Search for natural remedies for fertility and you’ll find no shortage of suggestions.
Raspberry leaf. Nettle. Rooibos. Chasteberry. Supplements, special diets and herbal teas. And, inevitably, something promising to “balance your hormones”, “prepare your womb” or generally give your reproductive system the botanical equivalent of a motivational speech.
But which natural remedies for fertility have actually been investigated?
The answer is more interesting, and considerably more complicated, than a list of the “10 best fertility herbs”.
Some botanicals have centuries of traditional use behind them. Others have been investigated in laboratory, animal or human studies. Certain nutrients are genuinely important before and during pregnancy. But evidence that a particular ingredient has biological activity is not necessarily evidence that taking it will increase your chances of becoming pregnant.
That distinction is particularly important when fertility is involved.
So rather than promising that the right herb, tea or supplement will magically put a positive pregnancy test in your hands, let’s look at some of the natural remedies commonly associated with fertility, what researchers have actually investigated and where tradition, promising research and established evidence part company.
Because your reproductive system is slightly more complicated than a teabag.
First, what do we actually mean by fertility?
Fertility is considerably more complicated than whether somebody drinks the right tea or remembers to take a supplement every morning.
Pregnancy depends on numerous biological processes and circumstances, including ovulation, egg and sperm factors, the fallopian tubes, uterus, hormones, age, general health and timing.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately one in six people of reproductive age experience infertility during their lifetime.[1]
Infertility can involve the male reproductive system, the female reproductive system, both, or factors that aren't immediately identifiable. In the female reproductive system, causes can include conditions affecting the ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes and endocrine system.[1]
That complexity is important because phrases such as “boost fertility naturally” make an extraordinarily complicated biological process sound as though it has one convenient on switch.
Preferably available in teabag form.
It doesn't.
Which natural remedies for fertility are commonly recommended?
Spend five minutes online and you can assemble quite the fertility cupboard.
Herbs including raspberry leaf, nettle and chasteberry are regularly recommended. You may also encounter maca, ashwagandha and countless other botanicals.
Then there are vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, herbal teas, dietary changes and lifestyle recommendations.
The problem isn't necessarily that all of these things are nonsense.
The problem is that very different types of evidence frequently get bundled together.
A plant may have been traditionally associated with reproductive health.
A nutrient may be important for normal reproductive function.
A botanical compound may produce an interesting effect in laboratory cells.
A supplement may have been investigated in a small human trial.
Those are four different things.
None automatically means:
“Taking this will make you more fertile.”
Research into an ingredient isn't research into every product containing it
This is one of the most important things to understand when looking at natural remedies for fertility.
Imagine researchers investigate a concentrated plant extract in laboratory cells and observe an interesting biological effect.
That tells us something about:
those cells + that extract + that concentration + those experimental conditions.
It doesn't demonstrate that drinking tea made from the same plant produces the same effect in the human body.
Animal studies don't automatically establish human effects either.
And even a human clinical trial involving a supplement or standardised extract doesn't necessarily tell us what happens when the same plant is steeped in hot water.
In short:
Plant ≠ extract ≠ supplement ≠ tea.
Not the most exciting equation we've ever written.
Possibly one of the most useful.
Raspberry leaf and fertility
Raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus) is one of the herbs most strongly associated online with women's reproductive health.
You'll encounter claims relating to menstruation, fertility, pregnancy, uterine health and labour.
But what does the evidence actually say?
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has assessed raspberry leaf as a herbal medicinal product. Its recognised traditional uses include the relief of minor spasms associated with menstrual periods, along with certain other indications.[2]
Fertility is not among those recognised traditional indications.
The EMA also makes an important distinction: its conclusions concerning these raspberry leaf uses are based on long-standing traditional use, rather than sufficient evidence from clinical trials.[2]
That doesn't prove raspberry leaf has no other biological effects.
It does mean that describing raspberry leaf as a clinically established way to increase fertility would go considerably beyond the evidence.
The verdict: Raspberry leaf has a long history of herbal use, but current evidence does not establish raspberry leaf tea as a way to increase the likelihood of becoming pregnant.
Nettle and fertility
Nettle (Urtica dioica) is another botanical you'll regularly find on lists of herbs for fertility.
It is often promoted because of its nutrient content, with that fact sometimes followed remarkably quickly by claims about reproductive health.
But there's an important leap hiding there.
A plant containing particular vitamins, minerals or other compounds doesn't automatically mean that consuming it improves fertility.
To demonstrate a fertility benefit, we'd ideally want appropriate human research measuring meaningful reproductive outcomes.
Nettle has been investigated for a variety of potential medicinal applications and has a long history of traditional use, but robust clinical evidence demonstrating that nettle tea increases female fertility is lacking.
The verdict: Nettle is an interesting botanical and can be part of a varied diet or enjoyed as an infusion, but that is different from saying it has been shown to improve fertility.
Rooibos and fertility
Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) frequently appears in fertility-tea conversations.
One reason it can be an appealing choice is beautifully straightforward:
Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free.
Research has also investigated rooibos and its constituent compounds for antioxidant and other biological properties.
And this is where the wellness internet can get a little overexcited.
The chain sometimes goes:
antioxidants → reproductive health → fertility → improves your chances of pregnancy.
There are some fairly enormous scientific gaps between those arrows.
Research showing antioxidant activity doesn't automatically demonstrate improved ovulation, conception, pregnancy or live-birth rates.
The verdict: Rooibos can be an enjoyable caffeine-free drink, including for people who are reducing caffeine while trying to conceive. That isn't the same as having evidence that rooibos itself improves fertility.
Sometimes tea is allowed to simply be nice tea.
Chasteberry and fertility
Chasteberry, or Vitex agnus-castus, is more complicated.
Unlike many botanicals casually associated with fertility, chasteberry has attracted genuine clinical research in relation to the menstrual cycle, particularly premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Specific chasteberry preparations have also been assessed as herbal medicinal products in Europe.[3]
But research concerning PMS isn't automatically research concerning fertility.
Some studies have also investigated herbal or nutritional formulations containing chasteberry in women experiencing fertility difficulties. However, combination products create an obvious problem: if several ingredients are taken together, it can be difficult to determine what any one ingredient contributed.
And evidence involving hormonal or menstrual effects does not automatically mean a botanical increases the likelihood of pregnancy.
The verdict: Chasteberry is pharmacologically interesting and has been studied in relation to reproductive and menstrual health, but that is not enough to describe chasteberry generally as a proven fertility treatment.
If you're trying to conceive, particularly if you take medication or are undergoing fertility treatment, discuss chasteberry supplements with your healthcare professional rather than assuming that herbal means harmless.
Maca and fertility
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is another regular star of the fertility internet.
Traditionally cultivated in the Andes, maca has been marketed for everything from energy and libido to hormones and fertility.
Research has investigated maca in relation to sexual function and reproductive parameters, particularly in men. Reviews of the evidence have found some potentially interesting results but also considerable limitations, including small studies and insufficient evidence to draw firm conclusions.[4]
And here's another distinction worth making:
Libido and fertility are not the same thing.
Something being investigated for sexual desire doesn't automatically mean it increases the biological likelihood of conception.
Likewise, a change in a laboratory measure such as sperm concentration isn't necessarily equivalent to demonstrating an increased pregnancy or live-birth rate.
The verdict: Maca has attracted reproductive-health research, but evidence is not strong enough to treat it as a proven natural remedy for infertility.
Ashwagandha and fertility
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) has achieved near-celebrity status in the wellness world.
Stress? Ashwagandha.
Sleep? Ashwagandha.
Hormones? Apparently also ashwagandha.
Fertility? You can probably guess what the internet says next.
There is genuine research into ashwagandha, including studies relating to stress and sleep.[5] Research has also explored reproductive parameters, particularly in men.
But evidence in one area shouldn't quietly morph into evidence in another.
If a particular ashwagandha preparation affects stress measures, that doesn't demonstrate that it increases fertility. Similarly, changes in reproductive biomarkers aren't automatically proof of improved conception or live-birth rates.
There is also an important safety consideration: the US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health advises that ashwagandha should be avoided during pregnancy.[5]
The verdict: Ashwagandha is scientifically interesting, but it shouldn't be casually marketed as a fertility booster based on research into stress, hormones or reproductive biomarkers.
What about supplements and nutrients?
This is where the conversation becomes particularly important, because not everything people take while trying to conceive belongs in the same evidence bucket.
Folic acid is a good example.
Women who could become pregnant are advised to take folic acid before conception and during early pregnancy because adequate folate reduces the risk of neural tube defects in the developing baby.[6]
That is a well-established public-health recommendation.
But notice what the recommendation actually says.
Taking folic acid before pregnancy is important for the healthy development of a future pregnancy.
That isn't the same claim as:
“Folic acid makes you more fertile.”
The distinction might seem small, but it's exactly how health claims get exaggerated online.
A nutrient being important for reproductive or pregnancy health doesn't automatically mean that taking more of it increases your chance of conceiving.
Traditional use deserves context, not dismissal
None of this means traditional herbal medicine is nonsense.
Plants have been used medicinally across cultures for thousands of years. Traditional use can tell us genuinely interesting things about how botanicals have historically been prepared and used.
It can also generate questions worth investigating scientifically.
But traditional use and clinical evidence aren't interchangeable.
The EMA's framework for herbal medicinal products illustrates this particularly well. European herbal monographs can distinguish traditional medicinal use from uses supported by established clinical evidence.[7]
So:
“Traditionally used for X”
doesn't mean:
“Clinically proven to do X.”
And neither automatically means:
“Therefore it improves fertility.”
We can respect traditional knowledge without giving it a laboratory coat it hasn't earned.
Lack of evidence doesn't mean “proven not to work”
There's another side to this conversation.
Women's health has historically had significant research gaps, and traditional medicinal remedies frequently haven't attracted the scale of research available for pharmaceutical treatments.
So “there isn't good evidence that this improves fertility” isn't necessarily the same statement as “this has been proven not to work”.
Sometimes there simply isn't enough good research to answer the question.
But the reverse matters just as much:
Lack of evidence isn't permission to claim that something works.
If you use a particular herbal tea while trying to conceive and find the ritual comforting, enjoyable or helpful during what can be an emotionally intense time, the absence of clinical proof doesn't invalidate that experience.
It simply doesn't demonstrate that the tea has increased your biological likelihood of becoming pregnant.
Personal experience can be meaningful without becoming clinical evidence.
Why fertility claims deserve extra caution
There's something particularly uncomfortable about exaggerated wellness claims when fertility is involved.
Trying to conceive can be straightforward for some people and enormously difficult for others. Infertility affects millions of people worldwide and can have significant psychological, social and financial consequences.[1]
Against that backdrop, promising that a particular herb will “boost fertility”, “prepare the womb” or “increase your chances of conception” isn't harmless optimism when the evidence doesn't support the claim.
It can create false hope.
It can also subtly imply that if pregnancy isn't happening, perhaps you simply haven't eaten, supplemented, detoxed, relaxed or brewed correctly.
No.
Fertility is complicated.
A cup of tea does not determine whether somebody has tried hard enough.
Are natural remedies always safe when trying to conceive?
No.
Natural doesn't automatically mean safe, particularly around conception and pregnancy.
Different botanicals have different safety profiles. Dose matters. So do medicines, health conditions, fertility treatments and the possibility that you may already be pregnant without knowing it.
Some herbs can interact with medicines. Others haven't been adequately studied during pregnancy. Some concentrated supplements may expose you to substantially higher quantities of plant compounds than you would get from food or an ordinary infusion.
This is another reason why throwing fifteen “fertility herbs” into one supplement isn't necessarily better.
If you're actively trying to conceive, particularly if you're taking fertility medication or regularly using herbal medicines or supplements, discuss them with your doctor, fertility specialist or pharmacist.
So, do natural remedies for fertility actually work?
This is the million-pound question.
And the answer depends entirely on what we mean by “natural remedy” and “work”.
Healthy nutrition, avoiding smoking, appropriate physical activity and addressing relevant nutrient deficiencies can all form part of looking after your general and reproductive health.
Specific preconception recommendations, such as taking folic acid, are supported by established evidence because they help reduce particular risks in a future pregnancy.[6]
But when we're talking specifically about herbs and herbal teas that supposedly increase female fertility, the evidence becomes much less convincing.
There isn't currently one botanical tea or herbal remedy that can simply be recommended as the natural way to increase your chances of becoming pregnant.
That doesn't mean plants aren't worth researching.
It means fertility deserves better than turning preliminary evidence into certainty.
Tea can still have a place while trying to conceive
None of this requires us to confiscate your teapot.
Trying to conceive can involve calendars, apps, ovulation tests, appointments, waiting, Googling and an impressive amount of thinking about bodily fluids you previously managed perfectly well without analysing.
A cup of tea can simply be a cup of tea.
A moment to sit down.
Something you enjoy.
A small ritual that doesn't need to optimise anything.
And if you're choosing herbal teas while trying to conceive, check the individual ingredients rather than assuming every blend marketed as “natural” is automatically appropriate before and during pregnancy.
Not quite as exciting as:
Ancient fertility tea unlocks your womb.
Considerably more useful.
When should you seek help with fertility?
How quickly to seek medical advice depends on factors including age, medical history, menstrual patterns and individual circumstances.
The WHO defines infertility as failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse.[1]
However, that doesn't mean everybody should automatically wait 12 months before discussing concerns with a healthcare professional. Depending on age, known reproductive conditions, irregular or absent periods, previous treatments or other circumstances, earlier assessment may be appropriate.
And fertility is not solely a female issue.
Causes of infertility can involve either the male or female reproductive system, both, or remain unexplained.[1]
So perhaps we can collectively retire the idea that the person with the uterus simply needs to drink the correct herbs.
References
[1] World Health Organization (WHO). Infertility. WHO information on the prevalence, definition and causes of infertility.
WHO: Infertility
[2] European Medicines Agency (EMA). Rubi idaei folium. Assessment of raspberry leaf and its recognised traditional medicinal uses.
EMA: Raspberry leaf
[3] European Medicines Agency (EMA). Agni casti fructus. Assessment documents relating to Vitex agnus-castus fruit and its medicinal preparations.
EMA: Agni casti fructus
[4] Dording CM, et al. (2015). A double-blind placebo-controlled trial of maca root as treatment for antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction in women. Evidence relating to maca and sexual function, illustrating the distinction between research into sexual health and evidence of improved fertility.
PubMed: Maca research
[5] National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Ashwagandha: Usefulness and Safety. Overview of available research and safety information, including advice that ashwagandha should be avoided during pregnancy.
NCCIH: Ashwagandha
[6] NHS. Vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy. NHS guidance on taking folic acid before pregnancy and during early pregnancy.
NHS: Vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy
[7] European Medicines Agency (EMA). European Union monographs and list entries. Information on the assessment of herbal medicinal products and the distinction between traditional and well-established use.
EMA: EU herbal monographs
This article is for general information only and isn't intended to diagnose or treat infertility or replace individual medical advice. Herbal medicines and supplements may not be suitable for everyone and can interact with medicines or fertility treatments. If you're trying to conceive, pregnant or undergoing fertility treatment, discuss herbal medicines and supplements with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
