5 Peruvian Herbs for Women's Hormonal Health
"Hormonal health" gets used as a catch-all, but it covers a lot of different things: the days before your period, recovery after childbirth, the shift into menopause, even just the bloating and mood swings that show up on a predictable monthly schedule. Peruvian herbal tradition doesn't treat these as one problem with one herb — it treats them as a handful of related problems, each with its own plant.
Here are five herbs that show up again and again in that tradition, what each one is actually used for, and where the research does (and doesn't) back it up.
1. Maca — The Steady-Energy Adaptogen
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is the one most people outside Peru have heard of, usually marketed for energy or libido. But in the Andes it's also a traditional go-to for hormonal balance — used by women for menstrual irregularities, menopause symptoms, and general hormonal support. A small 2006 clinical study found that maca reduced some menopausal symptoms, including measures related to mood and energy, without changing hormone levels directly — suggesting it works on the body's response to hormonal shifts rather than the hormones themselves. It's a small study, and "maca for menopause" needs more research before anyone calls it proven, but it's one of the better-studied herbs on this list.
2. Manayupa — The Amazon's Postpartum Herb
Desmodium molliculum, known as manayupa or pata de perro, grows wild across the Peruvian Andes and Amazon. Traditionally, it's brewed into a tea given to women after childbirth — used to support recovery and, in some Amazonian traditions, applied to help with milk production. It also shows up in remedies for ovarian irritation and inflammation. Western research on manayupa specifically for women's health is limited, but the plant has documented anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, which lines up with how it's traditionally used: as a settling, recovery-focused herb rather than a stimulating one.
3. Matico — The "Soldier's Herb"
Matico (Piper aduncum) earned its nickname because Peruvian soldiers reportedly used its leaves to stop bleeding and speed wound healing in the field. That same anti-inflammatory, tissue-supporting reputation is why it shows up in women's wellness blends — the logic being that an herb traditionally used to calm irritated tissue externally might offer similar support taken as tea, particularly around the cramping and inflammation that come with a menstrual cycle. This is more "traditional logic" than "clinical proof" — there isn't a body of human trials on matico for menstrual symptoms specifically — but it's a genuinely old use, not a modern marketing invention.
4. Cat's Claw — Anti-Inflammatory, With a Caveat
Cat's claw (uña de gato) is one of the more recognizable Amazonian herbs, usually discussed for joint and immune support. It's also a common ingredient in women's wellness blends because of its anti-inflammatory properties, which can help with the achiness some people feel around their cycle. Here's the caveat, and it's an important one: cat's claw has traditionally been associated with uterine-stimulating effects in some indigenous preparations, and is generally not recommended during pregnancy. If you're pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, this is one to skip or ask your doctor about first.
5. Huamanpinta — The High-Andes Herb for Bloating
Chuquiraga spinosa only grows above 3,500 meters in Peru's Andes, where it's part of traditional kidney and urinary remedies (we covered it in more depth in our Huamanpinta deep-dive). Its mild diuretic effect is the reason it shows up in women's blends too — water retention and bloating are common complaints in the days before a period, and an herb traditionally used to support fluid balance fits that use case, even though it isn't marketed as a "period herb" on its own.
The All-in-One Option: Femenina Tea
Instead of buying five separate herbs, our Femenina Herbal Tea combines four of them — cat's claw, matico, huamanpinta, and manayupa — into a single 1,000 mg blend per tea bag. It's the kind of combination Peruvian herbalists have leaned on for generations: pair an anti-inflammatory (cat's claw, matico) with a fluid-balance herb (huamanpinta) and a recovery-focused herb (manayupa), rather than relying on just one plant to do everything. Maca isn't part of the Femenina blend — its role is different (energy and longer-term hormonal balance rather than cycle-specific inflammation and bloating), which is why it's worth thinking of as a separate, complementary option rather than a substitute.
A Few Honest Caveats
None of these herbs are a substitute for medical care. If you're dealing with heavy or irregular bleeding, severe cramping, PCOS, endometriosis, or any condition that's been diagnosed (or needs to be), that's a conversation for a doctor — herbal tea is, at best, a supplement to that care, not a replacement for it.
Pregnancy is the other big caveat. Cat's claw and manayupa both have traditional associations with uterine activity, and neither is recommended during pregnancy. If you're pregnant or trying to conceive, skip the Femenina blend and check with your doctor before adding any of these herbs to your routine.
What We Carry
Our Femenina Women's Tea combines four of the herbs above into one blend. For the maca angle, see our Maca capsules — and if cycle-related sleep disruption is part of the picture, our valerian brewing guide or Chamomile (Manzanilla) Tea are gentler evening options. Browse more in our hormone balance collection.
Femenina Women's Tea
A traditional Peruvian blend of cat's claw, matico, huamanpinta, and manayupa — four herbs combined for cycle support, in one tea bag.
Shop Now →*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Femenina Women's Tea is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.