How can Herbal Medicine help infertility?

The herbal medicine developed by Chinese physicians through the centuries help women enhance their reproductive potential by harmonizing the endocrine system, which regulates the menstrual cycle.

The effects of the herbs vary. They may act on the ovulatory phase; they may regulate the secretion of mucus; they may stimulate the uterus; or they may assist in the production of adequate progesterone. For example, many Chinese herbs that produce phyto-estrogenic activity also act on the ovaries, while they impact on the central nervous system. Because it affects many different parts of the body's own natural processes, herbal medicine is a gentler, more organic response to fertility problems.

Usually, practitioners will prescribe a mixture of different herbs. For example, Cuscuta (Tu Si Zi) , Psoralea fruit (Bu Gu Zhi) and Eucommia (Du Zhong) has been found to lower FSH (The Infertility Cure, Radine Lewis 2004). These herbal mixtures are based on tried and tested formulae from medical books that date back over hundreds of years.

Every herb has its own characteristics and effects, and combining different herbs helps to increase their potency and minimize any unwanted consequences. Rather like a football team working together to strike, defend and score goals, the herbs work together to achieve maximum benefit for clients. The basic formulae are often modified slightly according to the person concerned and their problem.

Herbs can come in a dried form, or as herbal capsules, tablets, ointments and creams. Dry herbs are available only on prescription, from a practitioner. They are more powerful than capsules or tablets. They are also more time-consuming to use, because they need to be brewed into drinks. The resulting brew may well taste rather bitter, because most herbs are derived from roots, tubers or tree bark and the stems of plants, flowers or seeds. Because they are so powerful, long-term repeated prescriptions of dry herbs can be harmful. Practitioners often change the formula, after a while, to maximize the benefits and minimize any risks.

People are sometimes concerned about animal products being used in traditional Chinese medicine. Some treatment programs do include such products for their medicinal properties, but the majority of remedies use only plant materials. Chinese herbal medicine should not contain any endangered species, and this is, in any case, illegal.

How can Chinese herbal medicine help male infertility?

According to ancient literature which is also confirmed by cases we see at TCM HealthCare, most cases of male infertility involve some form of Kidney deficiency, which can be treated effectively with Kidney tonifying herbs. A study at the Institute of Acupuncture and Meridians, Anhui College of TCM, Hefei, China, reported that 87 cases of male infertility with semen abnormalities were treated with herbal formula Kidney Qi Pill. Semen analysis after treatment showed sperm parameters improved in 83 of the 87 case, or over 95% of the time. By the end of the studies, 49 of the men's wives (56.32 %) were pregnant.