Mother Nature and the Natural Parent: Increasing your Fertility with Herbs

Today, there are as many fertility treatments on the market as there are obstacles to conception. Some treatments promise immediate results to match their high prices. Others require strong medication with undesirable side effects. To understand why nature provides the best fertility solutions, it is essential to examine the reason for modern fertility problems

The Modern Fertility Crisis

A few years ago, many would-be-parents were shocked by a British study that found that the sperm count of the average male is half of what it was only fifty years ago. The culprit is ubiquitous environmental toxins that surround us wherever we live, from PCBs to pesticides to exhaust fumes. Increased stress, a plague of modern life affecting both men and women, is also a factor that decreases fertility. Another trend that affects fertility is that today, women are opting to become mothers later in life due to career and educational choices. Fertility functions at an optimal level in one’s 20s, reaching its peak at around the age of 33. Once a woman reaches the age of 35, the quantity of eggs starts to diminish, and fertility begins to decline. Although a woman usually can conceive until her mid or even late forties, it usually takes much longer for her to conceive than it would have taken in her twenties.

Examining these obstacles to fertility may lead many to feel discouraged. After all, how can a person completely avoid breathing bad air or eliminate all sources of stress without quitting a good job? However, herbal remedies tackle many of these problems while providing unique benefits.

Herbs: The Ancient Fertility Enhancer

Herbs are the original fertility booster and have properties which have produced and protected generations of babies all over the world. From Dong Quai and Ginseng in Asia, to Chaste berry in Ancient Greece to Black Cohosh, a favorite of Native American medicine men, herbs are the world’s first medicine. Many have detoxifying properties that remove pollutants from the body and are available in organic formulas in health food stores. Herbs also have a tendency to relax the body and mind, particularly if they are can be drunk in the form of an herbal infusion. Midwives and herbalists testify that drinking red clover tea has enabled many women in their mid to late forties to conceive, even when their doctors have denied that this was possible. Herbs are a time-honored solution to many modern fertility problems.

How Herbs Work

How can something you gather from the side of the road be as effective as your expensive and much-touted fertility treatment? Herbs and modern medicine are not exactly unrelated to each other. Around 25% of today’s prescription medication is derived directly from herbs including bark, leaves and flowers of certain plants. When an herb is considered effective for use as a medicine, its “active ingredient” is isolated and becomes the actual medicine. However, some herbs have a holistic effect and it is difficult to explain exactly how they work, since there may not be one “active ingredient”, but a variety of components which create an overall effect. This is the reason herb treatments tend to yield less dramatic and immediate effects, but, after increased doses and long term use, they can often be as effective as prescription medication. Herbs are also easier on the body than conventional treatments, such as hormones, and can be used over a longer period of time with little or no side effects. Some herbs have properties that mimic hormones and bind on the receptor sites which would ordinarily receive the actual hormone. This “tricks” the body into “thinking” that the hormone is present, when actually, it is the herb.

Where to go Herb-Hunting

Some herbs can be found in your back yard, in the woods, at the side of the road, most or in a local health store. You can add some herbs, such as red clover, directly to salads and food. Leaves and flowers can be dried and brewed as tea. Other herbs are available as tinctures in small bottles with medicine droppers or in pill form. Directions for use are usually clearly labeled. Use of these herbs with other fertility treatments is discouraged, and once a woman becomes pregnant, she should discontinue use of herbs that do not support pregnancy, such as Dong Quai, Siberian Ginseng, Black Cohosh.

Fertility Treatments in Your Back Yard

The most widely available fertility herb with the most reported success is red clover. This herb appears in the mid-summer to mid-fall in the form of reddish purple “furry” blossoms and light green leaves. One herbalist reports that many of her clients, even endometriosis sufferers, women with tubular dysfunction, and women in their late forties reported successful conception after drinking red clover tea daily for several months. Take one ounce of dried blossoms and put them in a jar with one quart of water. After letting the mixture sit overnight, the solution can be drunk cold or warm. The leaves and blossoms can be added to salads or cooked as a vegetable.

Partridge Berry appears as an evergreen creeper with one bright berry appearing behind two leaves. Of course, if you are gathering this herb yourself, consult with an expert herbalist to ensure that you are not consuming other, potentially dangerous, evergreens and berries. In addition to having edible berries, the leaves of the partridge berry plant can be soaked in apple cider vinegar and stored for a month or longer to create something similar to balsamic vinegar. This vinegar can be used as a seasoning in salads or in cooking.

Liferoot often appears in swamps or in places with dark, rich soil. Avoid using the root, since it is poisonous, but the yellow blossoms can be made into a tincture. In addition to improving fertility, liferoot can help regulate a spastic cycle and increase sex drive.

Maca: Peruvian Wonder Plant

Maca is a relative of the potato and grows in a Andean plateaus. Its root has a proven, dramatic effect on fertility; laboratory rats produced 25% more sperm after consuming maca root. The effectiveness of maca has also been proven in humans; after a three month trial, men who consumed maca had a 180 to 200% increase in sperm volume. Maca works by stimulating the pituitary gland, supporting the production of progesterone and stabilizing the second half of a woman’s cycle. It also increases the production of testosterone, and increases the general fertility in both men and women.

From Your Local Health Store

Most health stores today have a wide variety of herbs in many forms. Herbs that are difficult to find can usually be ordered and delivered within a few days. Two favorite and widely available Asian fertility herbs are Korean Ginseng and Dong Quai. Ginseng has hormone-like properties and increases sperm formation, testosterone levels and sex drive. Dong Quai modulates the menstrual cycle and can bring on ovulation. It can also thicken the uterine lining. However, Dong Quai does not support pregnancy and should not be uses after pregnancy is confirmed.

Chaste Berry is an Ancient Greek fertility remedy which regulates female hormones and encourages ovulation. This herb is recommended for women with irregular or unusually long cycles. Licorice can also regulate the hormones, but it should not be used by those with high blood pressure. False Unicorn Root has fertility benefits for both men and women and is a uterine tonic that mimics progesterone. Pyncogenol is an extract from the maritime pine that grows in southern France. This herb aids the absorption of vitamin C, a nutrient essential for healthy sperm growth, and encourages the proper formation of sperm. L-Carnitine improves sperm motility and quality. Evening Primrose Oil helps to produce cervical fluid which is most conducive to optimal sperm movement. Its essential fatty acids produce a hormone-like substance, prostaglandin E1, which regulates female hormones. Black Cohosh, a Native American remedy, also regulates hormone production.

Eating for Two

Certain nutrients are essential for effective fertility and these are available in many favorite foods as well as in supplement form. Vitamin C helps prevent sperm agglutination, which occurs when the sperm stick together and are unable to swim properly. All anti-oxidants, including vitamin C, E, and Beta Carotene stimulate sperm count and sperm health. Zinc, widely available in eggs and seafood, is necessary to maintain testosterone levels and optimal sperm count. Selenium, also available in seafood as well as liver, preserves the sperm cell by preventing premature oxidation. Although high protein diets are popular, they should be avoided by women who want to conceive; women whose diets contain at least 25% protein may be putting effective embryonic development at risk. A balanced diet containing vegetables, fruit, whole grains and moderate protein helps to support fertility. Cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine have been proven to reduce fertility in both men and women and should be avoided or used sparingly.

Don’t Go it Alone

It’s best, especially if you are new to herbal remedies, to consult with an expert herbalist before trying a one or a combination of treatments. Not only is it more safe to ask, but the herbalist knows what to expect, where to obtain the best quality herbs and can assess the right herb combination for you. If an herb does not make you feel good, it is probably not doing you much good, so listen to the signals your body is giving you, and discuss any questions or problems you have with a trusted herbalist.