Children’s Herbal Dosage Guide
Children can respond differently to herbs depending on their age, weight, individual sensitivity and health. The guidance below provides conservative starting amounts based on traditional herbal use, available safety information and, where available, paediatric research.
Where a herb does not have a formally established paediatric dose, the amounts below should be understood as conservative traditional-use guidance rather than clinically validated paediatric dosing.
For children taking medication, living with a medical condition or receiving treatment from a healthcare professional, please seek professional advice before introducing medicinal herbs. Start at the lower end of the suggested range and introduce herbs individually so tolerance can be assessed.
Lemon Balm
Youngest recommended age: 3 years
Lemon balm is traditionally used as a gentle calming and digestive herb and is commonly prepared as an infusion.
Suggested dried leaf amounts:
3–5 years: 0.5–1 g 5x per week
6–8 years: 1–1.5 g 5x per week
9–12 years: 1.5–2 g 5x per week
13–15 years: 2–3 g daily
16+ years: 2–4 g daily
For younger children, a weak infusion is preferable
Mullein Leaf
Youngest recommended age: 3 years
Mullein is traditionally used to soothe and support the respiratory system.
Suggested dried leaf amounts:
3–5 years: 0.5–1 g 5x per week
6–8 years: 1–1.5 g 5x per week
9–12 years: 1.5–2 g 5x per week
13–15 years: 2–3 g daily
16+ years: 2–4 g daily
When preparing mullein as tea, strain it extremely well through a fine filter to remove the tiny natural hairs on the leaves, which can otherwise irritate the mouth and throat.
Spirulina
Youngest recommended age for routine supplementation: 3 years
Spirulina is a nutrient-rich blue-green algae with considerably more experience of use in children than many concentrated herbal supplements.
Suggested amounts:
3–5 years: 0.2 - 0.5 g 3x per week
6–8 years: 0.5–1 g 3x per week
9–12 years: 1–2 g 3x per week
13–15 years: 2–4 g 5x per week
16+ years: 3–5 g 5x per week
For a young child beginning spirulina, start at approximately pea size amount and increase gradually according to tolerance.
Black Seed Oil
Youngest recommended age: 3 years
Black seed oil (Nigella sativa) has a long history of traditional use and has also been investigated in paediatric clinical research.
Suggested amounts:
3–5 years: 0.5 mL 3x per week
6–8 years: 0.5–1 mL 3x per week
9–12 years: 1–2 mL 3x per week
13–15 years: 2–2.5 mL 5x per week
16+ years: 2.5–5 mL 5x per week
These are conservative supplementary amounts rather than the substantially higher therapeutic doses sometimes used in clinical studies.
Astragalus Root
Youngest traditional-use age: approximately 3 years
Astragalus has a long history of traditional use, including within traditional Chinese herbal practice. Paediatric clinical dosing of plain Astragalus root, however, has not been firmly established.
Conservative traditional-use amounts:
3–5 years: 0.5–1 g daily
6–8 years: 1–2 g daily
9–12 years: 2–3 g daily
13–15 years: 3–5 g daily
16+ years: 4–6 g daily
Medical advice is recommended where a child has an autoimmune condition or takes immunosuppressive medication. Cycle usage 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off.
Licorice Root
Youngest traditional-use age: approximately 3 years
Licorice has a long history of traditional herbal use, including in children. However, glycyrrhizin within licorice can affect blood pressure, potassium and fluid balance, so dosage and duration are particularly important.
Conservative short-term amounts:
3–5 years: 0.25–0.5 g 5x per week
6–8 years: 0.5–1 g 5x per week
9–12 years: 1–1.5 g 5x per week
13–15 years: 1.5–2 g 5x per week
16+ years: 2–4 g 5x per week
Licorice should not be treated as an unrestricted everyday children's supplement. Seek medical advice before use in children with kidney or heart conditions, high blood pressure, low potassium or those taking medication. Cycle usage 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off.
Butterfly Pea
Youngest traditional food/tea-use age: approximately 3 years
Butterfly pea has a history of use as both a food and herbal tea, but there is limited formal paediatric dosing research.
For occasional weak tea, conservative amounts are:
3–5 years: 0.25–0.5 g
6–8 years: approximately 0.5 g
9–12 years: 0.5–1 g
13–15 years: 1–2 g
16+ years: 2–4 g
These amounts reflect conservative traditional/food use rather than clinically established paediatric doses.
Raspberry Leaf
Youngest traditional-use age: approximately 3 years
Raspberry leaf has a long history of use as a herbal tea, although formal paediatric dosing has not been established.
Conservative traditional tea amounts:
3–5 years: approximately 0.5 g daily
6–8 years: 0.5–1 g daily
9–12 years: 1–2 g daily
13–15 years: 2–3 g daily
16+ years: 2–4 g daily
Brahmi – Bacopa monnieri
Youngest recommended age for routine use: 6 years
Brahmi has considerably more paediatric research than many herbs. However, much of this research uses standardised Bacopa extracts rather than whole Brahmi leaf powder. The two preparations should not be considered equivalent gram-for-gram.
For Brahmi leaf powder, conservative starting amounts are:
2-6 years: 250 mg 3x per week
6–8 years: 250–500 mg 3x per week
9–12 years: 500 mg–1 g 3x per week
13–15 years: 1–2 g 5x per week
16+ years: 2–5 g 5x per week
Routine use under 4 years is not recommended without individual professional guidance. Start at the lower end because Brahmi can cause digestive upset in some people.
Ashwagandha Root
Youngest practitioner-guided age: approximately 6 years
Ashwagandha has a long history of traditional use, but there is not a universally established paediatric dose for whole Ashwagandha root powder.
Conservative traditional/practitioner amounts:
6–8 years: 250–500 mg daily
9–12 years: 500 mg–1 g daily
13–15 years: 1–2 g daily
16+ years: 2–4 g daily
Routine supplementation in children under 6 is not recommended. Professional advice should be sought before use where there are thyroid, autoimmune or liver conditions or where medication is being taken.
Lion’s Mane
Suggested minimum age for practitioner-guided supplementation: 6 years
Lion's Mane is an edible mushroom, but formal paediatric supplementation studies remain limited. Consequently, children's amounts should be regarded as conservative practitioner guidance rather than clinically established paediatric doses.
For hot water Lion's Mane powder:
2-6 years: 250 mg 3x per week
6–8 years: 250–500 mg 3x per week
9–12 years: 500 mg–1 g 3x per week
13–15 years: 1–2 g 5x per week
16+ years: 2–5 g 5x per week
Milk Thistle
Milk thistle has been investigated in some paediatric clinical settings, but there is no sufficiently established general children's dose for whole MagicTree Milk Thistle seed/powder.
For this reason, use below 18 should be individually practitioner-guided rather than based on a general age-related dose.
Full Spectrum Sea Moss
For children aged 4+ we generally recommend 1 teaspoon.
For children, sea moss intake should therefore be based on the measured iodine content of the specific product/batch rather than simply giving a fraction of an adult spoonful.
Professional guidance is particularly important for children with thyroid conditions or those receiving iodine-containing supplements or medication.
Moringa Seeds
Moringa leaves have extensive traditional nutritional use, including in children. However, Moringa seeds are a different preparation and should not automatically be given using Moringa leaf dosing guidance.
There is insufficient evidence to establish a general children's dose
General recommended age: 18+.
Use below this age should only occur following appropriate individual professional guidance.
Shilajit & Ultra Pure Shilajit
There is insufficient paediatric safety and dosing evidence to establish a general children's dose for Shilajit.
Because Shilajit is a concentrated natural mineral substance whose composition depends heavily upon its source and purification, adult serving sizes should not simply be scaled down for children.
Recommended age: 18+.
Dong Quai
There is insufficient evidence to establish a routine children's dose for Dong Quai, and its pharmacological activity makes it unsuitable for simple age-based extrapolation from an adult dose.
Recommended age: 18+.
Oil of Oregano
Recommended age: 18+.
Concentrated oregano oil use in children should be individually practitioner-guided.
Nutmeg Essential Oil
Recommended age: 18+.
Keep essential oils out of the reach of children and follow the product's external-use directions.
Batana Butter
Batana Butter is intended for external use on the hair and skin, not as an oral supplement.
There is therefore no children's oral dosage.
Important Information for Parents
Natural does not automatically mean suitable at every dose or for every child. Children's bodies change considerably throughout development, and individual responses to herbs can vary.
When introducing an appropriate herb to a child:
• Begin at the lowest suggested amount.
• Introduce one new herb at a time.
• Monitor how the child responds before increasing the amount.
• Do not automatically apply whole-herb doses to extracts or concentrated preparations.
• Stop use if an unexpected reaction occurs.
• Seek professional advice before combining medicinal herbs with prescription medication.
• Children with diagnosed medical conditions should receive individual guidance from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
Some of the children's amounts on this page originate from traditional herbal practice rather than modern paediatric clinical trials. Where reliable paediatric dosing has not been established, we have deliberately said so rather than presenting an adult dose scaled down for a child as though it were clinically proven.