Fertility Supplement Looks Promising

Over One-Third Got Pregnant

In their study, researchers enrolled 30 women who had tried unsuccessfully -- for six to 36 months -- to conceive. Half the group got FertilityBlend for six months. The other 15 women got a placebo. Neither the researchers nor the participants were aware of which treatment the women received.

Three months later, the supplement group had increased progesterone levels, which can affect basal body temperature levels -- and, ultimately, fertility. Also, there was a significant increase in the average number of days with optimum basal temperatures, suggesting an increase in cycles with ovulation.

The placebo group did not show any notable changes.

After five months, five of the 15 women taking FertilityBlend were pregnant, compared with none of the placebo-group women.

May Be Something to It

A number of research centers are looking at alternatives to fertility drugs, including antioxidants.

An NIH-funded study at Emory University is looking at vitamins E and C on endometriosis, says Celia E. Dominguez, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist at the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Emory University.

"We have seen decreases in pain scores, and it appears that there may be some improvement in pregnancy rates," Dominguez tells WebMD. "These vitamins might help reduce inflammatory processes that might be preventing the egg and sperm from joining."

She would like more gold-standard studies like Westphal's, which support use of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins as a "fertility drug" for women, says Dominguez.

"All these companies are trying to come up with their own little chemistry, the best combination to improve the possibility of egg and sperm meeting each other and possibility of fertilization," she tells WebMD. "But which combination is more effective, that's the question."

A study looking at FertilityBlend formulated for men is under way to determine its effect on sperm concentration and mobility, according to the researchers.

SOURCES: American Public Health Association 131st Annual Meeting and Exposition, San Francisco, Nov. 15-19, 2003. News release, The Daily Wellness Co.