Re: ECHINACEA,GINGKO AND FERTILITY
From: anonymous (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Wed Mar 20 23:07:25 2002
"Taking
>these herbs will help balance it and cause an increase in estrogen and
>in turn an increase in symptoms. That's my logic."
Mary, from what my body tells me, you are absolutely correct. And yes,
there is a lot of incorrect information on the web re endo and herbs --
many sites suggest taking Evening Primrose Oil or soy products -- both
of these flare my endo.
So far, the only website I've found to be somewhat accurate in terms of
endo is the website by Julia Chang http://www.sensiblehealth.com .
At Wed, 20 Mar 2002, Mary wrote:
>
>Hello everyone,
>I replied to a message the other day about dong quai. There are many
>herbs which balance or increase estrogen. There is good info on some
>sites. Unfortunatley, many sites are from manufacturers of products, so
>it's difficult to find good, unbiased sources. I've found some common
>things to look for. Herbs which balance hormones, both progesterone and
>estrogen. I would be careful, because if we're trying to stay away from
>estrogen producing foods, then we would create a deficiency. Taking
>these herbs will help balance it and cause an increase in estrogen and
>in turn an increase in symptoms. That's my logic. Maybe it's warped,
>but it makes sense to me. And I hope to all of you too. Tell me what
>you think?
>I once found an interesting article on echinacea and gingko biloba. I
>find it a little frightening because more and more people run for
>echinacea as soon as flu season starts or we feel a little under the
>weather, especially here in Canada. This study basically consisted of
>taking an egg and putting it in either echinacea or gingko(for all of us
>who want improvement in memory) and they found that the sperm did not
>attach itself or get 'attracted' to the egg and there was less
>implantation. Again, sorry for my layman version. This suggested a
>link between these herbs and infertility. I can't recall where I read
>it or more complete details, but it's worth investigating. This could
>be a double whammy for us endo-sufferers, since we already have problems
>with our fertility.
>Next time, I'll try to put these articles in my favorites.
>Best of health to all!!!!!!
>Mary
![[ endo@obgyn.net ]](../../images/endo_at_obgyn.gif)