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 Treating the infertility epidemic naturally
By Angela Hywood, ND, Bsc
Infertility is a modern epidemic. In the United States in 2005, the number of women age 15 to 44 with an impaired ability to have children reached 6.1 million.
The number of women who used infertility services to try to conceive was 9.3 million, and the number of married couples who were infertile was 2.1 million.
The cost of medical fertility treatments is astronomical — the business of “babies” is one of the most profitable areas of medicine today. Tests and treatment for infertility or subfertility cost considerable money.
The availability of modern assisted reproductive techniques, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), has made treatment even more expensive because of the expertise and technology needed for these procedures. This means there really is no limit concerning how much couples can spend in their pursuit of having a baby.
The average IVF cycle across U.S. fertility practices varies from $18,000 up to as much as $25,000 per cycle (treatment, appointment, and drugs). But the harsh reality is that the success rate is as low as 6 percent live-birth per IVF cycle.
Infertility is defined as the inability to achieve natural conception after a period of time of unprotected intercourse, usually 12 months, in a couple of reproductive age. Infertility is not synonymous with sterility, and it is important to differentiate these terms. Sterility is defined as the inability to achieve pregnancy, and affects only 1 percent to 2 percent of couples. Infertility should be more clearly termed as subfertility — the decreased capacity to achieve conception.
Primary infertility refers to those who have never before conceived and secondary infertility refers to those who have achieved conception sometime in the past and thereafter became infertile.
Both partners in the couple can potentially contribute to the etiology of infertility and subfertility, as one or both may be considered subfertile. Thorough evaluation of the couple will point to a probable cause in 85 percent to 90 percent of cases.
A primary diagnosis of male factors affecting fertility can contribute up to 30 percent of cases, and a secondary diagnosis of male factors can attribute an additional 20 percent to 30 percent.
Primary and secondary female factors attribute 40 percent to 50 percent of cases. The diagnosis of unexplained infertility is given to couples who have normal range results in a standard infertility workup occurs in 15 percent of cases.
HOLISTIC APPROACH, NATURAL SOLUTIONS
Current conventional treatment regimes available for infertility overlook the more subtle etiologies of infertility, such as:
- Low-grade subclinical genitourinary infections;
- Nutritional deficiency;
- Occupational or environmental toxicity, which may include heavy-metal toxicity and exposure to radiation, pesticides, and solvents;
- Subclinical nutritional deficiency issues;
- Immune weakness;
- Allergies; and
- Stress.
When a holistic approach is taken in the evaluation of the case at hand in conjunction with a systemic approach to evaluation and functional diagnosis, these subtle etiologies become evident and can be addressed appropriately with botanical and nutritional medicine.
Most importantly, a holistic practitioner reviews the case as a totality, not simply a reproductive issue. Infertility is much more than just a female- and male-reproductive systems issue; it’s a whole-health concern.
Fertility challenges should be seen as an opportunity for the couple to engage in an active naturopathic treatment plan to improve their overall health, allowing their bodies to produce vital, healthy DNA for reproduction. It is often overlooked that when the DNA of the sperm and ova combine at conception, the health of the child has been genetically determined at this point in time.
Couples should be encouraged to participate in a period of preconception care, in which their overall health can be improved with the use of herbs, nutrition, and dietary and lifestyle modifications. This way, not only will they improve their chances of natural conception, but they also will be more likely to have a healthy, complication-free pregnancy and a healthy child.
The fertility superstar
Tribulus terrestris (tribulus), an endemic weed to many regions of the world, including the Mediterranean area, India, China, South Africa, and Australia, is commonly known as puncture vine.
The aerial parts of this weed, particularly the leaf, are used for medicinal purposes. Considerable research has been done in Bulgaria, and as a result of this research, tribulus has become a popular herb for the treatment of infertility, menopause, andropause, and low libido.
It acts as a general tonic, aphrodisiac, estrogen modulator, and androgenic modulator and is used to restore vitality, reduce the physiological effects of stress, and as a powerful fertility tonic for both men and women.
The Bulgarian research identified a unique steroidal saponin known as a furostanol saponin, calculated to no less than 45 percent protodioscin. The leaf is noted to be higher in the unique saponin rather than the fruit. Other active constituents include phytosterols and spirostanol glycosides.
The results of studies and clinical trials with tribulus have been remarkable, both in animal and human models. When given at a dose of 750 milligrams per day for five days, it increased serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (when compared to baseline in females), increased luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone in males, and demonstrated an increase in sex hormone production for both men and women. The steroidal saponins are thought to be binding and weakly stimulate the hypothalamic estrogen receptor sites.
The tonic activities of tribulus act by intensifying protein synthesis and enhancing the activity of enzymes associated with energy metabolism. It increases iron absorption from the small intestines and inhibites lipid peroxidation during stress. This leads to more muscle strength and improved endurance and stamina.
Another stunning study showed tribulus increases serum growth hormone, insulin, and aldosterone without exceeding normal values. Protodioscin, the steroidal saponin, within tribulus has been proven to improve sexual desire via the conversion of protodioscine to DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone).
Specific female fertility studies have been conducted with tribulus. In an open study with 36 infertile women who were given tribulus, 6 percent became pregnant as a result of normalized ovulation; 61 percent demonstrated normalized ovulation and no pregnancy; and 33 percent demonstrated no effect from tribulus.
In this same study, another subgroup of women used tribulus concurrently with pharmaceutical ovarian stimulation with the drug, epimestrol. The result from using tribulus concurrently with epimestrol was better than using the drug alone.
There is little information about the traditional use of tribulus leaf. In Ayurvedic medicine, the fruit has been used for improving the fertility of men, uterine disorders, urinary disorders, kidney stones, gout, and gonorrhea.
The daily dose of tribulus is equivalent to 40 grams of dried leaf or a concentrated extract standardized to contain a minimum of furostanon saponins as protodioscin at 300 milligrams to 400 milligrams. It is best used on days five through 14 of the menstrual cycle for enhanced fertility. It is essential to ensure phytoequivalence for optimal therapeutic outcomes. |
Nutritional support helps fertility
Between 1990 and 1993, Foresight, a British Medical Association for the promotion of preconception, conducted a study using a nutritional and lifestyle modification preconception care program.
The results were nothing less than remarkable. There was a tenfold reduction in the expected incidence of miscarriage and birth defects and a more than an 80 percent success rate with unexplained infertility.
It was evaluated that before the study started, 60 percent of the women drank alcohol regularly and 57 percent of the women were previously smokers. Out of the 367 couples in the study, 327 (89 percent) successfully became pregnant and 327 children were born. All of these babies were born healthy.
Among the 204 couples with infertility problems, 175 (86 percent) were able to achieve a healthy pregnancy.
One of the most significant aspects of these results was the involvement of both partners in the program. With their participation, both female factors and male factors were concurrently addressed.
In addition to nutritional supplementation, the study included lifestyle and social modifications, including the cessation of smoking, as well as coffee and alcohol consumption. Smoking and coffee consumption have been linked to subfertility and delayed conception.
Based on the Foresight study, the suggested preconception care nutritional program (including daily doses) is:
- Beta carotene — 6 mg,
- Vitamin E — 500 IU,
- Vitamin D — 200 IU,
- B1, B2, B3, B5 — 50 mg each,
- B12 — 400 mcg,
- B6 — Up to 250 mg,
- Biotin — 200 mcg,
- Choline — 25 mg,
- Inositol — 25 mg,
- PABA — 25 mg,
- Folic acid — 500 mg,
- Vitamin C — 2,000 mg to
3,000 mg,
- Bioflavonoid — 300 mg,
- Calcium — 800 mg,
- Magnesium — 400 mg,
- Potassium — 15 mg,
- Iron — 15 mg,
- Iodine — 74 mcg,
- Selenium — 100 mcg to 200 mcg,
- Zinc — 20 mg to 60 mg,
- Chromium — 100 mcg to
200 mcg,
- Omega 6 essential fatty acids — 1,000 mg, and
- Omega 3 essential fatty acids — 3,000 mg.
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 Angela Hywood, ND, Bsc (complementary medicine), is an Australian trained naturopath, medicinal herbalist, clinical nutritionist, and homeopath. She is currently a faculty member at Texas Chiropractic College and University of Miami School of Medicine, Integrative Medicine department. As a fertility specialist for the last 10 years, Hywood practices at the Jocelyn Centre of Natural Fertility Management in Sydney, Australia. She can be reached by e-mail at angela@tonicaustralia.com.au.
To read more about natural solutions to
infertility, go to www.ChiroEco.com/history and click on BONUS articles.
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