We live in a world with some amazing medical and technological advancements, but many people often overlook the simplest and most natural solutions. While it may seem more like an old wives’ than medical advice, certain foods can influence a woman’s ability to become pregnant.

Diet influences your overall health, which means that eating the wrong foods can increase a woman’s chances of infertility. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly one in ten women will experience infertility, with an unhealthy diet being high on the list of probable causes. Keep in mind that infertility can also stem from health issues like PCOS, hormonal imbalance, and endometriosis. To increase fertility, women should incorporate the following foods into their diet.

Berries

Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries contain anti-inflammatory phytonutrients that help boost female and male fertility. Much like citrus fruits, berries are high in vitamin C and folate, both of which aid healthy fetal development. Try to consume at least one cup of berries a day.

Quinoa

It can be hard to choose which carbs you should eat. It is best to opt for whole grains, but the best source of healthy gluten-free carbs is quinoa. Not only is quinoa high in fiber, but it is also rich in zinc, folate, and protein. Swapping animal proteins for plant-based proteins like quinoa can increase your odds for conception. Complex carbs also help to regulate a woman’s cycle, making it easier to pinpoint peak fertile days.

Don’t Overdo It On Botanicals

While it is beneficial to limit caffeine consumption and focus on herbal teas, it is integral to know what herbs to avoid. A lot of fertility problems can be attributed to too many botanicals in your diet. If you are trying to get pregnant, you should avoid ephedra, St John’s wort, ginseng, licorice, and sassafras.

Walnuts

Containing high levels of fiber and omega-3s, walnuts should be eaten when trying to conceive. They contain magnesium, which helps to increase blood supply to the uterus and promotes progesterone production, both of which are integral for increasing fertility. Magnesium also helps to alleviate morning sickness that women tend to experience in the first trimester.

Leafy Greens

One of the best ways to obtain prenatal nutrients (calcium, iron, and folate, which helps inhibit birth defects in the spine and brain in the first few weeks of pregnancy) is by eating dark leafy greens. Load up on leafy greens by including them in smoothies, salads, or vegetable medleys. Great greens to eat include kale, chard, collards, or spinach.

Beans

These plant-based protein sources are rich in B-vitamins, fiber, folate, and iron, which helps to naturally boost libido and increase fertility. An iron deficiency can cause an anovulation, which is when ovulation doesn’t produce a healthy egg. It is best to opt for dried beans and soak them before cooking. Try to have beans in at least two meals a week. If you buy canned varieties, make sure that the cans are free of BPA, a toxic chemical that can negatively affect estrogen levels.

Avocados

Not only are avocados great sources of folate, but they also contain omega-3s and vitamin K, which helps to balance hormones and absorb nutrients. Avocados are also rich in monounsaturated fats and potassium, which helps to stabilize blood pressure levels. Women with PCOS or diabetes are encouraged to eat avocados because they contain vitamin E, which works to protect cells against oxidative damage.

Figs

The Ancient Greeks believed that figs helped to increase fertility. This belief is now supported by scientific evidence! Containing a lot of iron, figs are beneficial for healthy eggs and ovulation.

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Ephedra, also known as Ma Huang, is an herbal product derived from the evergreen plant. It was originally used in China to treat conditions such as asthma, fever, flu, headaches, wheezing and nasal congestion.

Five thousand years ago, the Chinese used the ephedra plant as a medicinal treatment. The modern ephedra supplements are now banned because of synthetic ingredients and extremely high doses.

Ingredients

The ephedra herb contains the stimulants:

• Ephedrine
• Phenylpropanolamine
• Pseudoephedrine

Benefits

Ephedra is a powerful stimulant herb that enhances energy. As a cardiac and central nervous system stimulant, Ephedra has been known as herbal or natural “speed.” In fact, it has even threatened the sales of amphetamines.

The plant is a very effective broncho-dilator and helps open up air passages, thus stimulating circulation and counteracting fatigue. Since it is a decongestant, it has been used aid many respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, allergies and congestion.

Having thermogenesis properties, it stimulates calorie burning and allayed hunger. It has been used in the alternative/natural weight loss arena until the manufacturers started isolating it’s major alkaloid, ephedrine as well as making a synthetic ephedrine which caused major health problems for people.

Used to boost stamina, energy and circulation, ephedra supplies oxygen to muscle tissue. If the muscles have more oxygen, they will contract more easily and will increase in size.

Health Concerns

If taken in normal doses, Ephedra is not a dangerous herb.

Careful use of the herb is necessary, but this is true of all herbal stimulants. In some cases, an herbal stimulant should not be used if the person is suffering from a particular disease.

In high doses, ephedra can serious health conditions. These include:

• High blood pressure
• Heart attack
• Chest pain
• Seizures
• Stroke
• Irregular and racing heartbeat

Ephedrine

A substance derived from the ephedra plant, Ephedrine has been used as:

• Weight loss supplement
• Energy booster
• Athletic performance enhancer
• Treatment for respiratory conditions

Ephedrine has been shown to be effective at promoting weight loss. By increasing the body’s metabolic rate, it enhances the ability to burn fat. These effects are greatest for individuals with low metabolic rates.

Health Risks

Pharmaceutical products containing ephedrine have been found to have many dangerous side effects and can be dangerous for human consumption.

When manufacturers began adding caffeine to weight loss products, many reports of heart problems appeared. The common side effects of ephedrine products include:

• Nervousness
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Tremor
• Insomnia
• Vomiting
• Irritability

Banned

Due to the harmful side effects of ephedrine, the FDA has banned the dietary supplement. This ban does not apply to the traditional Chinese herbs or herbal teas. Ephedra is still available in the U.S. and can be purchased at herbal stores.

Ephedra was not the culprit in weight loss formulas that was harming people in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The isolated alkaloid called “ephedrine” was the synthetic chemical that was responsible.

Thank you for reading.

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There are several poisonous herbs but they are not readily accessible in stores. Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, herbs are not fatal.

Controversies

Many herbs are banned as toxic or poisonous for political reasons. Some are banned because of one alleged poisonous alkaloid that is only poisonous when isolated and extracted from the entire plant. Remember, nature balances so when man extracts, he’s disturbing the natural balance and this is when it becomes harmful.

Poisonous herbs are not the same as controversial herbs, at least not in all cases. Many controversial herbs are not poisonous unless taken in excessive amounts. Controversial herbs are:

• Ephedra
• Comfrey
• Blood Root
• Sassafras and
• Kava Kava

Just because a substance is banned doesn’t mean it’s harmful and just because its approved and available doesn’t mean it’s safe. Consider pharmaceutical drugs. They are approved and available and yet hundreds of thousands of people are killed by pharmaceutical drugs every year.

Medical doctors tend to believe that herbs are harmful to human health and/or entirely useless.

Many people who study herbs from a Western medical perspective will also admonish against the use and consumption of certain herbs due to their alleged toxicity. This confuses a great deal of people and many people question the usage of certain herbs and their adverse side effects. Many people are confused about Goldenseal Root, Echinacea Root, Ephedra, Kava Kava, Mistletoe, ST. John’s Wort, Mandrake and Blood Root.

Studies

Herbalism and herbology are sciences that require rules, procedures and laws when using plants. The same is true of essential oils. All sciences require knowledge.

There are plants that can be ingested or take internally. There are others that should not be ingested and should only be used topically or externally. And then there are plants that you should totally avoid. However, these plants are only found in nature and cannot be found in stores.

Awareness

Knowledge is important when dealing with herbs because of their functions and properties. If a person is interested in herbalism, they should study the functions and properties of various herbs.

Oxytocic herbs are simply counterproductive or adverse to certain functions that may be applicable in a given situation or case with an individual person.

If a woman is breastfeeding, she would not want to consume Black Walnut Hulls or Sage because these herbs have an anti-galactagogue effect. Are these poisonous? No, just counterproductive or detrimental to a certain activity, function or outcome.

Taking an herb before bed that increases oxygen to the brain or that stimulates the brain would be counterproductive to sleep. The brain needs to slow down at night and not be stimulated. So it would not be wise to take Gingko Biloba, Gotu Kola, Green Tea, Guarana or Ginseng before going to bed.

On the other hand it would be wise to take an herb with a sedative or tranquilizing effect before bed. These include herbs such as Passionflower, Wild Lettuce, Kava Kava, Lavender Flower, Valerian Root or Chamomile. These herbs induce sound sleep and lucid and vivid dreaming.

If a person has high blood pressure, they would not want to take a cardio stimulant herb such as Yohimbe Bark because it would be counterproductive to the heart. Yohimbe would not be the problem, but would only exacerbate the problem. This must be understood. Many times Licorice Root and Yohimbe are misunderstood and are believed to increase high blood pressure. But in reality, these herbs do not impair a healthy heart.

Alkaloids

Some herbs have contra-indications and are said to be poisonous and contain poisonous alkaloids.

It is important to note that just because an herb contains a poisonous alkaloid doesn’t make the entire plant poisonous. However, there are plants and even trees in the rainforest and jungles that are entirely poisonous. If a tree is white or white-grayish, it’s poisonous.

On the other hand, a red-brownish tree is typically highly medicinal and therapeutic. The forest and jungle speak to us in many ways, including via the use of colors.

While some herbs may include or have a major alkaloid that is considered poisonous, the entire plant or tree should not be considered poisonous. A contra-indication does not make a plant poisonous.

Solutions

All Dherbs.com compounds are compounded with numerous other herbs so there’s never anything to worry about with our uniquely compounded formulas. The problems with certain herbs are based upon their individual use and the individual people.

Thank you for reading!

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