Asparagus racemosus · herb
Evidence tier: limited
Shatavari is the root of Asparagus racemosus, a wild asparagus, not the asparagus people eat. It has a long history in Ayurveda, India's traditional medicine.
Steroidal saponins (shatavarins) that LactMed describes as phytoestrogens, meaning plant compounds with weak oestrogen like activity. The milk supply effect may involve prolactin: one small study saw prolactin rise more than with placebo (LactMed).
Limited. The best human evidence is for breast milk supply: LactMed calls the studies mixed, but one small well done study and one controlled study were positive, and a 2025 randomised placebo controlled trial in 113 women found more milk at 72 hours after birth with 300 mg of root extract and no adverse events (PMID 41055223). For fertility, a 2025 review calls the evidence preliminary (PMID 40974515), and no human fertility trial in women was found. Menstrual, menopausal and libido uses rest on Ayurvedic tradition.
Trials of standardised root extract have used roughly 500 to 1,000 mg once or twice daily for 8 to 12 weeks. Traditional Ayurvedic use is 3 to 6 g of dried root powder daily. These are different preparations and the doses are not interchangeable.
The only modern trial dose is 300 mg of root extract for 72 hours after birth (PMID 41055223). Not for pregnancy or while trying to conceive. If milk supply is the worry, speak to a midwife, health visitor or lactation consultant first, as LactMed advises that a milk supply aid never replaces that support.
Onset: ~56 days
Do not take shatavari if you are pregnant or trying to conceive. We found no studies of its safety in pregnancy, and in pregnant rats a concentrated root extract led to more lost embryos, smaller litters and malformations. If you are breastfeeding, talk to a midwife, lactation consultant or your doctor before taking it. Its safety while breastfeeding has only been looked at in small, short studies. Avoid it if you have or have had a hormone sensitive cancer of the breast, womb or ovary, or take a hormone treatment for cancer such as tamoxifen. If you have endometriosis or fibroids, or take HRT or hormonal contraception, check with your doctor first. This is a precaution, not a proven effect.
Pregnancy: avoid
Breastfeeding: caution
Active compounds: shatavarins, sarsasapogenin, steroidal saponins, racemofuran, racemosol, polysaccharides and mucilage
Remedies using Shatavari · Browse by body system · Check it against what you take
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.