I’m excited to interview Gabriela Rosa for the blog! Let’s dig into the impact of herbs and teas on fertility.
Gabriela Rosa is an internationally renowned natural fertility expert, the founder and clinical director of NaturalFertilityBreakthrough.com (an integrative medicine, global practice servicing patients all over the world) and the host of the free #14DayFertilityChallenge program. Through the use of her 7 step F.E.R.T.I.L.E. Method, Gabriela and her team blend the best of science and self-care to deliver world class treatment based on her 11 Pillars of Fertility foundations. Since 2000, Gabriela and her team have helped thousands of couples overcome infertility and miscarriage, even when other treatments have failed.
Today she is helping us dive into fertility teas and fertility herbs.
I get lots of questions on this subject on a regular basis via email and in the Fab Fertile Support Group. The internet is filled with lots of contradictory information about recommendations for preconception health. While fertility tea and herbs can be very helpful for fertility, it is important not to take them in a vacuum.
Self-prescribing in some cases may actually hinder your chances of conception.
Herbs and Fertility Teas can be part of a good preconception plan, however they should always be used under the guidance of an experienced practitioner.
At Fab Fertile our team uses Functional Medicine to determine the root cause of disease/illness. Book your FREE 30 minute Supercharge Your Fertility Discovery Session to develop a simple plan that will optimize your chances of conception.
It is always important to work with a practitioner before you take any herb or fertility tea to ensure you are taking the proper dose and that it is right for your particular situation.
Hey I love tea. It’s my go to beverage. I add a little bit of raw honey and it’s my drink of choice. However, only drinking fertility tea and not making any of the foundational diet, lifestyle changes and targeted nutritional therapies may not get you the results you are looking for – a baby!
Fertility Tea is highly diluted!
For instance you would need to drink up to 50 cups of fertility tea to get any benefit, and at that point you would probably wash away all your nutrients due to all the fluid!
Here are the ratio’s:
Fertility Tea is 1 to 50 (1 part plant to 50 water)
Herbs are 1 to 2 (1 part plant to 2 parts water/alcohol)
Hold on! There are still some benefits for fertility tea!
A nice warming cup of tea can be part of your self care ritual and can be very restorative. Plus staying hydrated is very important for fertility and some people may prefer to use a warming cup of fertility tea, instead of water. So fertility tea could be a good option to use to keep hydrated (especially during the cold winter months).
It’s important to steep the tea as long as possible (be sure to cover the tea while steeping to reduce the loss of active ingredients). Having said that, the liquid extract and/or supplement form of the herb are preferred, but again it is important to consult an experienced practitioner, as self-prescription can lead to some unexpected and sometimes negative results.
Here are some recommendations to consider:
Red Raspberry
This herb is contraindicated in the first trimester of pregnancy (not recommended). It is helpful during the third trimester of pregnancy as it is anti spasmodic (stops cramps, helps with Braxton Hicks contractions), it’s really good for period pain and anti-diarrhoea effect and it’s a great uterine tonic, which helps to prepare the uterus for effective contractions during labour.
Recommendation:
Tea – 6 grams/day (take during 1st half of the cycle before ovulation).
Nettle Leaf
Diuretic, good for arthritis, eczema, gout and is not recommended in pregnancy
Nettle Root
Some people may be allergic to this herb, great male reproductive tonic, enhances breast milk production, can help to improve adrenal tone, very nutritive, good for women with PCOS (when androgens are high it can help decrease or balances androgens), not uterine tonic.
Recommendation:
Tea – 4 grams/day
Red Clover
Anti spasmodic, estrogenic effect (great herb for 1st half of the cycle), helps to increase egg maturation, great herb for skin conditions, good for PCOS, improve detoxification. Use during 1st half of the cycle and preconception health. Not recommended for pregnancy. Not recommended for endometriosis, fibroids or estrogen dominant conditions.
Tea – 12 grams/day (take during 1st half of the cycle before ovulation)
Maca
There is a lot of media hype about maca. Helps with adrenal tone, hormonal imbalance, PCOS, menstrual irregularities, good for menopausal symptoms, good for mood, anxiety, depression, adaptogenic herb and helps the body adapt to stress
Recommendation:
Dried Herb – 3-6 grams/day (use for 12 weeks for best effect)
Concerns
1) Some people may negatively react to maca and hormone status may become unpredictable;
2) Typically recommended for men for erectile dysfunction as it is a testosterone boosting herb;
3) Could negatively impact ovulation.
Chaste berry/Vitex
Can regulate the cycle, it can be used throughout the entire cycle, helpful for irregular cycle, painful ovulation, uterine bleeding, high prolactin levels (if there is a pituitary tumour it will not be helpful and could be the root of many of the above symptoms – always consult an experienced practitioner and do fact finding before self prescribing), helpful for PMS, PCOS, benign breast disorder/lumpy breast (however lumpy breasts can be can be a sign or at risk for breast cancer), good for hormonal acne for both men and women
It is important to not self prescribe and consult an experienced practitioner.
Recommendation:
Dried Herb – 3-6 grams dry dose
Can be used throughout entire cycle.
Tribulus
Helpful for erectile dysfunction, low sperm count, low motility, low libido, HPA axis is not communicating and ovulation is delayed, helps to regulate cycle, menopausal herb, hot flashes, insomnia, depression, adaptogenic, adrenal support, support male reproductive function, PCOS
Contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation. Not recommended if there are androgen sensitive cancers.
Recommendation:
Dry Dose – 7 grams/day
PCOS recommendations:
Peony
Helps with balancing the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid-ovarian axis, which improves hormonal imbalance (works well in conjunction with Vitex), a lot of research on peony and vitex used together in Traditional Chinese Medicine, helps with menstrual disorders, endometriosis, fibroids, adenomyosis, balancing androgen excess).
Recommendation:
Dry Dose – 6 grams/day
Cinnamon
Helps with losing weight, helps to balance blood sugar levels, not recommended during pregnancy
Recommendation:
Dry Dose – 1 gram/day
Gymnema
Helps with sugar cravings, numbs taste buds, lowers blood sugar
Gabriela’s Recommended Books and favourite App
Eat Your Way to Parenthood, by Gabriela Rosa | FertilityFriend.com |14 Day Fertility Challenge
Thanks to Gabriela Rosa for sharing her wisdom on this huge topic of fertility herbs and teas. It can be tempting to self prescribe and fill your cabinet with herbs, teas and supplements. These are often costly and temporary fixes that may or may not improve your fertility.
For the best results, it is important to consult an experienced practitioner and to follow a targeted protocol that includes diet, lifestyle and nutritional therapies that allow your body to prepare for conception and a healthy baby!
Book your FREE 30 minute Supercharge Your Fertility Discovery Session here to get a clear and simple plan that will help you figure out the next steps to optimize your health for a baby!
Sarah Clark empowers couples to discover how lifestyle and diet can dramatically impact their chances of conceiving. She was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure at 28 and had both her kids with donor eggs. Not until years later did she discover that the root cause of her infertility was a food intolerance. Join the Free Fab Fertile Support Group on Facebook for mini-challenges, motivation and inspiration!
