Fertility Tea: An Herbal Tempest in a Teacup!

It's no surprise that herbal fertility teas are moving front and center in current discussions surrounding nutrition, fertility, and infertility therapy. Drinking tea has always been associated with a healthful lifestyle, and new herbal teas are distilling traditional wisdom in the halls of clinical science. With the surging popularity of FertilAid and Fertility Blend herbal supplements, it was only a matter of time for "fertility" to be translated as "FertiliTea".

Regular ovulation, female hormonal balance, the nurturing of reproductive tissues - these are some of the benefits attributed to herbal extracts and fertility teas. While clinical research is now validating the benefits of herbs like vitex, women the world over having been taking - and validating - such herbal remedies for many centuries.

Herbal Teas and Fertility: From Green Tea to Vitex

There is no one herb or herbal ingredient that makes a tea a fertilitea. In fact, there are several herbs and herbal combinations that may promote fertility and increase the chances of successfully conceiving. Even mildly caffeinated Green Tea has been shown to increase the odds of pregnancy. The nutritive and fertility enhancing components of green tea are likely attributable to polyphenols, compounds rich in antioxidants. Curiously, according to one study, even a tad bit of green tea caffeine seems to increase the odds of conceiving (but, alas, caffeine as fertility supplement cannot be generalized to coffee drinking).

Green Tea and Fertility: In the context of reproductive health, Green Tea is a powerful antioxidant that enhances fertility by repairing the oxidative damage that occurs as the result of environmental toxins, aging, stress, exercise, lack of sleep, and poor diet (processed foods). A study from the American Journal of Public Health found that drinking 1/2 cup or more of green tea daily doubled the odds of conception per cycle. Another study concluded that women who drank more than one half cup of green tea every day doubled their odds of conceiving.

Chasteberry (Vitex) is probably the most well-known and widely studied "fertility herb". Vitex can be found in fertility supplements like FertilAid for Women or in tincture form. Vitex - or vitex agnus castus - is recognized for stimulating the hormones involved in ovulation and restoring female hormonal balance. It may normalize pituitary function and the balance of progesterone and estrogen levels. Vitex is used as an herbal treatment for infertility and is especially helpful for women with irregular cycles, anovulation, or a short luteal phase (a short 2nd half of the menstrual cycle).

Red Raspberry Leaf is regarded for its ability to tone the uterus and muscles of the pelvic region. Very popular - and used as a traditional fertility enhancer for a long time - Red Raspberry is a powerful fertility herb.

While women throughout the world have taken herbal remedies for thousands of of years, it's a relatively new idea in the West. If you're tempted to try a more natural approach to your supplement regime, do your homework first. Natural doesn't always mean safe, and some herbs like sassafras, goldenseal, and pennyroyal can seriously harm a developing baby. Herbal fertility teas appeal to moms-to-be because they're often caffeine-free. The temperature of the water, the amount of leaves and the length of time the brew steeps can make each cup vary dramatically in potency. Also, there is not enough researched information to consider them all safe, says Dr. Amos Grunebaum, MD, FACOG of the departments of obstetrics, gynecology and maternal-fetal medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Medical Director of Web MD. "Citrus peel, ginger, lemon balm, orange peel and rose hips are known to be safe, though," he says. "Red raspberry and ginger teas are also excellent and accepted cures for morning sickness. From ePregnancy. Dr. Amos Grunebaum, Director of the WebMD Fertility Center & formulator of FertiliTea Fertility Tea

More Fertility Herbs Associated with Menstrual and Reproductive Health

Putting the fertility in to fertilitea is as much about body chemistry as it is about good health and nutrition. Both elements are key. Where vitex promotes hormonal balance and regular ovulation, vitamins and minerals and cleansing antioxidants are equally vital to reproductive health. Fertility teas can combine both these qualities.

For example, a tea like FertiliTea offers nettle leaf, which contains a wide spectrum of vitamins and minerals that are critical to good reproductive health (including Vitamins A, C, D, K, Potassium, Phosphorous, Iron, and Sulfur). Nettle Leaf also contains Calcium – a mineral that affects a woman’s ability to conceive and maintain pregnancy. Green tea is present with its antioxidants and healthful polyphenols. At the same time, a tea like FertiliTea also integrates fertility herbs such as Vitex and Ladies Mantle, which also helps regulate a woman's menstrual cycle and promote regular ovulation. Ladies Mantle may also exert a toning effect on the cervix.

Related Topics
> Fertility Supplementation: A New Era in Infertility Therapy
> Fertility and Pregnancy Herbs
> Fertility Food: A Preconception Diet