STOP: Routine Consumption of Hibiscus Tea/Juice and Its Potential Impact on Female Fertility

Overview

Hibiscus tea, widely consumed for its antioxidant and health-promoting properties, contain bioactive compounds that may influence female reproductive health.^[1][2] Emerging evidence suggests that routine intake of hibiscus products could modulate hormone balance and infertility by impacting ovarian function, implantation, and hormonal regulation, warranting cautious evaluation of their use during reproductive years.^[3]

How Hibiscus Juice May Impact Female fertility

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is a globally popular ornamental and medicinal plant whose flowers are commonly brewed into teas and juices prized for their antioxidant, antihypertensive, and anti-inflammatory effects.^[4] Traditionally used in various cultures for reproductive health, hibiscus extracts have shown antifertility effects in preclinical studies, particularly in rodents.^[5] Given the increasing popularity of hibiscus tea as a natural health beverage, understanding its potential influence on female fertility is critical, especially for women actively trying to conceive or undergoing fertility treatments.

1. Antiovulatory Effects

Extracts from H. rosa-sinensis flowers and roots have been shown to disrupt the estrous cycle by prolonging specific phases and inducing follicular atresia, leading to anovulation.^[6] This antiovulatory activity is dose-dependent and reversible, indicating interference with normal ovarian function that could delay or prevent conception.^[7]

2. Estrogenic and Antiestrogenic Activities

Hibiscus extracts exert complex estrogenic effects; some studies demonstrate increased uterine weight and vaginal cytology changes consistent with estrogen stimulation, while others report antiestrogenic activity, including reduced uterine and ovarian weights in animal models. These dual effects suggest hibiscus may modulate estrogen receptor pathways, altering hormonal homeostasis crucial for fertility.^[8][9]

3. Anti-implantation and Interceptive Activity

Hibiscus flower and root extracts inhibit blastocyst implantation by altering endometrial receptivity, possibly through disruption of capillary hyperpermeability and progesterone suppression.^[10][11] This mechanism leads to failure of pregnancy establishment despite ovulation, representing a significant antifertility pathway.

4. Effects on Hormonal Balance and Luteolysis

Post-coital antifertility studies indicate hibiscus extracts can induce luteolysis, decrease progesterone levels, and increase uterine enzyme activity, all of which compromise the hormonal environment necessary to maintain early pregnancy.^[12][13]

Implications and Recommendations for Clinical Practice

Given the evidence from preclinical studies and limited clinical reports, clinicians should advise caution regarding routine consumption of hibiscus tea or juice, especially for women planning to conceive or undergoing fertility treatments. Hibiscus is recognized for its cardiovascular and antioxidant benefits, its potential antifertility effects, such as disruption of the estrous cycle, inhibition of ovulation, and impaired implantation, pose risks to female fertility. Hibiscus may interfere with hormonal treatments used in assisted reproductive technologies (ART), potentially reducing their effectiveness. Therefore, it is essential for women to disclose hibiscus intake to healthcare providers to ensure that its use does not inadvertently affect reproductive outcomes. Until further controlled clinical studies clarify safe dosage thresholds and identify populations at higher risk, healthcare professionals should recommend limiting or avoiding hibiscus consumption during conception attempts.

Research Feed

July 8, 2020

Women’s Health •

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