Uses

There are many culinary uses for motherwort; here are two simple ones for you:

1. Motherwort and soybean soup

Ingredients:

1) Main ingredients: 250 grams of tender motherwort stems and leaves, 100 grams of soybeans. 

2) Seasonings: refined salt, MSG, chopped scallions, soybean oil.

Method:

1) Remove impurities from the motherwort and wash it, blanch it briefly in a pot of boiling water, take it out and wash away the bitterness, squeeze out the water and cut into sections. Soak the soybeans until they sprout, remove impurities and wash, then grind into a soybean mash.

2) Heat oil in a wok, add the chopped scallions and stir-fry until fragrant, add the motherwort and stir-fry, add refined salt and stir-fry until flavorful, then remove from the wok and set aside.

3) Put the soybean mash into the pot and cook until done, add the stir-fried motherwort and bring to a boil, add refined salt and MSG to adjust the flavor, then remove from the wok and serve in a bowl.

Note: This dish is made from motherwort and soybeans and has the benefits of regulating menstruation and reducing water retention, and activating blood to dispel stasis. It is suitable for irregular menstruation, edema and water retention, abdominal distension with emaciation, childhood nutritional impairment with diarrhea and dysentery, sores and abscesses with swelling and toxicity, hemorrhoids, and other conditions.

2. Motherwort porridge

Ingredients:

1) Main ingredients: 150 grams of tender motherwort stems and leaves, 250 grams of japonica rice. 

2: Seasonings: refined salt, chopped scallions, raw oil.

Method:

1. Remove impurities from the tender motherwort stems and leaves and wash them, blanch them briefly in a pot of boiling water, take them out and wash away the bitterness, squeeze out the water and chop them up.

2. Heat oil in a wok, add the chopped scallions and stir-fry until fragrant, add the motherwort and stir-fry, add refined salt and stir-fry until flavorful, then remove from the wok and set aside.

3. Add an appropriate amount of water to an aluminum pot, and when it boils add the washed japonica rice, bring to a boil and then turn to low heat to cook, pour in the motherwort and cook for a while, then remove from the pot and serve in a bowl.

Note: This porridge is made by cooking motherwort together with stomach-strengthening japonica rice, and has the benefits of activating blood to dispel stasis and strengthening the stomach and spleen. It is used to treat childhood nutritional impairment and hemorrhoids. It is also suitable for treating irregular menstruation, edema and water retention, virulent swelling, blood in the urine, dysentery, and other conditions.