Shatavari, or shatawari, comes from the Ayurvedic tradition of healing. Shatavari is a traditional Ayurvedic antispasmodic; an aphrodisiac, demulcent, digestive, diuretic, galactogogue, and is often used for infertility and for women’s health. Also known as “hundred husbands” for its beneficial effects in women and reproductive function, shatavari is also very popular as a galactogogue in India and China. Shatavari is considered to rejuvenate female function and is used for infertility. One older study found that shatavari “increased the weight of mammary tissue and milk yield in estrogen-primed rats” while inhibiting involution of glandular tissue and maintaining milk secretion, while another found shatavari to increase milk production in buffaloes. In contrast, a more recent human study reached the conclusion that it had no real effect (baseline prolactin levels in both groups declined at the same postpartum rate) even though the mothers using shatavari had a greater decrease in necessary supplemental milk for their babies at the end of the study than did mothers who took a placebo. Shatavari is also know as: Asparagus racemosus, Catavari, Satavari, Shaqaqule Hindi, Songga Langit.
Shatavari contains beneficial steroidal saponins & glycosides (shatavarin, sarasapogenin, diosgenin), isoflavones, mucilage, alkaloids, asparagamine, sistosterol.
The name Shatavari is from an Indian word meaning “a woman who has a hundred husbands”. It is used as a menstrual regulator, to help prevent miscarriage, for menopausal symptoms with hot flushes, irritability, irregular memory and dryness, for lactation, loss of libido, infertility, as an aphrodisiac, and for the female reproductive organs Shatavari is also used as a tonic for circulatory, digestive and respiratory organs, ulcers, bronchial infections, diarrhoea, rheumatism, diabetes, bleeding ulcers, gastritis, Crohn’s disease, dysentery with bleeding, dry cough, sore throat, inflammation in the lungs due to dryness and heat, male fertility and impotence, building body mass and muscle tissue, nourishing the blood, the immune system, calming the nerves, and insomnia. Externally it is used to treat stiffness in the joints. The root, rhizomes and stem all have healing properties.
It is often used as infusion or a tincture. The fresh root is often candied or made into preserves to give it a sugary sweet flavor.
Precautions
Consult with a physician before using if pregnant or nursing.