There are many different herbs and alternative medicines that manufacturers and practitioners of alternative health care claim can affect the female reproductive cycle. While maca root appears to affect the male reproductive system, however, there's no indication that it has any effect upon ovulation or other aspects of the female cycle.
Ovulation
The female reproductive cycle involves many different hormones, the quantities of which vary depending upon where you are in your cycle. As you menstruate, which represents the end of one cycle and beginning of the next, your hormone levels start increasing. This, explains Dr. Lauralee Sherwood in her book "Human Physiology," triggers ovulation around the 14th day of your cycle. Ovulation is the release of an egg from one of your ovaries, and is a prerequisite to conception.
Maca Root
Maca root comes from the Lepidium meyenii plant, and grows high in the Andes mountains of Peru and Bolivia. The root has utility as a food; it's possible to make porridge and flour from mashed maca root, and Andes natives have historically used it to feed livestock in addition to people. Some supplement manufacturers claim that it has medicinal properties. For instance, Herbs America calls maca root an "adaptogen," and suggests that it has a systemic effect on the body and increases overall health.
Maca Root And Ovulation
There's no scientific evidence to suggest that maca root has any effect upon ovulation; it neither appears to promote ovulation nor does it appear to inhibit it. However, there is some evidence that maca affects male fertility, notes Dr. G. Gonzales and colleagues in a 2001 study published in the "Asian Journal of Andrology." You should talk to your doctor before taking maca root for ovulation, as your physician can help you to evaluate the risks and benefits.
General Guidelines
Depending upon whether you're trying to promote or inhibit ovulation, there are different pharmaceuticals available to you. Your doctor can prescribe appropriate hormones, depending upon your health status and reasons for wanting to affect ovulation. Some hormones, like those in birth control pills, inhibit ovulation. Other hormone pills mimic the effect of LH -- luteinizing hormone -- which your body uses to cause you to ovulate; these pills can induce ovulation.
References
- "Human Physiology"; Lauralee Sherwood, Ph.D.; 2004
- Herbs America: Maca Root
- "Asian Journal of Andrology"; Lepidium meyenii (maca) improved semen parameters in adult men; G. Gonzales; 2001
Member Comments