How Chinese Herbs Can Double Your IVF Success Rate

If you're on a journey to parenthood and considering IVF, you're probably looking for every little bit of help you can get. Infertility affects 1 in 6 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Many turn to assisted reproductive technologies (ART) like IVF, with success rates ranging from nearly 55% for those under 35 to just 9% for those over 40. With IVF treatments costing between $15,000 and $30,000, finding ways to improve success rates is crucial.

Chinese Herbal Medicine for Infertility and IVF 

Enter TCM, which has been used for thousands of years to support fertility. Research is now backing up what TCM practitioners have long known: using TCM increases your chances of conception. In fact, 17% of those undergoing IVF report using herbs as an adjunct therapy, and with good reason—CHM has been shown to increase fertility by 174%.

Does Chinese Medicine Increase Fertility? 

Absolutely! A meta-analysis of 40 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving over 4,200 women found that CHM taken for 3–6 months is significantly more effective in treating female infertility than Western medical (WM) treatments. Specifically, CHM achieved an average pregnancy rate of 60%, compared to just 33% with WM, almost doubling their chances of conceiving. These studies included people with endometriosis, PCOS, anovulation, fallopian tube blockage, or unexplained infertility.

Studies show that CHM works to:

• Improve ovulation rates
• Enhance cervical mucus quality
• Thicken the endometrial lining
• Stabilize basal body temperature ranges

Does Chinese Herbal Medicine Increase IVF Success Rate? 

Yes! A meta-analysis of 20 trials involving 1,721 women showed that combining CHM with IVF makes getting pregnant and staying pregnant more likely. The odds of getting pregnant are 2.04 times higher, and the odds of the pregnancy continuing are 1.91 times higher. Combining CHM with IVF can double your chances of getting pregnant!

These studies show that CHM works to:

• Improve the quality of the oocytes
• Reduce the dose of gonadotropins needed during stimulation
• Increase endometrial blood flow, helping to thicken the endometrial lining

Boosting IVF Success with Chinese Herbal Medicine

Another study involving 433 people under 42 years old assessed the effectiveness of Chinese herbs used in conjunction with IVF. The results were clear: significantly higher pregnancy rates in the group that combined CHM with their standard IVF treatment.

Chinese herbs can enhance IVF success rates by:

• Increasing endometrial thickness
• Improving embryo quality
• Promoting successful embryo implantation

This suggests that integrating Chinese herbs with assisted reproductive technologies can improve outcomes and safety for people undergoing these treatments.

How Do Chinese Herbs Boost Fertility + IVF Success  

Chinese herbs work by addressing imbalances in the body, encouraging it to function better overall. Since your period is a report card for your overall health, balancing your body overall also balances your cycle and improves fertility chances. The herbs used in Elix formulas are your holistic fertility and IVF allies, as they have been shown to also:

• Reduce inflammation 
• Reduce the negative effects of everyday stress 
• Improve sleep 
• Regulate reproductive hormones like progesterone and estrogen 

Cycle Balance and Fertility 

The beauty of CHM is that the herbs work with your body to strengthen its innate ability to resolve imbalances naturally, encouraging instead of forcing hormone regulation. Through Elix’s free Online Health Assessment you are matched with your customized Cycle Balance formula that contains the Chinese herbs shown to boost fertility and increase IVF success.   

Have more questions about how Elix can support your fertility goals? Sign up for a 1:1 Herbal Wellness Consult with one of our TCM Health Coaches (all licensed acupuncturists and herbalists).

Sources

1. https://www.who.int/news/item/04-04-2023-1-in-6-people-globally-affected-by-infertility
2. https://nccd.cdc.gov/drh_art/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=DRH_ART.ClinicInfo&rdRequestForward=True&ClinicId=9999&ShowNational=1
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25637159/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24339951
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24992752/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35927782/

This article was reviewed by Dr. Liem Le.

Dr. Liem Le is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine, Functional Medicine Practitioner, and Nutritionist Integrative Medicine Department at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center. He is a part of the teaching staff for the Masters program for the Functional Medicine and Human Nutrition program at University of Western States. Dr. Le is currently working on his fellowship in Integrative Medicine with the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine via a scholarship from the White House to complete the initiative.