Infertility  

Infertility is a major and growing problem. Over three million visits each year to North American physicians are for infertility. The demand for treatment is increasing and the cost, both financial and emotional, can severely strain relationships. 

Symptoms 

Infertility is defined as the absence of conception after one year of regular intercourse without the use of any contraceptive. About fifteen percent of all couples experience conception problems. Men are responsible for the problem at least forty percent of the time. Infertility increases in women over the age of thirty-five. 

Causes 

It can be hard to pinpoint which of the many possible factors is the cause of a couple’s infertility. For both men and women there can be several factors, such as physical changes in the pelvis due to inflammation and infection, chlamydia, excessive physical activity, malnutrition, extreme weight gain or loss, severe mental or physical stress, and exposure to toxic substances including heavy metals, drugs, radiation and heavy smoking. 

Women with a previous history of pelvic inflammatory disease, pregnancy outside the uterus, abdominal surgery, intra-uterine device (IUD) complications or fibroids are often unable to conceive. In some cases, women develop an incompatibility with or allergy to the partner’s sperm, which are destroyed as a result of immune system malfunction. 

Other causes of infertility in women could be failure to ovulate, tubal disease, endometriosis, pituitary gland failure, ovarian failure, long-term effects of the birth control pill, hypothyroidism or other hormonal imbalances, endometrial failure, hostile cervical mucus, recurrent miscarriages and nutritional deficiencies. 

In men, infertility can be caused by an inadequate sperm production by the testes or poor sperm motility. This may be due to environmental toxins such as chemicals, radiation, drugs, heavy-metal exposure, cigarette smoking, street drug use and pollution. Frequent sex, prolonged exposure to heat from hot tubs or saunas, or wearing underwear or pants that are too tight are also suspects. 

Studies show that sperm counts have declined steadily over the past fifty years. During this period of time, our civilization has experienced the introduction of over 70,000 chemicals in our food, water and air. Stress, poor diet and lifestyle habits all contribute to low sperm counts or poor sperm motility. 

Other causes in men include a varicose condition of the scrotum, undescended testes, infectious disease and glandular diseases affecting the hypothalamus, pituitary and the testes. Nutrient deficiencies also have a role to play. An obstruction of the seminal tract will decrease or stop the passage of sperm from the testes to the urethra for ejaculation. This may result from congenital abnormalities, urethral stricture and infection of the epidydimis, testes, seminal vesicles, urethra, prostate or vas. All are correctable medical conditions. 

Nutrition         

A balanced diet is essential for the body to function properly. Eat pumpkin seeds for zinc, which is important for the health of reproductive organs and the prostate gland. Bee pollen and royal jelly are extremely nutrient-rich bee product foods which help stimulate fertility. Both men and women should avoid coffee, tea and colas since caffeine promotes infertility. 

In the case of hormone deficiency, vitamin E is the fertility vitamin because it corrects the functioning of the endocrine glands. Green, leafy vegetables, especially watercress, contain vitamin E. Drink one tablespoon of watercress juice daily or add a few fresh sprigs to a salad. Wheat germ is an excellent source of vitamin E. In certain cases miscarriage can be prevented if the pregnant woman eats wheat germ on a regular basis. 

Nutritional and Herbal Supplementation 

Supplements help improve fertility. Lack of protein and calories from malnourishment is a cause of infertility, so adequate nutrition should be the basis for treatment of any illness, including infertility. 

Vitamin B6 can make a marked difference in some women having problems conceiving, as this vitamin helps balance progesterone levels. The other B vitamins are best taken together to prevent imbalances from occurring. Men also benefit from these supplements as they are required for thousands of enzyme reactions. 

Vitamin E is useful for hormonal imbalances and is a vital nutrient for the sex hormones. Often recommended for women to help with a wide variety of reproductive problems, this vitamin is also needed by men to provide a healthy sperm count. 

For women, an overgrowth of unfriendly or pathogenic bacteria, candida, fungi or parasites may lead to bloating, gas, alternating diarrhea with constipation, and bad breath. Most gynecological infections with resulting infertility stem from microbes that have crept into the vagina or uterus from the anus. Stool cultures for these potential problems may help make the diagnosis and treatment could then be aimed at balancing the large bowel flora.

As you can see, there are a great many vitamins, minerals, herbal supplements and other natural remedies that have been shown to effectively enhance fertility for both men and women safely and effectively. Which therapies are chosen will be based on the root cause of the fertility issue and not just the symptom.

Your practitioner will carefully evaluate your situation and put together an effective protocol at treating your condition with natural remedies rather than dangerous medications that merely treat the symptom and come with extremely dangerous side effects.

Over­all, it’s more impor­tant to focus on the root cause and what are the under­ly­ing mech­a­nisms that are caus­ing the condition rather than just treat­ing it symp­to­mati­cally.

Each per­son is encour­aged to seek out a qual­i­fied nutri­tion­ist or other qualified healthcare practitioner in order to assess exactly which nutri­ents, herbs, home­o­pathics and nat­ural reme­dies; in which com­bi­na­tion; in what pro­por­tion are right for the par­tic­u­lar indi­vid­ual and are intended at treat­ing the root cause rather than just a symptom.