Herbal fertility treatments used in North America from colonial times to 1900, and their potential for improving the success rate of assisted reproductive technology
Authors
Cheryl Lans
aInstitute for Ethnobotany and Zoopharmacognosy, Beek, The Netherlands
Lisa Taylor-Swanson
bCollege of Nursing University of Utah, Annette Cummings Building, 10 South 2000 East Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Rachel Westfall
cYukon Bureau of Statistics, Government of Yukon, Yukon, Canada
Keywords:
botanicals, herbal medicine, infertility, North America
Abstract
This paper serves to fill a gap in the literature regarding evidence for the use of botanical remedies in the promotion of fertility. It examines the botanical remedies that were used in North America (1492–1900) for all stages of reproduction from preconception to birth, and discusses their potential for future use with present-day infertility treatments. Each medicinal plant discussed in this paper is assessed using an ethnomedicinal methodology that entails examining the published ethnobotanical, phytochemical and pharmacological data. A few clinical trials have shown that there is potential for medicinal plants to improve the success rate of assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment if used in an integrated manner, similar to the integrated use of traditional Chinese medicine with ART treatment. For example, research has shown that older women who become pregnant have a high miscarriage rate, and this is one area that complementary and alternative medicines can address.
Keywords: botanicals, herbal medicine, infertility, North America
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