Home Ingredients Wood Betony (Betonica officinalis)

Wood Betony (Betonica officinalis)

Betonica officinalis (syn. Stachys officinalis)
Evidence Level
Preliminary
4 Clinical Trials
4 Documented Benefits
1/5 Evidence Score

Wood betony (Betonica officinalis, also listed as Stachys officinalis) is a European meadow herb of the mint family whose dried flowering tops are taken as a tea or tincture. It has been used since Roman times, traditionally as a nerve tonic for tension and headaches and as an astringent tea. The herb contains about 15% tannins, phenylethanoid glycosides such as acteoside (verbascoside), the betaine alkaloids stachydrine and betonicine, iridoids and phenolic acids. No EU herbal monograph covers it, and no published human trial of wood betony with readable results could be found; two Russian reports on milk supply have no abstract and may concern a related species. The rest of the research is lab and rodent work. Iranian trials of so-called wood betony used a different plant, Stachys lavandulifolia. Pregnancy and breastfeeding use is advised against (for breastfeeding, because safety data are lacking).

Studied Dose No dose of wood betony has been tested in a human trial with readable results. Traditional guidance cited in a natural products monograph is 1 to 2 g of dried herb a day in 3 divided doses. No EU herbal monograph sets a dose.
Active Compound Dried flowering aerial parts. Reported constituents: tannins (about 15%); phenylethanoid glycosides including acteoside (verbascoside), forsythoside B, leucosceptoside B and betonyosides A to F; the betaine alkaloids stachydrine and betonicine plus betaine and choline; iridoids such as harpagide; and phenolic acids including rosmarinic and chlorogenic acid.

Benefits

Long tradition as a European herbal tea and tonic

Betony has been used since Roman times. Traditionally it was taken as a nerve tonic for tension and headaches, as an astringent tea and as a gargle, and in Romania it is the one hedge nettle recorded in folk medicine. This is traditional-use context only: the EU has no herbal monograph for it, and no clinical trial supports these uses.

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 2

Antioxidant activity of betony extracts in lab tests

Lab work only. In test tubes, a methanol extract inhibited lipid oxidation by 78%, among the highest of six mint-family herbs, and an alcoholic extract from Romania was rich in polyphenols. Results depend on the assay: in another Romanian sample, betony had the weakest radical scavenging of six hedge nettle species. No study has measured antioxidant status in people.

Supported by Trial 2, Trial 4

Inflammation response in rat and enzyme studies

Lab and animal work only. Injected into rats, a water extract of betony matched or beat the drug diclofenac at reducing paw swelling, but the study summary does not give its result when taken by mouth. A concentrated polyphenol extract blocked the inflammatory enzymes lipoxygenase and COX-1 in test tubes; its rat test used skin application, not oral doses.

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 2

Antibacterial activity of extracts in lab dishes

Lab work only. Ethanol extracts of betony aerial parts slowed the growth of Staphylococcus aureus in agar tests nearly as much as the antibiotic gentamicin (16 vs 18 mm zones), and alcoholic extracts were most active against Gram-positive bacteria. These dish results do not show any effect on infections or gut bacteria in people who drink the tea.

Supported by Trial 4, Trial 1

Mechanism of action

1

Phenylethanoid glycosides such as acteoside (lab)

The aerial parts contain at least 12 phenylethanoid glycosides, including acteoside (verbascoside), forsythoside B, leucosceptoside B and six betonyosides first found in this plant. How much of these compounds reaches the body from betony tea is unknown, and their effects have not been tested from betony in people.

2

Betaine alkaloids stachydrine and betonicine

Betony contains the betaine-type alkaloids stachydrine and betonicine, along with oxystachydrine, turicine, betaine and choline. The sources reviewed give no amounts for these compounds in the herb, and no study has tested their effects from betony in people.

3

Tannins, iridoids and phenolic acids

About 15% tannins give the herb its astringent taste. In a rat study of hedge nettle species, the iridoids aucubin and harpagoside reduced swelling, and the authors suggested iridoids drive much of the effect. Betony also contains rosmarinic and chlorogenic acids, phenolic compounds that act as antioxidants in test tubes.

Clinical trials

1
Hungarian Hedge Nettle Extracts Including Betony and Paw Swelling (rat study)
PubMed

Animal study of water extracts of the aerial parts of ten Hungarian Stachys species and five of their iridoids in the carrageenan paw swelling test, given by injection into the abdomen and by mouth, with diclofenac as comparator. (Háznagy-Radnai et al. 2012, Phytother Res)

Rats; no human participants.

Some extracts reduced swelling significantly by both routes. Betony (S. officinalis) was among the most active after injection, with potency similar to or greater than diclofenac at 5.0 mg/kg, but the abstract does not give its oral result. Aucubin and harpagoside reduced swelling in a dose-dependent way. Animal results only.

2
Betony Methanol Extract in Three Antioxidant Assays (lab study)
PubMed

Test-tube comparison of methanol extracts of six wild European mint-family herbs using DPPH radical scavenging, phosphomolybdenum reducing power and iron/ascorbate lipid oxidation assays. (Matkowski et al. 2006, Fitoterapia)

No human or animal participants; plant extracts in chemical assays.

Betony ranked fourth of six for DPPH scavenging, was the strongest of the six in the phosphomolybdenum assay and, with white horehound, reached the highest lipid oxidation inhibition (78%). The authors note that rankings changed with the test used. Lab results only.

3
Betony Extract Genotoxicity Screen in Human Blood Cells and Bacteria (lab study)
PubMed

Laboratory safety screen of extracts of four antioxidant-rich herbs using the Ames bacterial mutation test and chromosome aberration, sister chromatid exchange, micronucleus and comet assays in human lymphocytes in vitro. (Slapšytė et al. 2019, Food Chem Toxicol)

No human participants; human blood cells in culture and Salmonella test strains.

The betony extract was not mutagenic in the Ames test and caused no chromosome aberrations, but it produced DNA damage in the comet assay and a slight rise in sister chromatid exchanges. Responses varied by extract and blood donor. Relevance to people drinking the tea is unknown.

4
Six Romanian Hedge Nettle Species: Phenolics, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Tests (lab study)
PubMed

Laboratory comparison of ethanol extracts of the aerial parts of six wild Stachys species, including betony, by LC-MS/MS phenolic profiling, antioxidant assays and antibacterial and antibiofilm tests. (Benedec et al. 2023, Antibiotics (Basel))

No human or animal participants; plant extracts, chemical assays and microbial cultures.

Betony had the most rosmarinic acid of the six (43.4 micrograms per g) but the lowest total phenolics and the weakest DPPH activity (IC50 about 139 micrograms per ml). Against Staphylococcus aureus its inhibition zone was 16 mm versus 18 mm for gentamicin. Lab results only.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

No human safety study of wood betony has been published, so its side effects are largely unknown. Stomach upset is the only adverse effect a natural products monograph associates with the hedge nettle genus.
The herb is about 15% tannins; large amounts may irritate the stomach. A natural products monograph also cites an older animal report that betony polyphenols were toxic, without giving details.
Pregnancy: a natural products monograph advises avoiding betony. Breastfeeding: LactMed advises avoiding it because of a general lack of safety data, and nothing is known about its passage into breast milk.
In lab tests on human blood cells, a betony extract caused DNA damage in the comet assay and a slight rise in sister chromatid exchanges, though it was negative in the Ames test; whether this matters for tea drinkers is unknown.
Products sold as wood betony may contain the Iranian species Stachys lavandulifolia; in a 3-month trial of that plant, 45.5% of women reported adverse effects, compared with 24.2% on a hormone drug.

Important Drug interactions

No drug interactions are documented, and no human interaction studies of wood betony have been done.
Sedatives, sleep medicines and alcohol: betony is traditionally taken for tension, but added drowsiness has not been tested; ask a pharmacist before combining.
Blends sold for calm or headaches often add other herbs; check the label for ingredients that carry their own interactions.

Explore Other Ingredients

Immune Support
Probiotics (Multi-strain Blends)
Multi-strain probiotic blends combine live microbes, usually from Lactobacillus and Bifido…
Metabolic Health
Inulin
Inulin is a soluble prebiotic fiber found naturally in chicory root, agave, and many veget…
Muscle & Recovery
L-Glutamine
L-glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body, and cells of the intestinal linin…

Frequently asked questions about Wood Betony (Betonica officinalis)

Is the wood betony studied in Iran the same plant?

No. Iranian trials of so-called wood betony or mountain tea used Stachys lavandulifolia, a different species. One gave 5 g of that herb three times daily to 66 women for 3 months, and another gave 2 g a day as tea to 60 emergency workers for 2 months. Those results do not transfer to European wood betony, Betonica officinalis.

Has wood betony itself ever been tested in people?

Not in any trial with readable results. Two Russian reports from 1977 and 1980 looked at an extract and milk supply, but PubMed holds no abstract for either and the Russian titles may refer to a related Central Asian species. ClinicalTrials.gov lists no betony studies, and the EU herbal committee has not assessed the plant.

Where does the name betony come from?

One account traces it to Celtic words for head (bew) and good (ton), reflecting its old reputation as a herb for the head. In folk use it was taken as a tea or tincture for tension and headaches and even smoked. That history explains the name, but no clinical study has tested these uses.

Is wood betony safe while breastfeeding?

LactMed, the US government lactation database, advises avoiding betony while breastfeeding because there is a general lack of safety data and nothing is known about its passage into milk. It also states that no valid clinical trials support betony as a milk-promoting herb. A natural products monograph also advises avoiding it in pregnancy.

What is Wood Betony?

Wood betony (Betonica officinalis, also listed as Stachys officinalis) is a European meadow herb of the mint family whose dried flowering tops are taken as a tea or tincture. It has been used since Roman times, traditionally as a nerve tonic for tension and headaches and as an astringent tea.

What is Wood Betony used for?

NutraSmarts does not list Wood Betony under a health category. What the research covers: Betony has been used since Roman times. Traditionally it was taken as a nerve tonic for tension and headaches, as an astringent tea and as a gargle, and in Romania it is the one hedge nettle recorded in folk medicine.

What is the recommended dosage of Wood Betony?

No dose of wood betony has been tested in a human trial with readable results. Traditional guidance cited in a natural products monograph is 1 to 2 g of dried herb a day in 3 divided doses. No EU herbal monograph sets a dose. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Wood Betony safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for Wood Betony include: No human safety study of wood betony has been published, so its side effects are largely unknown. Stomach upset is the only adverse effect a natural products monograph associates with the hedge nettle genus. The herb is about 15% tannins; large amounts may irritate the stomach. It may also interact with some medications. Wood Betony is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Wood Betony interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: No drug interactions are documented, and no human interaction studies of wood betony have been done. Sedatives, sleep medicines and alcohol: betony is traditionally taken for tension, but added drowsiness has not been tested; ask a pharmacist before combining. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Wood Betony?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Wood Betony as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 4 study summaries and 15 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(15 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. European Medicines Agency. Herbal medicines: list of herbal substances on the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) inventory (medicines-output-herbal_medicines-report). European Medicines Agency. 2026;Spreadsheet generated 23 October 2026 from www.ema.europa.eu; accessed 2026 (not PubMed-indexed)..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed: EMA's downloadable list of herbal substances on the HMPC inventory or assessed by it. The October 2026 export contains entries for motherwort, meadowsweet and linden flower but none for Betonica officinalis, Stachys officinalis or any other Betonica or Stachys species, so no EU herbal monograph or assessment of wood betony was found.
  2. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Betony. Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). 2024;Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; 2006-. Revised 2024 Aug 15. NCBI Bookshelf NBK501859..PubMedUsed to support: US government lactation database entry: betony is a name for plants of the genera Stachys and Betonica that contain tannins and flavonoid glycosides, used traditionally as a nerve tonic for anxiety and headaches, as an astringent and as a gargle. It is a purported milk-promoting herb, but no scientifically valid clinical trials support this use. No data exist on excretion into breast milk, and because of a general lack of safety data betony should be avoided during breastfeeding.
  3. Drugs.com (Wolters Kluwer Health). Betony Uses, Benefits & Dosage. Drugs.com Natural Products Database. 2025;Medically reviewed monograph, last updated 3 November 2025; accessed 2026 (not PubMed-indexed)..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed: professional natural products monograph covering both Stachys officinalis and the Iranian Stachys lavandulifolia under the name betony. Reports about 15% tannins plus stachydrine, oxystachydrine, betaine, betonicin, turicine, choline, harpagide and caffeic, chlorogenic and rosmarinic acids. Traditional uses include a weak tea, an astringent, a gargle, anxiety, and headaches (as a tincture or smoked); the name may come from Celtic words for head and good. States there is no clinical evidence to guide dosing (traditional 1 to 2 g of herb a day in 3 divided doses), advises avoiding use in pregnancy and lactation, lists no well documented interactions, names dyspepsia as the only adverse effect linked to the Stachys genus, notes overdose may cause stomach irritation from the tannins, and cites an older animal report (Lipkan 1974) that betony polyphenols were toxic.
  4. Miyase T, Yamamoto R, Ueno A. Phenylethanoid glycosides from Stachys officinalis. Phytochemistry. 1996;43(2):475-9. doi: 10.1016/0031-9422(96)00322-6.PubMedUsed to support: Phytochemistry study of the aerial parts of Stachys officinalis: isolated six new phenylethanoid glycosides (betonyosides A to F) and six known ones, including acteoside (also called verbascoside), an acteoside isomer, campneoside II, forsythoside B and leucosceptoside B. Chemistry only; no biological testing.
  5. Háznagy-Radnai E, Balogh Á, Czigle S, Máthé I, Hohmann J, Blazsó G. Antiinflammatory activities of Hungarian Stachys species and their iridoids. Phytother Res. 2012;26(4):505-9. doi: 10.1002/ptr.3582.PubMedUsed to support: Rat study of aqueous extracts of the aerial parts of ten Hungarian Stachys species in the carrageenan paw swelling test, given by injection into the abdomen or by mouth. Some extracts were significantly active by both routes; S. officinalis was among the most active by injection, matching or exceeding the drug diclofenac at 5.0 mg/kg. The abstract does not report the oral result for S. officinalis separately. The iridoids aucubin and harpagoside also reduced swelling.
  6. Matkowski A, Piotrowska M. Antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of some medicinal plants from the Lamiaceae. Fitoterapia. 2006;77(5):346-53. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2006.04.004.PubMedUsed to support: Lab study of methanol extracts of six wild European Lamiaceae herbs: in DPPH radical scavenging, S. officinalis ranked fourth of six; it was the strongest of the six in the phosphomolybdenum reducing assay and, with white horehound, reached the highest inhibition of lipid oxidation (78%). Test-tube results only.
  7. Slapšytė G, Dedonytė V, Adomėnienė A, Lazutka JR, Kazlauskaitė J, Ragažinskienė O, Venskutonis PR. Genotoxic properties of Betonica officinalis, Gratiola officinalis, Vincetoxicum luteum and Vincetoxicum hirundinaria extracts. Food Chem Toxicol. 2019;134:110815. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2019.110815.PubMedUsed to support: Lab genotoxicity study: a Betonica officinalis extract was not mutagenic in the Ames test (strains TA98 and TA100) and did not cause chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes in vitro, but it induced DNA damage in the comet assay and a slight increase in sister chromatid exchanges. The authors note responses varied with the extract and the blood donor. Relevance to people drinking the herb is unknown.
  8. Benedec D, Oniga I, Hanganu D, Tiperciuc B, Nistor A, Vlase AM, Vlase L, Pușcaș C, Duma M, Login CC, Niculae M, Silaghi-Dumitrescu R. Stachys Species: Comparative Evaluation of Phenolic Profile and Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Potential. Antibiotics (Basel). 2023;12(11):1644. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics12111644.PubMedUsed to support: Lab study of ethanol extracts of six Romanian Stachys species. Notes that S. officinalis is the only Stachys documented in Romanian traditional medicine (tonic, fever, pain and wound uses). The S. officinalis extract had the most rosmarinic acid of the six (43.4 micrograms per g) and 1131.8 micrograms per g chlorogenic acid, but the lowest total phenolics and the weakest DPPH antioxidant activity (IC50 139 micrograms per ml). It inhibited Staphylococcus aureus nearly as well as gentamicin in an agar test (16 vs 18 mm).
  9. Stegăruș DI, Lengyel E, Apostolescu GF, Botoran OR, Tanase C. Phytochemical Analysis and Biological Activity of Three Stachys Species (Lamiaceae) from Romania. Plants (Basel). 2021;10(12):2710. doi: 10.3390/plants10122710.PubMedUsed to support: Lab study of alcoholic extracts of three Romanian Stachys species: the S. officinalis extract had the highest total polyphenol content (232 mg GAE/g) and antioxidant capacity (602 mM Trolox/g) of the three, and all three extracts inhibited bacteria in vitro, especially Gram-positive strains. The main volatile compound was germacrene D. Test-tube results only.
  10. Paun G, Neagu E, Moroeanu V, Albu C, Ursu TM, Zanfirescu A, Negres S, Chirita C, Radu GL. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of the Impatiens noli-tangere and Stachys officinalis polyphenolic-rich extracts. Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia. 2018;28(1):57-64. doi: 10.1016/j.bjp.2017.10.008 (not PubMed-indexed)..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed. Lab and rat study of a polyphenol-rich S. officinalis extract concentrated by nanofiltration: in vitro it scavenged radicals (IC50 2.5 micrograms per ml) and inhibited lipoxygenase (IC50 1.22 micrograms per ml), COX-1 (10.1 micrograms per ml) and COX-2 (1.2 mg per ml). In rats it reduced kaolin and dextran paw swelling, but it was applied to the skin under a bandage, not given by mouth. Ursolic acid was reported in the herb for the first time.
  11. Ileri Ozler K, Carcak Yılmaz N, Akat Piskin S, Bahadır Acıkara Ö, Ergene B, Üstündağ A, Karaaslan M, İpek Tekneci S, Saltan Iscan G. Bioactivity-guided isolation of anticonvulsant and anxiolytic constituents from Stachys and Teucrium species. J Ethnopharmacol. 2026;373:122299. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2026.122299.PubMedUsed to support: Mouse study of water-ethanol extracts of five Stachys and Teucrium taxa, including S. officinalis subsp. balcanica, in a chemically induced seizure test and the elevated plus maze anxiety test. S. byzantina (lamb's ear) was the most active, and its active fractions yielded chlorogenic acid, verbascoside and two flavonoid glycosides; chlorogenic acid was the most active compound. The abstract gives no separate result for S. officinalis.
  12. Aronova BN, Stegaĭlo EA. [Effect of an extract of Betonica officinalis on lactation]. Akush Ginekol (Mosk). 1977;(1):68-9.PubMedUsed to support: Russian-language report with no abstract in PubMed, so only its title can be read: the English title names Betonica officinalis and lactation, but the Russian title names chistets bukvitsetsvetnyi, which the Plantarium botanical database lists as the Central Asian Betonica betoniciflora, so the species is uncertain. Design, participants and results are unknown. LactMed states no scientifically valid clinical trials support betony for milk supply.
  13. Stegaĭlo EA, Lebedeva IM, Aronova BN, Bakhalova NV, Kharman DA. [Treatment of hypogalactia with an extract of the betonica hedge nettle]. Akush Ginekol (Mosk). 1980;(2):19-20.PubMedUsed to support: Russian-language report with no abstract text in PubMed, so only its title can be read: it concerns treating low milk supply (hypogalactia) with an extract of the betony-flowered hedge nettle (chistets bukvitsetsvetnyi), a name the Plantarium botanical database lists as Betonica betoniciflora rather than B. officinalis, so the species is uncertain. Design, participants and results are unknown.
  14. Jalilian N, Modarresi M, Rezaie M, Ghaderi L, Bozorgmanesh M. Phytotherapeutic management of polycystic ovary syndrome: role of aerial parts of wood betony (Stachys lavandulifolia). Phytother Res. 2013;27(11):1708-13. doi: 10.1002/ptr.4921.PubMedUsed to support: Different species: randomized trial in Iran of 66 women aged 15 to 45 with abnormal uterine bleeding linked to polycystic ovary syndrome, comparing 5 g of Stachys lavandulifolia aerial parts (locally called wood betony) three times daily with the drug medroxyprogesterone for 3 months. Bleeding patterns improved similarly in both groups (P = 0.248); adverse effects were reported by 45.5% on the herb and 24.2% on the drug. Not evidence for Betonica officinalis.
  15. Jadidi A, Irannejad B, Salehi M, Safarabadi M. Effect of stachys lavandulifolia on occupational stress in emergency medical technicians. Explore (NY). 2023;19(6):803-805. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2023.04.003.PubMedUsed to support: Different species: randomized trial in 60 emergency medical technicians in Iran comparing 2 g a day of Stachys lavandulifolia (mountain tea) with black tea for 2 months. Occupational stress scores fell in the herb group and were lower than in the black tea group afterward (p < 0.05). Not evidence for Betonica officinalis.