According to the Institute for Traditional Medicine, the Chinese have used herbs to enhance fertility since 200 AD. Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) do not use any single herb to treat infertility. Instead, they select from about 150 herbs to devise complex fertility-boosting concoctions made up of 15 to 20 different herbs. The formulas vary depending upon the specific problem of the fertility patient. Chinese herbs usually consist of flowers, roots, bark, leaves, fruit and occasionally more unusual substances, such as deer antler or sea horse.
Dong Quai (Angelica)
Dong Quai is an herb that grows in China, Korea and Japan that has been used in herbal medicine for thousands of years. In TCM, it's considered the ultimate female tonic, believed to treat a variety of conditions related to the female reproductive cycle. According to BodyEcology.com, dong quai relaxes the uterus, encourages the flow of blood from the pelvis, balances estrogen levels and improves conditions such as dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea and irregular menstrual cycles. However, because Dong Quai can act as a blood thinner, women taking blood-thinning medications should avoid this herb. When taken together with blood-thinning medications, it can cause excess bleeding.
Chi Shao (Red Peony)
Red peony is a flowering herb native to China. The root of this herb features highly in TCM treatment for infertility, considered a "blood mover." According to Dr. Randine Lewis, author of "The Infertility Cure," women with stagnant blood (in TCM terminology) have fertility-impairing conditions such as amenorrhea, fibroids, endometriosis, irregular menstruation or dark, sticky menstrual blood. Thus, red peony is believed to aid women with these conditions by invigorating the blood and getting it properly flowing again. The herb is also believed to ease menstrual pain and can support a healthy pregnancy.
Huang Qi (Astragalus Root)
Astragalus root is native to northern and eastern parts of China. The herb is crucial to TCM, as it's believed to strengthen the Qi. In TCM, "Qi" represents the life force, or energy, that flows throughout the body. When one's Qi is weak, it's reflected in a lethargic body with a feeble immune system. Because in TCM, the body must be balanced and the Qi strong to conceive, it's essential for an infertile patient to invigorate her Qi before trying to have a baby. According to UrologyChannel.com, it is also a key ingredient in fertility formulas that boost sperm motility.
References
- Institute for Traditional Medicine: Chinese Herbs and Fertility
- The Infertility Cure, by Randine Lewis, Ph.D. (2004)
- Body Ecology: Nine Benefits of Dong Quai
- Urology Channel: Alternative Treatments for Male Infertility
