He Shou Wu has been linked to serious side effects, including liver damage. It may also mimic estrogen in your body. Always speak to your doctor before using this herb.

When taken by mouth: Fo-ti is POSSIBLY UNSAFE to take by mouth due to concerns that it might cause liver damage in both adults and children. Fo-ti has been linked to liver damage in several reports, including one case in a 5-year-old child.

Fo-ti is a popular Chinese tonic herb, dating back to 713 AD. It is used to increase liver and kidney function and to cleanse the blood. The plant is also prescribed for symptoms of premature aging, such as gray hair, and is commonly found in hair care products in China.

Hormone-sensitive conditions such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids: Fo-ti extract might act like estrogen. If you have any condition that might be made worse by exposure to estrogen, don’t use fo-ti.

Herbal supplements

• Black cohosh. Black cohosh is a traditional Native American herb that has historically been used to treat a variety of conditions, including menopause and menstrual issues.
• Chasteberry.
• Evening primrose oil.
• Red clover.
• Dong quai.

In some parts of the body, black cohosh might increase the effects of estrogen. In other parts of the body, black cohosh might decrease the effects of estrogen. Black cohosh should not be thought of as an “herbal estrogen” or a substitute for estrogen.

Black cohosh may not be safe for:

• Women who are pregnant (although it is sometimes used to induce labor)
• Women who have — or have had — breast cancer or uterine cancer.
• Women who have endometriosis.
• Children under 18.
• People with liver disease, a high risk of stroke or blood clots, or seizure disorders.

Conclusion: Both herbs were effective in reduction of severity of hot flashes and improvement of the quality of life, but it seems that black cohosh is more effective than primrose oil because it was able to reduce the number of hot flashes too.

Black cohosh seems to help decrease menopausal symptoms because it contains phytoestrogens, substances that act a lot like estrogen. When you go through menopause, your estrogen levels drop significantly. This is why many women experience hot flashes.

Based on current research, black cohosh is most likely to relieve symptoms related to reductions or imbalances in the hormone estrogen. A 2010 review concluded menopausal women experienced a 26 percent reduction in night sweats and hot flashes when using black cohosh supplements.

Today, black cohosh is most commonly used for menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes (also called hot flushes) and night sweats (together known as vasomotor symptoms), vaginal dryness, heart palpitations, tinnitus, vertigo, sleep disturbances, nervousness, and irritability [5,6].

Although there’s little evidence that black cohosh can improve sleep, it may help reduce symptoms that are causing sleep disturbances in menopausal women, such as hot flashes. However, one small study in 42 menopausal women found that supplementing with black cohosh seemed to improve sleep duration and quality ( 14 ).

It’s diagnosed after you’ve gone 12 months without a menstrual period. Menopause can happen in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51 in the United States.

Overdose of black cohosh may cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, nervous system and visual disturbances, reduced pulse rate, and increased perspiration.

Alcohol (Ethanol) black cohosh Products containing black cohosh have been reported to cause liver damage in rare cases, and taking it with other medications that can also affect the liver such as ethanol may increase that risk. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with these medications.

Infertility. Early research suggests that taking 120 mg per day of black cohosh extract plus 150 mg of clomiphene citrate can increase pregnancy rates in infertile women compared to clomiphene citrate alone.

For Postmenopausal Symptoms: “I had horrible side effect symptoms from black cohosh ! Bloating, farting , feeling like I needed to poop all the time, I even accidentally sharted my pants!

I started working within the first 4 days even though the product said it could take a couple of weeks! My moods swings demenished, hot flashes were under control and my bladder also benefitted from it as well. It helps flush out all the bad stuff to reveal a more easy feeling throughout the day.

16 Natural Ways to Boost Fertility

1. Eat foods rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants like folate and zinc may improve fertility for both men and women.
2. Eat a bigger breakfast.
3. Avoid trans fats.
4. Cut down on carbs if you have PCOS.
5. Eat fewer refined carbs.
6. Eat more fiber.
7. Swap protein sources.
8. Choose high fat dairy.