Should you take fertility herbs?
When you’re struggling to conceive, the team at Dallas IVF knows that you are willing to try almost anything to improve your fertility, including fertility herbs. Before you consider adding fertility herbs to your diet, your DFW fertility experts have important information to share.
Information about fertility herbs
If you do an internet search for fertility herbs, you’ll find countless websites that tout the benefits of adding various herbs to your diet. Many patients are tempted to start taking fertility herbs after reading these claims, but our DFW fertility experts want you to be cautious about taking them.
- All herbal supplements have limited Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, regulation. In fact, the FDA has only recently started holding herbal supplements to higher quality and purity standards.
- Fertility herbs can cause drug interactions. Infertility treatments often involve a complex combination of hormones and medications. No one knows how fertility herbs interact with these treatments. Taking these supplements in conjunction with fertility treatments may be beneficial, but it could also harm your health and fertility.
- Many patients experience side effects from fertility herbs. When you take an herbal supplement, especially in larger doses, you could experience adverse side effects, such as gastrointestinal distress. You could experience more-severe side effects if you have a preexisting medical condition or you are taking certain medications.
How to improve fertility safety
Before you begin taking any fertility herbs, you should speak to one of our DFW fertility experts. Until researchers can provide more information about the benefits and risks of fertility herbs, the physicians at Dallas IVF will likely suggest more-conventional treatments for infertility.
If you are interested in taking steps to enhance your fertility, you can take the following actions:
- Maintain a healthy weight. Being underweight or overweight can negatively affect your fertility. Work to achieve your ideal body weight by eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly. Sometimes just gaining or losing five pounds can help improve ovulation and fertility.
- Practice timed intercourse. Make sure that you and your partner are having sex at the right time in your cycle in order to increase the odds of conceiving. However, be sure to visit a fertility specialist if you are under 35 and unable to become pregnant after trying for one year. You should make an appointment if you are 35 or older and have been unable to become pregnant after six months of trying.
If you have more questions about fertility herbs and supplements, or if you would like to schedule an appointment with our DFW fertility experts, contact us.