Shatavari

Regional names

Satawar, Satamuli

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

• Shatavari's dried roots are used as medicine. They are traditionally described as a tonic that increases urination and breast milk, and some Ayurvedic practitioners have used them for nervous disorders, inflammation and certain infections. The review notes there's no scientific proof for these uses.[2]

  Technical detail: tonic, diuretic, galactagogue.

• Shatavari is an Ayurvedic herb traditionally used for hormonal balance and to help the body adapt to stress.[1]

Laboratory & animal research

Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

• Reports on shatavari root extracts in experimental studies describe effects on milk production, protecting the liver and the immune system, and preventing kidney stones. Researchers have also studied whether it can harm unborn babies.[2]

  Technical detail: galactogogue, antihepatotoxic, immunomodulatory, immunoadjuvant and antilithiatic effects, and teratogenicity.

Research in people

• A 2020 Cochrane review of herbs and medicines to boost breast milk included shatavari among 27 studies of natural remedies. The evidence overall was of very low certainty, so the reviewers were very uncertain whether natural remedies like these increase milk or help babies gain weight. Reported side effects were minor.[3]

• In an 8-week trial, 135 women aged 45–65 with menopausal symptoms took shatavari root extract, shatavari combined with ashwagandha, or a placebo. The combination improved menopause symptom scores significantly more than placebo or shatavari alone. Hormone levels stayed normal. The authors called for longer and larger studies.[1]

  Technical detail: randomized, double-blind, three-arm, placebo-controlled, multicentric; Menopause Rating Scale; NCT06716554.