MALE INFERTILITY - NATURAL AND ALTERNATIVE REMEDIES

ProGentor Vi

As discussed in the article on male infertility, more than one factor is implicated in male infertility. Many of the causes of male infertility can be addressed by the use of herbs and vitamins found in natural products. Few men receive the essential vitamins and minerals needed for reproductive health.

ProGentor Vi is promoted as a 'natural' solution to improve male responsiveness. It is a little unclear from the language used about it whether its manufacturers regard it as a remedy for infertility or for impotence, since advertising appears to concentrate heavily on its claimed ability to " Restore sustained ability and natural male performance." However, it does contain some of the same herbs as other remedies marketed for male infertility conditions.

There do not appear to be any scientific studies of this particular remedy, and there are a number of warnings about its use for specific categories of people, based on contraindicated use of some of the herbs contained in it. Specifically, if you have cardiovascular disease, peptic ulcers, kidney malfunctions, or if you are using tricyclic anti-depressants, yopu should avoid this remedy because it contains yohimbe. You are advised that caution should be exercised when using anticoagulants such as aspirin or Warfarin along with Ginkgo, another constituent. Nor should hypertension patients use large quantities of ginseng, which can cause elevated blood pressure.

ProGentor Vi lists the following ingredients:

• ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root, comes from a shrub that flourishes in India and North America that has been used as an herbal remedy for hundreds of years. It contains flavonoids and members of the withanolide class. It contains antioxidant properties. Studies have found that ashwagandha is very effective in reducing inflammation, treating tumors, decreasing stress, increasing mental activity, invigorating the body, and as an antioxidant.
• Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus)root, is a proven stress fighter. Eleuthero's eleutherosides and complex polysaccharides (complex sugar molecules) function as an adaptogen. Eleuthero optimizes the adrenal secretion of stress-fighting hormones and has been shown to enhance mental acuity and physical endurance without the letdown that comes with caffeinated products.
  Numerous studies have left little doubt that Eleuthero can heighten mental alertness and improve concentration. Some studies show increased sperm count, and some animal studies indicate that the herb boosts testosterone levels.
• Ginkgo biloba leaf, unlike many other medicinal herbs, are not frequently used in their crude state, but rather, in the form of a concentrated, standardized ginkgo biloba extract (GBE). GBE is used more as a measure to help erectile dysfunction than as a remedy for infertility itself. Of the more than 40 components isolated from the ginkgo tree only two - flavonoids and terpenoids - are believed to be responsible for the herb's beneficial effects in humans. Flavonoids have powerful antioxidant effects. Laboratory and animal studies have shown that flavonoids protect the nerves, heart muscle, blood vessels, and retina from damage. Terpenoids improve blood flow by dilating blood vessels and reducing the stickiness of platelets.
• Horny goat weed (Epimedium grandiflorum), is used in traditional Chinese medicine principally as an aphrodisiac. According to one herbal author, Horny Goat Weed has testosterone-like effects that can stimulate sexual activity in both men and women, increase sperm production, stimulate the sensory nerves and increase sexual desire.
  In recent studies, a daily dose of Horny Goat Weed extract has shown significant results as a sexual performance enhancer for both men and women - boosting sexual energy and stamina.
  Horny Goat Weed is thought to lower blood pressure by dilating capillaries and blood vessels while slowing the adrenal production that can hinder blood flow to the sex organs. Men are said to achieve better erections due to this effect.
• Tribulus terrestris flower is believed to promote elevation of testosterone levels. It has been successfully tested clinically for its use in the treatment of idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OTA). In a double blind study of 45 infertile, married men with OTA, ( Tribulus terrestris (protodioscin) in the treatment of male infertility with idiopathic oligoasthenoterato-zoospermia , reported in First International Conference of Medical Plants for Reproductive Medicine ) 36 men were treated with 500 mg purified TTL (Libilov) three times daily for three months. Composing the controlled group, nine men were given placebo (sugar pills) for the same period of time. Spouses of eight of the men in the treated group successfully achieved pregnancies after treatment of their husbands, whereas no pregnancies occurred in the spouses of the men in the control group. An improvement in the sperm morphology, including that observed under conventional phase contrast microscopy as well as improvements in acrosome morphology and reaction, seemed to account for the increased fertility after treatment. In addition, TTL was also shown to increase the level of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and might also contributed to the activation of cell membrane receptors and the production of weak androgens. These, in turn, might additionally improve fertility by increasing the level of spermatogenesis.
• yohimbe (Pausinystalia yohimbe)bark, contains a complex mixture of compounds including alkaloids as well as some tannins. Most of the herb's effects are thought to be due to yohimbine, although reserpinoid alkaloids and other chemicals found in the whole herb may modify yohimbine's effects. Yohimbine works by blocking certain types of neurotransmitter-receptors in nerve cells. Yohimbine affects primarily a part of the adrenaline-related or "adrenergic" nervous system, which helps control aspects of various bodily functions, including motor activity and sexuality.

The suggested dosage for adult males is quarter of a teaspoon three times daily.