Herbs for Infertility

Historical records indicate that herbal treatment of infertility dates back to 200 A.D. in China. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is widely recognized and practiced in other parts of the world, yet conventional medicine practitioners in the United States are reluctant to endorse its use. Why?

The predominant feeling seems to be that these physicians prefer to practice evidence-based medicine, and there is no hard data on herbals and fertility. That's it in a nutshell: the attitude that medicine is solely scientifically based, and the effectiveness of herbs has not been scientifically proven. Moreover, the clinical studies that are conducted test more for effect than for safety.

One such study conducted in 1999 at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in California showed that high doses of St. John's wort, echinacea and ginkgo biloba may damage reproductive cells and even cause genetic mutations in sperm. The results, published in Fertility and Sterility, the journal of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, indicate that further evaluation is needed before a statement can be made about the herbs.

Other experts claim the study was seriously flawed and that the results don't lead to any scientific conclusions whatsoever. The researchers didn't know the concentrations of the herbs in the supplements, and a few of those supplements didn't contain any of the herbal extract advertised on the label. What's more, the test was conducted only once, so no one knows if the results would have been the same in a repeat test.