Is Herbal tea (general) safe during pregnancy?

Drinks

Limit to 4 cups a day; avoid liquorice root

The NHS says to drink no more than 4 cups of herbal tea a day and to avoid teas containing liquorice root.[1]

What official sources say

NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

  • Drinks › Drinks to limit: Herbal teas such as peppermint and chamomile should be limited in pregnancy to no more than 4 cups a day, and teas containing liquorice root should be avoided.[1]
  • Little research exists on how herbal teas affect pregnancy, so limiting how much you drink is the safest approach.[1]
  • Drinks › Drinks to avoid: Herbal teas that contain liquorice root are on the list of drinks to avoid in pregnancy.[1]

Sources

  1. NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy · nhs.uk. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). Not endorsed by the NHS.

Sources checked 26 September 2026.

Quotes are checked word for word against each source page, and paraphrases against the original text. Official bodies are named as sources only: none of them reviewed or endorses this page.

Educational information, not medical advice. Your own doctor or midwife may advise differently for you — follow their advice.