Is Peppermint tea safe during pregnancy?

Spices & herbs

Limit herbal teas to 4 cups a day

The NHS says to drink no more than 4 cups of herbal tea, such as peppermint, a day; NIH NCCIH says peppermint in food amounts is likely safe.[1,2]

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]

NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: peppermint-oil

  • Use of oral peppermint in amounts commonly found in food is likely safe during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, but little is known about whether it's safe to use oral peppermint in medicinal amounts during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.[2]

Related general rules

NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

  • Little research exists on how herbal teas affect pregnancy, so limiting how much you drink is the safest approach.[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.
  2. NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: peppermint-oil · nccih.nih.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.

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.