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Galega officinalis, commonly known as galega or goat's-rue, is a herbaceous plant in the subfamily Faboideae of the legume family Fabaceae. It is native to parts of northern Africa, western Asia and Europe, but is widely cultivated and naturalised elsewhere.
G. officinalis is rich in galegine, a substance with blood glucose-lowering activity and the foundation for the discovery of metformin, a treatment for managing symptoms of diabetes mellitus. In ancient herbalism, goat's-rue was used as a diuretic. It can be poisonous to mammals, but is a food for various insects. The Latin specific epithet officinalis refers to plants with some medicinal, culinary or herbal attributes.
Galega bicolor is a synonym.
Distribution and habitat
Widely distributed throughout temperate regions of the world, predominantly in Europe, the plant is a hardy perennial that blooms in the summer months on grasslands, wetlands, and riverbanks, and is classified as an invasive weed in many parts of North America.
G. officinalis contains the phytochemicals, galegine and guanidine, both of which decrease blood sugar, but were discovered to cause adverse effects in human studies.
Adverse effects
Goat's rue may interfere with prescribed diabetes drugs, iron absorption, and anticoagulants.