Childlessness: Natural fertility drugs to the rescue

Symplocos racemosa, Saraca indica, Withania somnifera, Mucuna pruriens

Generally, in the African society, whenever there are problems of infertility among couples, the first person to be suspected is the wife. She may be accused of having done several abortions as a single girl, through which her womb may have been damaged. Yet, she may be innocent, as studies have shown that male factors account for between 20 and 30 per cent of infertility; 40-50 per cent with the woman, while between 30 and 40 per cent are due to problems in both man and woman.

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When situations like that arise, the woman becomes desperate and visits many places, from spiritual healer to fetish shrines and other places where, on the long run, she may end up with a complicated problem.

For one, most unorthodox treatments that she is likely to be offered usually end up contributing to fallopian tube blockage, kidney damage, and, sometimes, tubal damage, among others. In other words, what is supposed to be the solution is, sometimes, a contributory factor to her infertility problem.

Experts say it is wrong to engage in medications without proper supervision by competent medical personnel. And if there is anywhere where this is true, it is in the treatment of infertility. This is because there are many organs of the body that are involved in the process of conception and child delivery. This is why problem of infertility must be tackled with caution and by those who have been trained to treat it.

Experts say conception and pregnancy are complicated processes that comprise the production of healthy sperm by the man, healthy eggs from the woman, unblocked fallopian tubes that allow the sperm to reach the egg, and the ability of the fertilised egg to implant in the uterus and grow in a good environmental and hormonal condition.

“If one of the processes is impaired, infertility can be the result,” they say.

Many factors are responsible for infertility among men and women, and while many are traceable to individual lifestyle, others are due to environmental factors.

According to the American Fertility Association, recent studies suggest that toxins in the environment are not only damaging the reproductive capacities of men and women, exposure to ubiquitous dioxins such as cigarette smoke, lead and mercury, and some agricultural pesticides are known to be direct threats to a couple’s ability to conceive or achieve a healthy pregnancy.

Corroborating this research reports, a Nigerian fertility expert, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru, notes that in the female, the causes of infertility include obesity (associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome and endocrine disorders), increased maternal age, hormonal imbalance, stress, infections, toxins from the environment and improper nutrition.

Male factors are said to be due to deficiencies in semen and semen quality, erectile dysfunction and genetic factors which are as a result of environmental toxins, as well as toxins produced from diet, which leads to hormonal imbalance and infertility.

“The accumulation of these toxins from the environment will begin to manifest by the time a man reaches age 40-55 years. At this time, men experience an ageing phenomenon similar to the female menopause called andropause. This is as a result of gradual decline in the level of testosterone,” Ashiru explains.

He noted that based on clinical presentation, “the number of men with low sperm count is on the increase. The statistics has shot up from 15 per cent in men to 40 per cent.”

Shedding more light on the issue, he said male infertility could be divided into: problems with ejaculation or erection; problems within the fine, small reproductive tract ducts; and problems with sperm production.

“Problems with sperm production is by far the most common of the three, and can be detected during semen analysis,” he said.

In case of women, Ashiru says a woman’s age is probably the most significant factor related to her ability to conceive. However, in addition to age, there are a number of conditions that can interfere with a woman’s fertility.

About 20 per cent of female infertility can be attributed to tubal causes, which can be as a result of Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases, infection during medical procedures, when fecal matter comes into contact with the vagina, high fever in children, endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, pituitary tumors and sundry other reasons.

According to a 2004 edition of the American Journal of Gynaecology, in one study of couples undergoing high-tech infertility treatments, researchers concluded that a man’s chances of fathering a child decreases with each passing year.

In the study, the odds of a successful pregnancy fell by 11 per cent every year; while the couple’s chances of obtaining a successful live birth declined even further. “In such situation, the man receives medications to make the semen viable,” Ashiru says.

Though the picture painted so far about the problem of infertility among couples seems dire, that is not to say that there is no solution. ‘naturalfertilityinfo,’ a website focusing on many aspects of natural fertility, infertility, and reproductive health, asserts that herbs have been found to be supportive for reproductive health issues.

“If you are having difficulty becoming pregnant, you and your partner may want to return to herbs for fertility. Herbs have been used to promote fertility for thousands of years and can be considered to be a form of natural fertility medication,” it says.

Consequently, fertility specialists have developed herbo-mineral preparations that have been tested and proven to help otherwise infertile women to become fertile by toning and preparing the endometrium (the membrane lining the uterus) for the best conception environment.

Men are not left out, as a gender-appropriate natural medicine has been developed to add value to the spermatozoa, thus boosting it in terms of quality and quantity.

To help couples achieve their desire of having children, Charak Pharma of India has developed some herbo-mineral formulations that have been deployed in the successful treatment of infertility for over 50 years.

Two of such drugs are the M2-Tone for women; and Addyzoa for men. The herbal-based drugs regularise and strengthen factors of fertility in men and women respectively.

M2-Tone is a rational combination of scientifically well studied herbs such as Saraca indica, whose bark is reported to have stimulating effect on the uterine and ovarian tissue; and is said to be useful in the scientific treatment of several ailments, including menstrual cramps,  some cases of uterine bleeding, uterine fibroids, haemorrhoids (pile), and internal bleeding.

Another integral herb in M2-Tone is Symplocos racemosa. Apart from the fact that its extract could be used as a gargle for giving firmness to spongy and bleeding gums, or in the treatment of haemorrhage, acne, pimples and eye diseases, it is also used by Ayurvedic doctors for various female disorders, including menstrual disorders. Terminalia chebula, another component of M2-Tone, is highly regarded for its extraordinary healing powers and is believed to eliminate all waste from the body, and also promote tissue growth and health. Adhatoda vasica was traditionally used by midwives at the time of delivery because it is an agent that tones, strengthens and invigorates the uterus or the entire organism, giving a feeling of well-being.

A study on M2-Tone published in the journal of South Asian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists, notes that “M2-Tone improved the endometrial blood supply as assessed by latest imaging technique, 3D Color Doppler Ultrasound; and is known to improve pregnancy rate by up to 31 per cent.”

The report notes further that, “M2-Tone harmonises hormones in women to ensure regular menstruation, normal ovulation (release of ovum at regular monthly intervals) and provides nourishment to endometrium for a healthy baby to grow.”

Addyzoa, which also comes in form of capsules, is a combination of potent herbs like Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera — which regenerates cells, and enhances sex drive, among others); Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia — which increases the activity of the body’s immune system); Amalaki (Emblica officinalis, which is efficacious in preventing aging and improving different glands in the body); Vidarikanda (Ipomoea digitata, an aphrodisiac and rejuvenative herb); and Kavach beej shuddha (Mucuna pruriens, used in the treatment of nervous and sexual diseases).

Based on this combination, therefore, Addyzoa is reputed to ensure the improvement of sperm production on all three parameters such as count, motility and morphology.

Recent clinical trials done at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, and published in Indian Journal of Urology, notes that Addyzoa capsules benefit men by improving  sperm motility, resulting in improved chances of conception by their female partners.

A nutritionist/psychologist who specialises in the natural approach to female hormone problems, Dr. Marilyn Glenville, argues that “The natural approach to fertility is and has been enormously successful, largely because fertility is multi-factorial, meaning that there are many, many elements that can be at the root of fertility problems.”

Addyzoa and M2-Tone are marketed exclusively in Nigeria by Fidson Healthcare Plc, and they are available in all leading pharmacies all over the nation.

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