Goat’s Rue Herb – Cut for Tisanes & in Vegan Capsules

What is Goat’s Rue (Galega officinalis)?

Goat’s rue is a traditional European herb, valued for its galactagogue (milk-boosting), metabolic, and blood sugar-supporting properties. The aerial parts are used for teas (tisanes), while finely ground herb and extracts can be found in vegan supplement capsules.

Goat’s Rue in Cut Herb for Tisanes

Description & Use

• Presentation: Air-dried, cut aerial parts (leaves, flowers, stems) for making herbal infusions
• Key Constituents: Galegine (the precursor to metformin), guanidine alkaloids, flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin), saponins, tannins.

Benefits & Traditional Uses

• Lactation: Used to promote and increase breast milk production in postpartum and relactating mothers. Used solo or in blends with fenugreek, blessed thistle, or fennel.
• Metabolic Support: Known historically for its gentle blood sugar-lowering effects—foundation for the development of metformin. May increase insulin sensitivity and utilization of glucose in tissues.
• Weight Loss Support: Shown to reduce appetite, support metabolism, and encourage healthy weight loss in some animal and human studies.
• Diuretic & Detox: Mild diuretic, supports detoxification, fluid retention management, and as a bitter digestive tonic.
• Immune & Antibacterial: Some antimicrobial and immune modulating qualities.

How to Prepare Goat’s Rue Tea (Tisane)

• Use 1 tsp cut herb per cup.
• Add boiling water, infuse covered for 8–15 minutes, strain, and drink.
• Traditional dose: 1–2 cups per day, up to 3 cups if recommended.
• Optional: combine with honey or lemon for flavor.

Quality & COA

• Food grade, vegan, free of animal products and major allergens; batch COA available from reputable suppliers for active compounds, heavy metals, microbials2.
• Grown with low or no pesticide use; often suitable for kosher, halaal, and vegetarian diets.

Goat’s Rue in Vegan Capsules

Description & Use

• Vegan capsule form: Powdered Galega officinalis aerial parts or extract, encapsulated in plant-based hypromellose/vegetable cellulose shells.
• Standard dose: Usually 350–525 mg per capsule. 2–6 capsules per day depending on brand and formulation (common regimen: 1–2 caps, up to 3x/day with meals).

Benefits

• Lactation: Widely used as a natural galactagogue for mothers with low milk supply, insufficient breast tissue, or those relactating/adoptive feeding. Works best when taken consistently over 2–3 weeks.
• Blood Sugar/Metabolic: May support insulin function and help with blood glucose balance. Popular alternative/complement to fenugreek for metabolic wellness.
• Weight/Detox: Can help appetite regulation and may offer mild diuretic and fluid-balancing effects.
• Convenience: Perfect for travel or people who dislike herbal teas; odorless, tasteless, precise dosing.

Key Features

• 100% vegan, non-GMO, soy-free, gluten-free
• Made with organic or food-grade herbs, no additives, preservatives, or sugars
• Frequently third-party or batch lab verified (COA available from premium suppliers)

Key Actives & Mechanism

• Galegine: Main alkaloid, precursor to the diabetes drug metformin; helps with insulin sensitivity & glucose uptake.
• Flavonoids/Saponins: Provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and possibly immune-modulating effects.
• Phytoestrogens: May support hormone balance and mammary gland development, enhancing milk supply.

Safety & Precautions

• Do NOT use during pregnancy; consult your doctor if nursing or on diabetes medication.
• Can potentiate the effects of insulin/sugar-lowering drugs. May increase risk of bleeding with anticoagulants due to mild platelet inhibition.
• Rare side effects: Headache, jitteriness, weakness; avoid in fresh/raw form due to toxicity.
• Begin with low dose; discontinue if side effects appear. Do not use in children.
• Milk increase: Observe for breast engorgement or blocked ducts—reduce dose if this occurs.

Summary Table

Goat’s rue is a supplement, not a medication. Always consult a healthcare provider for medical advice, especially if you have diabetes, are lactating, or take regular medication.

Source : http://www.wikiphyto.org/wiki/Galega

Reference on http://www.wikiphyto.org

Translation in English by Google Translate  (go to the page of the source linked | on Chrome cellphones go on the 3 dots on the top right and select translate in your preferred language | on laptop right click your mouse and select option translate when hoovering on the page

plant name

Galega, galega galega , goat 's rue , Spanish sainfoin , false indigo , goat's rue , french lilac or Italian fitch (English), Geissrautenkraut (German)

International Latin denomination

Galega officinalis L.

botanical family

Fabaceae subfamily Faboideae (ex - Papilionaceae , ex - Leguminosae )

Description and habitat

• Perennial bush with compound leaves, lanceolate leaflets, delicate pink flowers resembling those of the pea and arranged on terminal spikes, with brown-red pods in autumn (1 m high)
• Rather Mediterranean, native to Asia and Western Europe, humid plains

History and tradition

• Formerly used to cure the plague
• Professor Jean Sterne (1909–1997) of Laennec Hospital in Paris was the first to work on galegine , which led to the discovery of biguanides and metformin
• The aerial parts of the plant are toxic during flowering and fruiting in animals (4 kg of fresh plant for a cow, 400 g for a sheep)

Parts used

• Flowering aerial parts
• French Pharmacopoeia list A

Dosage forms available

• Whole plant tincture

Usual dosages

• Infusion of 2 grams of drug

Composition

Main components of the plant

• Alkaloids  : galegine = isoamylene-guanidine = dimethylallylguanidine (0.5% in seeds), peganine
• Lectins
• Saponosides
• Flavonoids (flowers), tannins
• Polysaccharides
• Chromium salts (3.7 ppm)

Main components of buds or young shoots

Main components of essential oil

Properties

Plant properties

• Antidiabetic properties [1] , inhibits glucose transport through the intestinal wall [2]
• Galegin , considered a glucokinin, greatly lowers blood sugar levels. It can be effective in the early stages of diabetes, especially in the form of an infusion
• Metformin (biguanide), a first-line drug in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, is derived from galega [3] , [4]
• Promotes weight loss ( dimethylallylguanidine = galegin ) [5] , [6] , [7] , [8]
• Inhibits platelet aggregation ( polysaccharides ) [9] , [10] , [11]
• Diuretic
• Promotes lactation in breastfeeding women, traditional use without scientific studies [12] , [13] , [14]
• Moderate antibacterial activity [15]
• Danger of poisoning from high-dose guanidines
• An aqueous extract at 12.5 g/kg of body weight lowers blood sugar by 66% compared to the control, in one hour

Bud properties

Properties of essential oil

Directions

Indications of the whole plant (phytotherapy)

• Can be used in early forms of diabetes with obesity [16]
• Milky insufficiency (?) poorly documented [2] , recommended therapeutic dose in tincture: 1 to 2 ml, 3 times a day.
• Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Indications of the bud (gemmotherapy)

Specific indications of essential oil (aromatherapy)

Known or suspected mode of action

• Likely inhibition of hepatic glucose production by galegin (like metformin)
• Lectins bind to sugar receptors on cell membranes

Usual formulations

Regulations

• French Pharmacopoeia list A (flowering aerial part)

Possible side effects and precautions for use

• Not recommended in established diabetes, due to its uncertain effect and the severity of the declared disease
• Possible interactions with biguanides (metformin)
• Toxic to sheep (about 500 grams causes lung edema and convulsions) [17]
• Human toxicity is poorly evaluated but seems low
• The seed is poisonous

Bibliographic references

1. Aller↑ Pundarikakshudu K, Gray AI, Furman BL. Studies on the hypoglycaemic activity of Galega officinalis (goat's rue). Fitoterapia, 1994, vol. 65, no.5, pp. 423-426
2. Aller↑ Neef H, Augustijns P, Declercq P, Laekeman G. Inhibitory effects of Galega officinalis on glucose transport across monolayers of human intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2). Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Letters 1996, vol:6 issue:2 pages:86-89
3. Aller↑ Hadden DR. Goat's rue - French lilac - Italian fitch - Spanish sainfoin: gallega officinalis and metformin: the Edinburgh connection. JR Coll Physicians Edinb. 2005 Oct;35(3):258-60. PMID 16402501
4. Aller↑ Bailey CJ, Day C. Metformin: its botanical background. Practical Diabetes International, Volume 21, Issue 3, pages 115–117, April 2004 full text
5. Aller↑ Coxon GD, Furman BL, Harvey AL, McTavish J, Mooney MH, Arastoo M, Kennedy AR, Tettey JM, Waigh RD. Benzylguanidines and other galegine analogues inducing weight loss in mice. J Med Chem. 2009 Jun 11;52(11):3457-63. PMID 19422230
6. Aller↑ Palit P, Furman BL, Gray AI. Novel weight-reducing activity of Galega officinalis in mice. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1999 Nov;51(11):1313-9. PMID 10632090
7. Aller↑ Mooney MH, Fogarty S, Stevenson C, Gallagher AM, Palit P, Hawley SA, Hardie DG, Coxon GD, Waigh RD, Tate RJ, Harvey AL, Furman BL. Mechanisms underlying the metabolic actions of galegine that contribute to weight loss in mice. Br J Pharmacol. 2008 Apr;153(8):1669-77. PMID 18297106
8. Aller↑ Palit P, Furman BL, Gray AI. Novel weight-reducing activity of Galega officinalis in mice. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1999 Nov;51(11):1313-9. PMID 10632090
9. Aller↑ Atanasov AT, Tchorbanov B. Anti-platelet fraction from Galega officinalis L. inhibits platelet aggregation. J Med Food. 2002 Winter;5(4):229-34. PMID 12639398
10. Aller↑ Atanasov AT, Spasov V. Inhibiting effect of desalted extract from Galega officinalis L. on platelet aggregation. Folia Med (Plovdiv). 1999;41(1):46-50. PMID 10462920
11. Aller↑ Atanasov AT, Spasov V. Inhibiting and disaggregating effect of gel-filtered Galega officinalis L. herbal extract on platelet aggregation. J Ethnopharmacol. 2000 Mar;69(3):235-40. PMID 10722205
12. Aller↑ Zuppa AA, Sindico P, Orchi C, Carducci C, Cardiello V, Romagnoli C. Safety and efficacy of galactogogues: substances that induce, maintain and increase breast milk production. J Pharm Pharm Sci. 2010;13(2):162-74. PMID 20816003 Full Text
13. Aller↑ Leche league
14. Aller↑ ABM Clinical Protocol #9: Use of Galactogogues in Initiating or Augmenting the Rate of Maternal Milk Secretion (First Revision January 2011). BREASTFEEDING MEDICINE Volume 6, Number 1, 2011. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. [1]
15. Aller↑ Pundarikakshudu K, Patel JK, Bodar MS, Deans SG. Anti-bacterial activity of Galega officinalis L. (Goat's Rue). J Ethnopharmacol. 2001 Sep;77(1):111-2. PMID 11483386
16. Aller↑ Vuksan V, Sievenpiper JL. Herbal remedies in the management of diabetes: lessons learned from the study of ginseng. Nutr Metab Cardiovascular Dis. 2005 Jun;15(3):149-60. PMID 15955462
17. Aller↑ Puyt JD, Faliu L, Keck G, Gedfrain JC, Pinault L, Tainturier D. Fatal poisoning of sheep by Galega officinalis (French honeysuckle). Vet Hum Toxicol. 1981 Dec;23(6):410-2. PMID 7336561 .

• Goetz P, Le Jeune R. Galega officinalis. Materia Medica. Phytotherapy, Volume 6, Number 1 / February 2008. [3]
• Witters Lee A. The blooming of the French lilac (Galega officinalis). J Clin Invest. 2001 October 15; 108(8): 1105–1107. [4]
• Rasekh HR, Nazari P, Kamli-Nejad M, Hosseinzadeh L. Acute and subchronic oral toxicity of Galega officinalis in rats. Journal of ethnopharmacology 2008, vol. 116, no.1, pp. 21-26 [5]
• Heiss H. Clinical and experimental contribution on the question of the lactogenic effect of Galega officinalis. Vienna Med Wochenschr. 1968 Jun 15;118(24):546-8. PMID 5751861
• Barthel A, Reuter G. Biochemistry and physiology of isoprenoid guanidines, especially (4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-buten-1-yl)guanidine in Galega officinalis. Pharmacy. 1968;23:26-33
• Hui H, Tang G, Go VL. Hypoglycemic herbs and their action mechanisms. Chin Med. 2009 Jun 12;4:11. PMID 19523223 Full text: [6]
• Drug Information Online: Complete Goat's Street information from Drugs.com [7]

Store in a cool, dry place, away from light. Keep tightly closed, away from the reach of Children and pets.

Do not exceed the daily dose.

This product is not intended to prevent or cure any form of illness or disease.
 

If you are pregnant or nursing ; If you have a medical condition or are in the course of medical treatment ; If you are programmed for theater/operation in the near future, please consult your healthcare practitioner before using this product.

This product cannot replace a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

This product has not been evaluated by the SAHPRA for its quality, safety or intended use.