An American study has suggested a link between herbal remedies and subfertility. The research, published in the US journal, Fertility and Sterility, examined four popular herbs for their effects on the sperm's ability to penetrate the egg and on the genetic constitution of sperm.
Researchers at Loma Linda University studied the effects of Echinacea purpura, ginkgo biloba, St John's wort and saw palmetto. With the exception of saw palmetto, all the herbs were shown to inhibit sperm penetration. Echinacea and St John's wort caused DNA changed which reduced sperm viability. The amount of each herbal remedy used in the study was a fraction of the daily dosage recommended on product labels.
Researchers warned that laboratory studies do not necessarily mirror what happens inside the human body. US fertility experts, meanwhile, have suggested that just because something is considered 'natural', it is not necessarily safe.
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