Infertility affects one couple in five and assisted reproduction centres often propose hormonal therapies to overcome difficulties in conceiving. Natural medicine can be a valuable complement during fertilisation cycles, and can support couples by improving the conception rate in assisted reproduction. But above all it can help a couple's natural fertility and bring joy through spontaneous conceptions, even after setbacks along more conventional paths.

Boosting female fertility

"Weak ovulation" can be helped through a homoeopathic remedy called "follicolinum", which stimulates ovulation and improves egg cell quality. "Ovarinum" can also be useful in supporting the important work the ovary must do to achieve a pregnancy. The hormone of significance in assessing ovulation is progesterone. In conventional medicine, if progesterone is low, the second phase of the cycle is supported using progestogenic supplements, either orally or vaginally. In natural medicine the same support can be obtained with Yam, the natural progesterone, to be used as a simple cream applied to the skin in the post-ovulatory phase.

Boosting sperm: how to naturally increase male fertility

The speed of sperm can be increased with the help of a remarkable herbal remedy: maca. Authoritative studies exist showing that taking the dried root of this plant improves sperm genesis. The effects are rapid and can already be appreciated within 72 hours of the first dose. Maca acts as a general tonic; men feel supported by an improved energy level and their sexuality also benefits positively. It is important to specify that this involves neither hormones nor plant hormones. The root of maca in fact contains a high level of fructose, which is naturally found in high concentration in seminal fluid, where it constitutes the energy source that sustains sperm motility. These therapies can be started within a natural cycle but can also be used alongside an insemination programme already discussed with the gynaecologist.

Supplements and the right diet to boost fertility

Diet for fertility is also fundamental. The most important recommendation is to keep blood sugar stable — particularly for women — and this means giving up sweet foods. If blood sugar and insulin do not undergo large fluctuations, the chances of achieving a pregnancy can certainly increase. A second sound suggestion, for both partners, is to monitor animal protein intake: red meat should never exceed two portions per week. Fish consumption, on the other hand, is an excellent support for fertility, both male and female. Among the various supplements we find Peruvian maca, pycnogenol, camu camu and dracontium lorentense.

Peruvian maca

This precious tuber, which concentrates many fertility-friendly amino acids, grows at 4,000 metres in the Andes. In women it improves folliculogenesis, ovarian reserve in mature women, the drive towards sexuality, and the quality of ovulation. In men it improves the motility of slow sperm and their resilience even in the laboratory setting of in vitro fertilisation. It is used in powder form or as dry-extract tablets. Care is required in thyroid conditions, but the plant has no known side effects.

Pycnogenol

From the bark of the maritime pine comes this excellent remedy against endometriosis, which supports women in combating the progression of the disease. Pycnogenol can be used during the use of the contraceptive pill or in combination with other treatments for endometriosis, but it is used above all when the woman, having completed the therapies that keep endometriosis under control, is left free to try to conceive. This herbal remedy prevents disease recurrence, enhances female fertility and reduces menstrual pain.

Camu camu: a help for female ovulation

It is the plant with the highest vitamin C content, surpassing every citrus fruit and rosehip. But it also contains riboflavin, niacin, iron and phosphorus. It is the plant that supports fertilisation cycles with a poor ovulatory response, in which the woman achieves a weak ovulatory response despite hormonal therapy. It is excellent when combined with the bioidentical hormone DHEA: together they regenerate the oocyte reserve with a powerful anti-ageing effect on the ovaries.

Dracontium lorentense

The antioxidant effect of this plant is remarkable — it was once used to help people resist and survive snake bites. It is an intense cellular revitaliser, rich in zinc and vitamins that can reinvigorate the slowed motility of sperm. Excellent for stressed, overworked men who have begun their quest for fatherhood late. For women, it is suited to more mature women seeking pregnancy after the age of 35, an age at which ovulations lose their vigour and quality.