The 5 Best Herbs for Fertility and Reproductive Health

Published on August 12, 2021


Choosing to have a baby is a big step, one that sometimes presents challenges. When it comes to your reproductive health and your ability to have children, nourishing and supporting your reproductive system is essential. That’s where herbs for fertility can help.*

Herbs can provide the gentle, natural support you need.* In this article, we’ll review herbs for both men and women and share how they can help you invest in your fertility and reproductive health.* Here’s to your family!

Herbs for Fertility: Women

There are several herbs that have been traditionally used to promote fertility in females.

#1. Chaste Tree

Traditional Uses

The Chaste Tree shrub, scientifically known as Vitex agnus-castus, originated in Eurasia and is part of the mint family.1 Chaste Tree might seem like an unusual name for an herb used for fertility.

herbs for fertility - vitex berry

Its Latin name means “chaste lamb” and, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, comes from the early belief that it was an anaphrodisiac—in other words, it was thought to decrease sexual desire.1 Rest assured that it does not.

Instead, it has been used for quite some time for women’s hormonal and gynecological health.* Eclectic physicians traditionally used a tincture made from fresh Chaste Tree berries to help support menstrual flow and lactation.*

Now, Chaste Tree berry, also known as Vitex, is regularly used to help maintain healthy hormone levels—particularly of progesterone—and provide general support for a woman’s menstrual cycle, both actions that may help enhance fertility.*

Here at Gaia Herbs, this is one of our favorite herbs for women simply because of the positive impact it can have on your overall quality of life.*

How to Take It

There’s more than one way to take this supportive herb. Gaia Herbs USDA Certified Organic Chaste Tree Berry liquid extract contains only organic Chaste Tree, organic alcohol, and water.

For best results, use Chaste Tree Berry long term.* It’s easy: Simply take 60-120 drops in a small amount of water each morning.

If you prefer to swallow a capsule, there’s a Chaste Tree supplement for you, too. Gaia Herbs Vitex Berry capsules delivers Chaste Tree in Liquid Phyto-Caps®. Two capsules in the morning are all you need.

#2. Cramp Bark

Traditional Uses

The Cramp Bark shrub can be found in the woodlands of the eastern United States. In 1894, its bark was officially listed in the US Pharmacopeia, a universal reference on drugs and medicines, including herbal remedies.*

As you might guess from the name, Cramp Bark supports your menstrual cycle.* While the berries were also traditionally used as a food source, eclectic physicians used Cramp Bark to support healthy menstruation.* Now, it’s also used for female concerns such as cramping.*

The benefits for cramping are thought to come from a compound in Cramp Bark called methyl salicylate. It’s a precursor to salicylic acid, which is used in the aspirin you might turn to around that time every month.

How to Take It

We’ve included Cramp Bark in our Fertility Support formula that helps to support healthy hormone levels and ovulation rhythm.*

 

Fertility support pills from Gaia Herbs

 

In addition to Cramp Bark, our formula contains organic Ginger root and organic Chaste Tree to help maintain healthy cycles during preconception.*

Simply take two capsules once a day in the morning. A two-capsule serving contains 1,050 milligrams of dry-herb equivalent to nourish and support your reproductive system.*

#3. Red Clover

Traditional Uses

The Red Clover plant belongs to the legume family and is native to Europe and Asia, though it also now grows in North America.2 Cattle and other livestock often feed on this pretty and nutritionally dense plant, but that’s certainly not all it’s good for.

Red Clover can support the body in various ways.* It has been traditionally used for maintaining proper lymphatic function, supporting the immune system, and promoting healthy skin, but what interests us in this article is its effect on women’s hormones.*

The herb contains isoflavones, plant-based chemicals that act like a weaker form of estrogen in your body. Studies suggest that isoflavones may help reduce hot flashes and other menopause symptoms.*2

That being said, Red Clover isn’t just for menopausal women. Dr. Amos Grunebaum, a leading authority on fertility and pregnancy, writes, “The estrogen surge resulting from the use of Red Clover [has been shown to] assists in follicle and egg production, preparing the body for ovulation.”*3 Before starting any new treatment, speak to your doctor first, as these findings may not be applicable to your unique situation.

Not to mention, Red Clover is full of vitamins and minerals that support an overall healthy body and nervous system, thus supporting fertility.*3

How to Take It

Red Clover is available in Gaia Herbs Red Clover Supreme, a liquid extract to be mixed with water.

But we’ve also included it in our Women’s Balance formula, along with a host of other herbs that help maintain healthy female hormone balance.* These Liquid Phyto-Caps® include Oats grown on our farm in North Carolina, which are extracted fresh immediately after harvest to preserve full spectrum compounds for optimal potency.*

 

Gaia Herbs Woman's Balance

 

Women should take one capsule three times a day between meals.

Herbs for Fertility: Men

Herbs don't just help women's fertility, and it takes two to tango, so to speak. The following herbs can promote male fertility.

#1. Saw Palmetto

Traditional Uses

Saw Palmetto is a member of the palm tree family and produces berries that look quite similar to olives. It’s native to the southeastern United States and the West Indies.

Over the years, in addition to serving as a traditional medicine, it has served as a food source as well as material for making baskets, rope, brushes, and the like.

As far as its traditional medicinal uses in North America, Saw Palmetto has a 150-year history as a male genitourinary tonic that can help support the proper function of the prostate, which can impact fertility in men.*

When it comes to using Saw Palmetto as an herb for fertility, it's important to note that most herbs do not work magically overnight. Instead, over time, Saw Palmetto has been shown to nourish “the entire endocrine system, which may help improve overall reproductive function in men.”*4

How to Take It

Gaia Herbs Saw Palmetto is a single-herb extract in vegan Liquid Phyto-Caps®. Each one-capsule serving delivers 160 mg of Saw Palmetto fatty acids. Men looking for fertility support can take one capsule twice a day.*

We’ve also included Saw Palmetto in our Prostate Health formula, a blend of prostate-supportive herbs including Green Tea, Nettle root, Pomegranate, and White Sage.*

#2. Maca

Traditional Uses

Maca, also commonly referred to as Maca root, is a caffeine-free superfood and adaptogenic herb from the Andes Mountains. It was traditionally used as a beneficial food by the native people of the high-altitude Andes regions and is still used by many today.*

In addition to supporting mood, energy, and a healthy stress response, Maca is considered an aphrodisiac, meaning it supports sex drive.* But that’s not all. Another possible benefit of Maca when it comes to fertility is its potential impact on sperm.*

In a small study of nine healthy men, researchers found that Maca increased sperm count and sperm motility.*5

maca for male fertility

While more research and clinical studies will need to be done before any definitive conclusions can be drawn about the effect of this herb on increased sperm function, we are excited by these promising early results.* Please note that before starting any new treatment, you should speak to your doctor first, as the findings from this study may not be applicable to your unique situation.

How to Take It

Here at Gaia Herbs, we love Maca not only for its many benefits but also for how easily you can work it into your diet or routine.

Gaia Herbs Maca Root contains Maca in powder capsule form. All you have to do is take one capsule twice a day between meals. Plus, our organic Maca goes through a process known as gelatinization, which uses heat and water to make it easier to digest.*

You can also get creative with our Maca Powder and add it to your morning smoothie or another favorite recipe. One teaspoon daily will do the trick.

And last, but certainly not least, is Gaia Herbs Male Libido formula, which contains Maca in addition to seven other herbs (including Horny Goat Weed and Saw Palmetto) to support healthy stamina and vitality.*

If you’re interested in learning more about our herbal supplements, we’ve got you covered. Here at Gaia Herbs, we are committed to transparency and want you to know what’s in the supplements you’re taking.

That’s why we created Meet Your Herbs®, the world’s first herb traceability platform. There, you’ll discover the origin of your herbs; learn how they were grown, harvested, and extracted; and see validation of your product’s level of purity and potency.

We verify at every stage of the Gaia Herbs seed-to-shelf journey—because you deserve to know exactly what’s in your herbal supplement.

Turn to Gaia Herbs for Fertility Support*

Whether you’re a man or woman, you can find plenty of herbs for fertility that can support your reproductive system.* Invest in your health—and your family—with the herbs we discussed in this article.*

Women can put herbs such as Chaste Tree, Cramp Bark, and Red Clover to work by taking Gaia Herbs Fertility Support or Women’s Balance. And men can turn to products such as Gaia Herbs Saw Palmetto and Maca Root for fertility and reproductive health.*

With herbal supplements, you can gently care for, nourish, and support your reproductive system.*

REFERENCES:

1. “Chaste Tree,” Encyclopedia Britannica,
https://www.britannica.com/plant/chaste-tree.

2. “Red Clover,” Mount Sinai, https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/red-clover.

3. Amos Grunebaum, MD, “How Does Red Clover Affect Female Fertility,” babyMed, updated June 30, 2020,
https://www.babymed.com/red-clover-and-its-positive-effects-on-female-fertility.

4. Dalene Barton, “Saw Palmetto for Improved Male & Female Fertility,” Natural Fertility Info, https://natural-fertility-info.com/saw-palmetto-fertility.html.

5. Gustavo F. Gonzales, “Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacology of Lepidium meyenii (Maca), a Plant from the Peruvian Highlands,”Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2012): 193496,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184420.