Yarrow
Summary
Yarrow is a daisy-family herb used traditionally for digestion, cramps and wounds. Oral human evidence is one Iranian trial in multiple sclerosis, where 250–500 mg/day of extract for a year lowered relapse rates in 75 patients, and a small null kidney-disease study. The EU herbal monograph contraindicates it for people allergic to daisy-family plants and does not recommend it in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Key facts
- Dried flowering tops of Achillea millefolium, a member of the Asteraceae (daisy) family[3]
- 75 patients: 250 or 500 mg/day aqueous extract for 1 year, added to usual care, lowered the annual relapse rate versus placebo[1]
- 31 patients: 1.5 g powdered flower 3 days a week for 2 months gave non-significant falls in nitric oxide markers[2]
- Recognised by the EU herbal committee as traditional use for appetite loss, digestive cramps, minor wounds and period cramps[3]
- None reported in the EU herbal monograph[3]
- 2 graded human outcomes on this page
- October 13, 2026
How it works
ProposedYarrow contains flavonoids, sesquiterpene lactones and volatile oils. Some Achillea species scavenge nitric oxide in lab tests, which prompted the kidney-disease study. How the extract might affect multiple sclerosis activity is not established.[2][1]
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form column shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
At a glance: strongest evidence per outcome
| Outcome | Grade | Effect | Strongest evidence | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple sclerosis | Grade D | Improved | RCT · n = 75 · 2019 | 1 row |
| Kidney disease | Grade D | No effect | RCT · n = 31 · 2012 | 1 row |
Every graded row
| Outcome | Effect | Grade | Best evidence | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relapse rate, MRI lesions and disability in multiple sclerosis | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 75 · 2019 Adults with multiple sclerosis on usual therapy (Iran) Form: Aqueous Achillea millefolium extract · Dose: 250 or 500 mg/day · Duration: 1 year Both doses lowered the annual relapse rate versus placebo; lesion volume fell with 500 mg/day; EDSS disability, MSFC score and several cognitive tests improved. | 30599916 (opens PubMed)Source [1] |
| Plasma nitric oxide markers in chronic kidney disease | No effect | Grade D | RCT · n = 31 · 2012 Adults with chronic kidney disease (Iran) Form: Powdered yarrow flower · Dose: 1.5 g, 3 days a week · Duration: 2 months Plasma nitrite and nitrate fell slightly but not significantly versus placebo. | 22976260 (opens PubMed)Source [2] |
Forms
| Form | Elemental % | Absorption (human data) | GI tolerance | Studied for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yarrow herb tea or powdered herb | Varies[3] | No human absorption data were found in the cited sources.[3] | Skin hypersensitivity reactions have been reported; frequency unknown.[3] | Traditional use; a kidney-disease study used 1.5 g powdered flower |
| Aqueous yarrow extract (capsules) | Varies[1] | No human absorption data were found in the cited sources.[1] | Adverse events are not described in the trial abstract.[1] | Multiple sclerosis trial (250–500 mg/day) |
Studied doses
Doses studied in human trials ranged from 250–500 mg/day of aqueous extract for 1 year (multiple sclerosis) to 1.5 g of powdered flower 3 days a week for 2 months (chronic kidney disease).[1][2]
Interactions
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
Medicines
- Medicines in generalNIH fact sheetThe EU herbal monograph reports no known interactions; no formal interaction studies have been done.[3]
- Multiple sclerosis disease-modifying therapiesRCTYarrow was tested only as an add-on to usual MS care in one trial; no interaction data with specific MS drugs exist.[1]
Who should be careful
- Allergy to daisy-family plants
- Contraindicated in people hypersensitive to yarrow or other Asteraceae (Compositae) plants such as ragweed, chamomile or chrysanthemum.[3]
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- The EU monograph says safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding has not been established and use is not recommended; adequate reproductive-toxicity tests have not been done.[3]
- Children under 12
- Use has not been established because of a lack of data.[3]
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.
How to read the label
- Tea vs extractThe EU monograph covers teas (1.5–4 g of herb per cup, 3–4 times daily for digestion) and water dry extracts (334 mg 3–4 times daily, or 250 mg 2–3 times daily for period cramps); the MS trial used a 250–500 mg/day aqueous extract.[3][1]
- Short coursesThe EU monograph advises seeing a clinician if digestive symptoms last more than 2 weeks, or cramps more than 1 week.[3]
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Cost per studied dose
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Frequently asked questions
What is yarrow used for?
Traditionally for appetite loss, digestive cramps, period cramps and minor wounds, as recognised in the EU herbal monograph.[3]
Does yarrow help multiple sclerosis?
One year-long trial in 75 patients found fewer relapses with 250–500 mg/day added to usual care. It has not been confirmed.[1]
Who should avoid yarrow?
People allergic to daisy-family plants, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and children under 12.[3]
Does yarrow interact with medicines?
None are reported in the EU monograph, but no formal interaction studies exist.[3]
Sources
- [1]Achillea millefolium is beneficial as an add-on therapy in patients with multiple sclerosis: A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.. Phytomedicine, 2019. RCT
- [2]Effect of herbal medicine achillea millefolium on plasma nitrite and nitrate levels in patients with chronic kidney disease: a preliminary study.. Iran J Kidney Dis, 2012. RCT
- [3]European Union herbal monograph on Achillea millefolium L., herba (Revision 1). European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products, 2020. guideline
What changed
- Independent adversarial review: summary corrected: the EU monograph contraindicates yarrow only for Asteraceae allergy and "does not recommend" it in pregnancy (it was described as ruled out); pregnancy entry adds that adequate reproductive-toxicity tests have not been performed; label guide adds the EU dry-extract doses and duration limits.
- Second-pass self-review: every PMID re-checked against NCBI esummary (title, year, no retraction or expression-of-concern flag), every dose, n and duration re-read against the PubMed abstract or PMC full text, grades held conservative, and interactions limited to what a cited source supports.
- First draft. Source titles and years taken from NCBI E-utilities esummary; abstracts read for every evidence row.