The Green Pharmacy for Infertility

[Guest guest]

The " Green Pharmacy " for Infertility JoAnn Guest Oct 09, 2005 20:08 PDT

 

In the early 1990s, there was a rash of articles reporting that sperm

counts seem to have fallen significantly (about 40 percent) since the

1930s. We began seeing headlines like these:

 

" From Silent Spring to Barren Spring " (Business Week)

 

" What's Wrong with Our Sperm? " (Time)

 

" Downward Motility: When It Comes to Sperm, You're Half the Man Your

Grandfather Was " (Esquire)

 

After these alarming articles appeared, however, some studies reported

that all is well and the typical ejaculate still contains 100 million

sperm, just as it did 60 years ago. But these studies have to be weighed

against others reporting a sperm count closer to 60 million, a

substantial decline.

 

In Search of Sperm

 

Among other responses to the studies, researchers began asking what

could be causing the decline. Some evidence suggests that pesticides and

other pollutants are estrogenic, meaning that they have chemical effects

that mimic those of the female sex hormone. Expose the male of the

species to enough estrogenic chemicals for long enough, and you get a

feminization effect, including a lower sperm count.

 

Here's some of the evidence that feminization is, in fact, taking place:

In Lake Opopka, Florida, there was a big spill of an estrogenic

pesticide in 1988. Subsequently, male alligators developed abnormally

short penises, reproductive impairment and female-like hormone levels.

 

In the lower Columbia River in the Northwest, juvenile male otters have

testicles that are only one-seventh normal weight. They, too, show

evidence of exposure to estrogenic chemicals.

 

Florida panthers were exposed to the estrogenic pesticide DDT for years,

and they ate other animals that were exposed. Panther fat has high

levels of DDE, a DDT breakdown product. The panthers also have unusually

high levels of abnormal sperm, low sperm counts, undescended testicles

and thyroid dysfunction.

 

A growing number of scientists are calling for controls on all of these

estrogen-like chemicals. I think we should listen to them. But guess who

disagrees? The chemical industry.

 

No surprise there. I just hope that we figure out whether this falling

sperm count is real, and if it is, what we're going to do about it to

keep the human race reproducing.

 

Infertile Territory

 

Infertility is now generally defined as an inability to conceive after

six months to one year of trying. An estimated 20 percent of couples

have trouble conceiving. While it appears that falling sperm counts may

be part of the problem, rising maternal age is certainly a factor, and

as women are having babies later in life, the risk of infertility rises.

 

 

Treating infertility has become a huge medical industry during the past

few decades, with doctors doing everything from prescribing fertility

drugs to arranging for test-tube babies (in vitro fertilization). These

well-publicized procedures can cost up to $10,000 apiece.

 

While some infertility problems in women can be addressed by having

children earlier, men need to try some tactics to raise their sperm

counts. The following section highlights primarily the natural

alternatives that can be helpful for men.

 

Green Pharmacy for Infertility

 

Infertility is a major heartache, and it may require going the high-tech

route. But before you try a high-tech solution, you'll want to

thoroughly explore possible causes with your doctor to find out whether

there are lifestyle or other changes that you can make to improve your

chances of conception. And while you're at it, consider some natural

alternatives.

 

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea) and other foods containing vitamin B6.

People who advocate micronutrient supplementation often recommend

vitamin B6 for infertility. The best sources of this nutrient, in

descending order of potency, are cauliflower, watercress, spinach,

garden cress, bananas, okra, onions, broccoli, squash, kale, kohlrabi,

brussels sprouts, peas and radishes.

 

Ginger (Zingiber officinale). According to reports of research with

animals in Saudi Arabia, ginger significantly increased sperm count and

motility. I hesitate to extrapolate one animal study to humans, but

ginger is so safe and tasty that if I were troubled by a low sperm count

or poor sperm motility, I wouldn't hesitate to reach for ginger tea,

ginger ale, gingerbread and dishes spiced with this tangy herb.

 

Ginseng (Panax ginseng). California herbalist Kathi Keville, author of

The Illustrated Herb Encyclopedia and Herbs for Health and Healing,

tells two stories of infertile men who started taking ginseng,

schisandra and saw palmetto to build up their physical stamina. Some

time later, both of their wives became pregnant.

 

While I wouldn't hang my hat on this anecdote, ginseng has been revered

in Asia for centuries as a male potency and longevity tonic. There is

some research with animals suggesting that ginseng stimulates sexual

activity, and of course, you need that to conceive.

 

Guava (Psidium, various species) and other foods containing vitamin C.

For treatment of male infertility caused by sperm abnormalities or

clumping, vitamin C supplementation has been shown to be as effective as

several fertility-enhancing drugs. Melvyn Werbach, M.D., assistant

clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los

Angeles, School of Medicine and author of Nutritional Influences on

Illness, suggests taking 1,000 milligrams a day. (Although the Daily

Value for vitamin C is only 60 milligrams, taking this much is

considered safe.)

 

Besides guava, other good plant sources of vitamin C include bitter

melon, emblic, rosehips, bell pepper, red peppers and watercress.

 

Herbal formulas for men. The Chinese herb cangzhu (Atractylodes lancea)

dominates two formulas widely prescribed in China for male infertility.

One, called hochu-ekki-to, contains 4 grams each of cangzhu, astragalus

and ginseng; 3 grams of Japanese angelica; 2 grams each of bupleurum

root, jujube fruit, citrus unshiu peel (a Japanese citrus fruit); 1.5

grams of Chinese licorice root; 1 gram of black cohosh; and 0.5 gram of

ginger. In one study, this formula boosted sperm concentrations and

motility considerably after three months.

 

A similar formula called ninjin-to contains three grams each of cangzhu,

ginger, ginseng and Chinese licorice.

 

If you'd like to try either of these formulas, I'd advise against

attempting to mix them up yourself. Instead, consult a Chinese

herbalist.

 

Herbal formula for women. For women, Maine herbalist Deb Soule, founder

of Avena Botanicals and author of The Roots of Healing, offers several

fertility formulas. Here's the one she suggests most often: two

tablespoons each of chasteberry, Chinese angelica (also called

dang-quai) and false unicorn root and one to two teaspoons of blessed

thistle steeped in a quart of boiling water for 15 minutes. She suggests

drinking two to three cups a day four or five days a week.

 

Jute (Corchorus olitorius) and other herbs containing folate. For years,

naturopaths have suggested folic acid, a B vitamin, for women who are

infertile. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta

have been urging pregnant women to get more folic acid because it

prevents severe spinal birth defects.

 

Everybody's been touting folic acid supplements, but I generally

recommend getting nutrients from foods whenever possible, and there are

a number of foods that provide good amounts of folate, the naturally

occurring form of folic acid. According to my trusty database, the food

with the greatest amount of folate is edible jute, at 32 parts per

million on a dry-weight basis. This is followed by spinach, endive,

asparagus, papaya, okra, pigweed and cabbage.

 

Noting that many of these same plants are well-endowed with zinc, which

is critical to male reproductive vitality, I suggest that this same

assortment of vegetables might also help the man of the house.

 

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and other herbs containing zinc. Several

studies suggest that zinc deficiencies may be tied to male infertility

and poor sperm quality. Good sources of zinc include spinach, papaya,

collards, brussels sprouts, cucumbers, string beans, endive, cowpeas,

prunes and asparagus. Simmer most of these together in a big pot, and

you've got the makings of a good soup.

 

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and other herbs containing arginine.

Naturopaths often recommend supplementation with the amino acid arginine

for men with low sperm counts. They call for getting four grams of

arginine a day. That's the amount found in about two ounces of sunflower

seeds.

 

Sunflower seeds are the highest entry for arginine in my database at 8.2

percent on a dry-weight basis. Other herbs rich in this vital nutrient

include carob, butternuts, white lupines, peanuts, sesame seeds,

soybeans, watercress, fenugreek, mustard, almonds, velvet beans, Brazil

nuts, chives, broad beans and lentils.

 

Ashwaganda (Withania somnifera). Ayurvedic physicians feel about this

herb the way the Chinese do about ginseng, that it's a tonic for the

male libido and sexual function, particularly erection problems.

 

Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) and other herbs containing choline.

Scientists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in

Chapel Hill have found that in male rats, a deficiency of dietary

choline, one of the B vitamins, is associated with infertility. I

hesitate to make too much of a single study done with animals. But

reproductive systems in mammals are more similar than different, and

getting a little extra choline probably can't hurt.

 

In my database, fruits of the bottle gourd, a white-flowered vine

suggestive of gourds, are highest in choline at 1.6 percent on a

dry-weight basis. Other good herbal sources of choline include fenugreek

leaves and shepherd's purse. The following run well behind in the amount

of choline they contain but are still worth mentioning: ginseng,

horehound, cowpeas, English peas, mung beans, sponge gourd, lentils and

Chinese angelica.

 

Oat (Avena sativa). Oats make horses frisky and have long been

considered a male sexual energizer, hence our phrase " sowing his wild

oats. " Some herbalists suggest that oats boost male human fertility as

well. You can get oats cheaply in oatmeal or more expensively in

concentrated oat extracts found in many health food stores.

 

Raspberry (Rubus idaeus). Raspberry leaf tea is usually recommended to

pregnant women to calm uterine irritability. But animal breeders add

raspberry leaves to male animal feed to increase their fertility.

Keville suggests that infertile men try raspberry leaf tea. There's

little or no harm in it, and the tea is quite tasty.

 

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/bookshelf/Books/41/71.cfm

________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Music Unlimited - Access over 1 million songs. Try it free.