Product manufacturers and even doctors do make many claims that may not be strictly accurate. Most of us would like to believe claims made by makers of ‘herbal medicines’ because we perceive these to be more natural, safer and as having fewer side effects. While some of these claims could be made in good faith, a lot of these claims may not be supported by data obtained from scientific studies.
So what do we make of claims that Chinese herbs can help boost fertility and that they could help couples conceive? There is evidence to show that Chinese herbs can help boost fertility. Studies have also been able to demonstrate that these herbs are able to improve the efficacy of conventional fertility treatments. In other words, the herbal treatments can work as standalone treatments or could make mainstream treatments more effective.
Chinese herbs improve efficacy of conventional infertility treatments
A study conducted by the Tel Aviv University examined outcomes of those who underwent IUI (intrauterine insemination) treatments in conjunction with complementary treatments like Chinese herbal medicines and acupuncture. The study found that those who underwent the complementary therapies in addition to IUI treatments actually doubled their chances of conceiving.
The study was able to demonstrate that Chinese herbal therapies and acupuncture can improve the results of those undergoing western style fertility treatments and improve chances of couples conceiving naturally. This benefit was seen to accrue even to older women.
Chinese herbs such as PeoniaAlbae and Chuanxiong were seen to be beneficial and are thought to work by improving the blood supply to the uterus, improving relaxation and enhancing endorphin production. Chinese herbs and acupuncture are known to help reduce stress, one of the known inhibiting factors that prevent conception and successful pregnancies.
Chinese herbs may be twice as effective as IVF or Fertility Drug Therapy
A systemic review of the efficacy of Chinese herbs for managing infertility had similarly remarkable results. Many case studies, cohort studies and various other sources were reviewed to reach the conclusion that TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) is a fundamentally successful treatment for female infertility.
It was seen that this traditional treatment resulted in a twofold improvement in pregnancy rates when compared with IVF or Western fertility drug therapies, in a period of 4 months of treatment. Improvement in quality of menstrual cycles and other symptoms was seen to be most typically responsible for improved rates of pregnancy following TCM treatments.
