Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris)
Medicinal Profile of
Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris)
Lady’s Mantle is a traditional European women’s herb, long valued for its astringent, toning, and uterine-supportive actions. Plants high in tannins, like Lady’s Mantle, have the same tonifying and tightening effects on overly relaxed tissues in the body. It has been used for heavy menstrual bleeding, postpartum recovery, and general tissue laxity. With a soothing, drying, and stabilizing nature, it is especially suited for lax, boggy, or congested tissue states in the reproductive and digestive systems. While gentle, it is effective for bringing tone and integrity back to mucosal and muscular tissues.
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👉 Tastes describe the initial impression a food or herb leaves on the tongue, and they reveal its deeper actions in the body, shaping digestion, circulation, and tissue response.
Bitter – Stimulates digestion and clears damp congestion.
Astringent – Tones and tightens tissues, restoring firmness and integrity.
Aromatic (faint) – Lightly circulates and clears stagnation.
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👉Qualities describe the felt nature of a substance or practice, and how it acts in the body beyond nutrients or chemistry.
Drying – Reduces excess fluids and dampness.
Stabilizing – Calms overstimulation and eases irritation.
Toning – Restores structure and resilience to tissues and firms lax tissues.
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Tea/infusion: Most common, especially for reproductive and digestive support.
Topical wash/sitz bath: Applied for vaginal health, hemorrhoids, or skin inflammation.
Blends well with: Shepherd’s purse (for heavy bleeding), raspberry leaf (for uterine tone), or yarrow (for astringency and circulation).
Indicated Patterns by Affinity
👉 Indicated patterns describe the functional state of the body and its organs and/or tissues, showing whether they are dry, atrophied, too damp (pressure), stagnant, lax, inflammed, sluggish, tense or underactive. The Primary Indicated Pattern is the main state where this remedy works best. Secondary Indicated Pattern(s) are the patterns that often develop over time when the primary state is left unaddressed. The primary pattern must be supported first, as this allows the secondary patterns to naturally ease or resolve.
👉Affinities are the organ systems and tissues where the remedy acts most strongly.
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Leaky (Primary Indicated Pattern) – When tissue tone is weak, leading to excess discharge or fluid loss.
Examples:Heavy menstrual bleeding.
Profuse postpartum discharge.
Vaginal laxity with excess moisture.
Prolapse (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When reproductive tissues lose structural support.
Examples:Uterine prolapse.
Pelvic floor weakness.
“Falling” sensation in the womb area.
Inflammatory (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When heat and irritation overlay tissue weakness.
Examples:Red, inflamed reproductive membranes.
Irritative discharge with heat signs.
Hot, painful cycles with flooding.
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Leaky (Primary Indicated Pattern) – When lax urinary tone allows leakage or excess flow.
Examples:Mild stress incontinence.
Frequent urination from poor bladder tone.
Postpartum urinary weakness.
Inflammatory (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When urinary membranes are red, hot, or irritated.
Examples:Burning urination with irritation.
Heat overlay in mild bladder weakness.
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Leaky (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When capillary tone is weak, allowing fluid loss.
Examples:Easy bruising from fragile vessels.
Bleeding gums.
Poor vessel wall tone.
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Dilution (Secondary Indicated Pattern) – When weak, lax digestion creates thin, watery stool or poor tone in the gut.
Examples:Loose stool from atonic bowels.
Chronic watery stool with poor absorption.
Weak gut lining with leakage.
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👉 Medicinal actions describe the specific ways a food influences organ systems and body functions.
Reproductive System
Uterine Tonic – Restores tone and integrity to uterine tissues.
Menstrual Regulator – Helps balance heavy, prolonged, or irregular cycles.
Astringent – Tones tissues, reduces excess menstrual bleeding or discharge.
Digestive System
Astringent – Firms loose stool, reduces diarrhea.
Anti-inflammatory (mild) – Soothes irritated gut lining.
Urinary System
Astringent – Tightens and reduces excessive urinary discharge or lax tissues.
Circulatory System
Vascular Tonic – Supports venous tone, may reduce hemorrhoids or varicosities.
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👉 Constituents are the natural compounds in a food that give rise to its actions in the body.
Tannins – Provide strong astringent effects on tissues.
Flavonoids (quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol) – Anti-inflammatory and vascular supportive.
Phenolic acids (ellagic acid, gallic acid) – Antioxidant, tissue-protective.
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Tea/Infusion: 2nd Degree – gentle but effective for daily use.
Glycerite Extract (1:5): 2nd–3rd Degree – stronger tissue-toning action.
Topical wash/sitz bath: 3rd Degree – highly direct astringency for localized use.
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No major interactions noted.
The high tannin content may reduce absorption of iron or other minerals if taken in excess.
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Generally considered safe for most people.
It is less suited for dry/atrophic terrains, where it may aggravate depletion.
Caution with iron-deficiency anemia if used in high, long-term doses (tannins bind iron). Cycle-specific use is safe: Using it just around the period is unlikely to worsen anemia; instead, it helps reduce the ongoing cause of anemia.
