On this page I mention a few herbs or natural supplements that play a role in fertility and also increase sex drive. The research in this area is still very early. I update this page as more information becomes available.

Fertility and obesity
Obesity influences fertility in women. Obesity leads to menstrual irregularities, increases the risk of miscarriages and impairs the outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies and pregnancy. The reasons may be insulin excess and insulin resistance, along with higher estrogen levels. Fat cells make estrogen. These adverse effects of obesity are specifically evident in polycystic ovary syndrome. In men, obesity is associated with low testosterone levels. In massively obese individuals, reduced sperm formation leads to problems with fertility. If you have an interest in losing weight using a natural diet pill, consider Diet Rx.

Fertility Herbs - Maca and Fertility
Maca is an herb found in the Andes mountains in South America, and also known as a libido booster. A study was designed to determine the effect of a 4-month oral treatment with tablets of Maca on seminal analysis in adult normal men aged 24-44 years old. Nine men received tablets of maca (1500 or 3000 mg per day) for 4 months. Serum luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, prolactin, testosterone and estradiol levels were measured before and after treatment. Treatment with maca resulted in increased seminal volume, sperm count per ejaculation, and sperm motility, which would indicate positive effects on fertility. Serum hormone levels were not altered. Maca is also known as an aphrodisiac and is found in Passion Rx.

L-Carnitine and Acetyl-l-Carnitine
Combined treatment with L-carnitine and acetyl-l-carnitine appears to improve sperm motility in men with fertility problems. In the study, 60 men with fertility problems between the ages of 20 and 40 years were randomly selected to take a combination of L-carnitine and L-acetyl-carnitine or an inactive "placebo" for 6 months. In the medical journal Fertility and Sterility, researchers at the University of Rome report that 2 months after the completion of therapy, men who took L-carnitine and acetyl-carnitine had increases in sperm concentration, forward movement, and total movement, which would likely lead to enhanced fertility. The most significant improvements in sperm motility, both forward and total, were observed in men who had the lowest levels of moving sperm when the study began. The researchers note that four spontaneous pregnancies were achieved during the study by men who had taken the combination therapy.

Mucuna pruriens herb for fertility
Mucuna pruriens has been evaluated for sperm or semen quality, fertility, and health.

Effect of Mucuna pruriens on semen profile and biochemical parameters in seminal plasma of infertile men.
Fertility Sterility. 2007 Nov 12. Ahmad MK, Mahdi AA, Shukla KK, Islam N, Jaiswar SP, Ahmad S. Departments of Biochemistry and Obstetrics and Gynecology, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India.
We evaluated sixty normal healthy fertile men (controls) and 60 men undergoing fertility problem screening. Before and after the treatment, seminal plasma lipid profile, lipid peroxide, fructose, and antioxidant vitamin levels were measured. Treatment with mucuna pruriens significantly inhibited lipid peroxidation, elevated spermatogenesis, and improved sperm motility. Treatment also recovered the levels of total lipids, triglycerides, cholesterol, phospholipids, and vitamin A, C, and E and corrected fructose in seminal plasma of infertile men. Treatment with mucuna pruriens increased sperm concentration and motility in all the infertile study groups. Oligozoospermic patients recovered sperm concentration significantly, but sperm motility was not restored to normal levels in asthenozoospermic men.

Trans fats and fertility
There is a possibility that high trans fats intake in the diet could lead to fertility problems in women. The more trans fats a woman eats, the more likely she is to not have healthy fertility. To maximize fertility, women should avoid all foods that list hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils in their ingredients.

Passion Rx with Maca and Mucuna pruriens
Medical Doctor Formulated to enhance sexual drive and performance in Men and Women

We know Passion Rx works because users order over and over.

Heavy exercise and fertility
Men who exercise to exhaustion experience changes in their hormone levels and sperm counts. While these changes aren't permanent, heavy exercise could impair fertility in men with poor sperm counts and low hormone levels.

Fertility diet
Women trying to get pregnant can improve their chances of conceiving by adopting a "fertility diet,"  Dr. Jorge E. Chavarro of Harvard School of Public Health endorses a fertility diet which includes a higher consumption of monounsaturated fat rather than trans fats, vegetable protein rather than animal protein, more fish, low-glycemic carbohydrates like whole grains, moderate consumption of high-fat dairy, multivitamins, and iron from plants and supplements. Dr. Jorge E. Chavarro also advises avoiding excess coffee, cigarettes, and alcohol. Increased physical activity is also important. Decreasing body weight improves the chances of fertility by reducing the risk of ovulation problems. Obstetrics and Gynecology, November 2007.

Drugs the interfere with fertility
Drugs used for epilepsy, such as carbamazepine and valproate. decrease fertility and increase reproductive disorders in both men and women. However, these problems may subside upon withdrawal of the medications, even after years of treatment.

Finasteride (Proscar, Propecia) can cause low sperm count and fertility problems
Propecia induced spermatogenic failure: A report of two cases.
Fertil Steril. 2007 Dec. Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Reproductive Biology Unit, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Two patients with azoospermia and severe oligospermia using finasteride 1 mg for hair loss. Patient A had documented azoospermia over 1 year and was initially booked for a testicular biopsy. Six months after discontinuation of finasteride 1 mg daily he showed improvement in sperm concentration to 5.5 x 10(6)/mL. Patient B had severe oligospermia with a sperm concentration of 4 x 10(6)/mL. Sperm concentration improved to 6.6 then 18.7 x 10(6)/mL at 3 and 6 months after stopping finasteride.

Avoid hot tubs
Male fertility plunges with frequent dips into the hot tub but often recovers when men stay away from long hot soaks. Dr. Paul J. Turek, from the University of California, San Francisco, identified 11 infertile men, average age 36, who habitually used a hot tub, heated Jacuzzi or hot bath for at least 30 minutes per week. The investigators evaluated the men's semen quality before and after they stopped using hot tubs, etc., for 3 or more months. After 3 to 6 months, five of the men had an average increase in total motile sperm counts of 491 percent. A large number of men who regularly take hot baths, sit in hot tubs or Jacuzzi's can improve their semen quality and possibly their fertility potential by simply discontinuing this activity.

Acupuncture and Fertility
Acupuncture may have a role as a treatment for certain types of male infertility. A study in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility, showed an improvement in sperm quality following acupuncture, especially the structural integrity of sperm. Researchers in Germany evaluated the benefits of acupuncture therapy in 28 men with unexplained sperm abnormalities, including malformed and motionless sperm, and low numbers of sperm. A variety of standard acupuncture points throughout the body were used. Acupuncture led to a significant increase in the percentage and number of sperm without structural defects. However, certain specific sperm abnormalities, such as immaturity, did not resolve or change with acupuncture.

Endometriosis and Fertility
Women with endometriosis that involves the bowel find their chances of becoming pregnant go up substantially after they undergo "keyhole" surgery to remove the affected section of bowel.

Alcohol and Fertility
Problem drinking may dampen both a man's sexuality and his fertility. Some past studies have suggested that heavy drinking can take a toll on men's reproductive health. One study found that couples had a higher miscarriage risk if the man had consumed 10 or more drinks a week around the time of conception. Also, it's known that alcoholic men can develop signs of low testosterone, including shrunken testicles and enlarged breasts.

Marijuana and Fertility
The likelihood of a good outcome of fertility treatment is reduced if either the man or the woman uses marijuana. Couples should not use marijuana for at least six months before starting fertility treatment. Long term marijuana use over a woman's lifetime reduces the number of eggs that can be retrieved and the number of embryos that can be transferred. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, February 2006.

Obesity and Fertility
Obese men are more likely to be infertile than their slimmer peers. Every excess 10 kilograms, or 20 pounds, may cut a man's fertility by 10 percent, Dr. Markku Sallmen of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in Helsinki and colleagues at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, write in the September, 2006 issue of Epidemiology. Fertility is lower among men with BMIs of 26 or greater, and decreased as BMI rises. For every three-point increase in BMI, the risk of infertility rose by 12 percent. There are a number of mechanisms by which being overweight could affect fertility in males. For example, excess weight may reduce sperm concentration / count, alter hormonal balance and increase scrotal temperature, or overweight men may simply have lower libidos and less sex than normal-weight men.

Fertility Research Update
Taking carnitine supplements seems to improve fertility and sperm mobility in men with poorly active sperm, a problem known as asthenozoospermia. However, for carnitine to work, tiny structures within the cell called mitochondria must function properly. Mitochondria are important because they provide the energy needed for sperm to move their tail and "swim." Researchera at the University of Padua and colleagues studied 30 asthenozoospermic men divided into two groups depending on whether they had normal or abnormal mitochondria function. In patients with normal mitochondria function, movement rose from 29 percent before treatment to 41 percent after 3 months of carnitine. However, in those with abnormal function, movement held steady at about 24 percent. Thus, carnitine treatment is useful in ameliorating sperm motility (and most likely fertility) only when optimal mitochondrial function is present.

Placebo-controlled double-blind randomized trial on the use of L-carnitine, L-acetylcarnitine, or combined L-carnitine and L-acetylcarnitine in men with idiopathic asthenozoospermia.
SOURCE: Fertility & Sterility 2005 Sep;84(3):662-71.
To evaluate the effectiveness of L-carnitine (LC) or L-acetyl-carnitine (LAC) or combined LC and LAC treatment in improving semen kinetic parameters and the total oxyradical scavenging capacity in semen. Placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial. Andrology unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Polytechnic University of Marche, Italy. Sixty infertile men, ages 20 to 40 years, with the following baseline sperm selection criteria: concentration > 20 x 10(6)/mL, sperm forward motility < 50%, and normal sperm morphology > 30%; 59 patients completed the study. Patients underwent a double-blind therapy of LC 3 g/d, LAC 3 g/d, a combination of LC 2 g/d and LAC 1 g/d, or placebo. The study design was 1 month of run in, 6 months of therapy or placebo, and 3 months of follow-up evaluation. Sperm cell motility (total and forward, including kinetic features determined by computer-assisted sperm analysis) increased in patients to whom LAC was administered both alone or in combination with LC; combined LC + LAC therapy led to a significant improvement of straight progressive velocity after 3 months. The total oxyradical scavenging capacity of the semen toward hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals also increased and was positively correlated with the improvement of kinetic features. Patients with lower baseline values of motility and total oxyradical scavenging capacity of the seminal fluid had a significantly higher probability of responding to the treatment.

For men with low sperm counts, sexual abstinence -- but only for a day -- increases semen quality and fertility. More prolonged sexual abstinence may actually reduce sperm numbers. After only two days of abstinence, sperm from patients with male factor infertility initiate a process of quality degradation. The findings are important for men trying to father children through in vitro fertilization, or even through the natural method.

The use of clomiphene citrate to induce ovulation in women with fertility problems appears to be associated with an increased risk of uterine cancer.

Smoking and drinking alcohol may affect the quality of semen. A group of investigators from Argentina found that men who both drank alcohol and smoked cigarettes were more likely to have a smaller amount of semen, a lower concentration of sperm, and a lower percentage of active sperm than abstainers. However, these semen alterations were present only in men who both smoked and drank, and not in men with one habit but not the other. For a normally fertile man, the reductions in semen quality are not enough to render him infertile, however, in men who already have fertility problems, these sperm changes might make the situation worse.

Role of environmental estrogens in the deterioration of male factor fertility.
Fertil Steril. 2002 Dec;78(6):1187-94.
To evaluate the role of the environmental estrogens, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and phthalate esters (PEs) as potential environmental hazards in the deterioration of semen parameters in men with low fertility without an obvious etiology. Twenty-one infertile men with sperm counts <20 million/mL and/or rapid progressive motility <25% and/or <30% normal forms without evidence of an obvious etiology and 32 control men with normal semen analyses, fertility and evidence of conception. Semen and blood samples were obtained as part of the treatment protocol. Evaluation of semen parameters such as ejaculate volume, sperm count, motility, morphology, vitality, sperm chromatin stability, and sperm nuclear DNA integrity. PCBs were detected in the seminal plasma of infertile men but not in controls, and the concentration of PEs was significantly higher in infertile men compared with controls. Ejaculate volume, sperm count, progressive motility, normal morphology, and fertilizing capacity were significantly lower in infertile men compared with controls. The highest average PCB and PE concentrations were found in urban fish eaters, followed by rural fish eaters, urban vegetarians, and rural vegetarians. The total motile sperm counts in men with no fertility were inversely proportional to their xenoestrogen concentrations and were significantly lower than those in the respective controls. PCBs and PEs may be instrumental in the deterioration of semen quality in men with no fertility and who have no obvious etiology for their lack of fertility.

Adjuvant L-arginine treatment for in-vitro fertilization in poor responder patients.
Hum Reprod. 1999 Jul;14(7):1690-7.
The objective of the present study was prospectively and randomly to evaluate the role of L-arginine in improving uterine and follicular Doppler flow and in improving ovarian response to gonadotrophin in poor responder women. A total of 34 patients undergoing assisted reproduction was divided in two groups according to different ovarian stimulation protocols: (i) flare-up gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa) plus elevated pure follicle stimulating hormone (pFSH) (n = 17); and (ii) flare-up GnRHa plus elevated pFSH plus oral L-arginine (n = 17). During the ovarian stimulation regimen, the patients were submitted to hormonal (oestradiol and growth hormone), ultrasonographic (follicular number and diameter, endometrial thickness) and Doppler (uterine and perifollicular arteries) evaluations. Furthermore, the plasma and follicular fluid concentrations of arginine, citrulline, nitrite/nitrate (NO2-/NO3-), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were assayed. All 34 patients completed the study. In the L-arginine treated group a lower cancellation rate, an increased number of oocytes collected, and embryos transferred were observed. In the same group, increased plasma and follicular fluid concentrations of arginine, citrulline, NO2-/NO3-, and IGF-1 was observed. Significant Doppler flow improvement was obtained in the L-arginine supplemented group. Three pregnancies were registered in these patients. No pregnancies were observed in the other group. It was concluded that oral L-arginine supplementation in poor responder patients may improve ovarian response, endometrial receptivity and pregnancy rate.

Women with celiac disease, a digestive disorder caused by sensitivity to gluten, have fertility and pregnancy experiences similar to women without celiac disease.

Fertility Questions
Q. i want to know if tribulus terrestris is good for fertility. my husband and i want to get pregnant, will it help?
   A. All the information we have thus far on fertility natural treatment is on this website that you can ask your doctor to review.