Herbal remedies that increase ovulation

Still trying to get pregnant and looking for natural remedies that help the reproductive system?More natural and organic products are being displayed on the shelves at local supermarkets and specialty food stores than ever before with an array of healing assurances and natural cleansing and detoxifying options.

photo/Petr Kratochvil

Offering promises of increasing ovulation, sperm count & motility and ultimately conception, it is only natural we research some of these organic remedies as additional sources to consider utilizing on your journey into parenthood.

One product that seems to be a favorite is called FertiliTea. According to the manufacturers ingredients listed on their packaging, the tea contains only the following natural and organic ingredients.

• Chasteberry (Vitex) - stimulates the hormones involved in ovulation and helps restore female hormonal balance

• Red Raspberry Leaf - helps tone the reproductive organs

• Green Tea - is a powerful antioxidant that promotes fertility • Ladies Mantle – helps regulate your monthly cycle

• Nettle Leaf - is rich in vitamins, antioxidants and calcium

Fertility expert and creator of the all-natural organic product, Dr. Amos Grunebaum, says “FertiliTea is the only herbal tea that offers a complete spectrum of carefully selected fertility enhancing ingredients.”

Maca Root Supplements

Another natural and organic supplement that offers claims of successfully increasing fertility is called maca (Lepidium meyenii). It comes in the form of a tablet or powder and appears to be receiving high accolades. This root-like vegetable, shaped like a turnip grows at 12,000 feet above sea level. It is grown in the higher altitudes of the Andes. Native Peruvians have successfully used maca root for hundreds of years in an effort to affect fertility at higher altitudes. This supplement can be used by both men and women.

Numerous small studies have been conducted on the use of maca. One study included nine men who received maca tablets between 1500 and 3000 mg/ day) for 4 months depending upon their weight and size. Their levels were measured before and after treatment.

After using a maca supplement for four months, their seminal volume increased as did their sperm count per ejaculation. Sperm motility showed positive response as well.

Progesterone levels in women are essential to carry a healthy pregnancy to term. Maca root supplements work for women by attempting to control estrogen levels from becoming too high, thus causing progesterone levels to plummet and possibly lead to miscarriage.

If you or your partner are looking to increase egg health and viability, normalize hormonal balance, increase seminal volume, increase sperm count and motility, this supplement may be for you. The cost of 100 tablets runs approximately $25 and about $20 for the powder.

DIM (Diindolylmethane)

DIM balances hormones by breaking down estrogen and removing excess levels from the body. Excess estrogen is a major problem for some women trying to conceive. PCOS, endometriosis and ovarian cysts are sometimes linked to higher estrogen levels and may be remedied with regular use of this supplement. Available in tablet form at 100mg, this product runs about $20 per bottle.

L-Arginine

This 1998 Nobel Prize winning supplement is an amino acid that promotes synthesis of Nitric Oxide (NO). Nitric Oxide is produced naturally in the body and is important for blood dilation, increasing blood flow to the uterus and ovaries and is known to increase sperm count and motility, too.