Preeclamsia, or pregnancy-induced hypertension, is a common condition affecting roughly 1 in 20 pregnant women in the U.S, characterized by fluid retention and high blood pressure. Preeclampsia can be dangerous to both mother and baby if left untreated, but, fortunately, severe complications are now rare thanks to advances in modern medicine. Some natural herbs and supplements may help to treat or manage preeclampsia. With the guidance of your doctor or midwife, the following supplements may be used as part of your treatment plan.
Garlic
Whether used as a culinary seasoning or taken as a powdered capsule, garlic is one of the most effective natural treatments for all forms of hypertension. Although its effect on preeclampsia itself remains unstudied, numerous placebo-controlled studies, including groundbreaking recent research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, have confirmed that it is capable of lowering both systolic and diastolic blood pressure because it contains the antihypertensive compound hydrogen sulfide. Garlic’s ability to reduce blood pressure eliminates one of the most problematic symptoms of preeclampsia.
Selenium
An article published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology stated that preeclampsia may be associated with low levels of selenium. Although this new discovery has not yet been studied in detail, this may be an important step in advancing the natural treatment options for women who have preeclampsia. Selenium supplementation, as part of a carefully managed treatment plan, might both prevent and treat symptoms associated with pregancy-induced hypertension.
Semen
It may be sound like a joke, but semen is actually believed to be one of the most effective treatments for pre-eclampsia. Several studies have shown that women who have more exposure to their partner’s semen are less likely to develop pre-eclampsia than women who only sporadically have contact with their partners’ sperm. Frequent contact with the semen of the fetus’s father might work as both a prevention and a treatment for pregnancy-induced hypertension. Exposure to the semen can be either oral or vaginal.
Calcium
The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published an article based on a 2006 study by the world health organization, which concluded that calcium supplementation does not generally prevent preeclampsia. However, the study did find that calcium supplements given to women with preeclampsia worked to reduce the frequency of severe complications related to the condition.
Vitamin D
From 1997 to 2001, the University of Pittsburgh conducted a study which found that vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women is often linked to pre-eclampsia and the complications that may be associated with it. The study found that women who had adequate levels of vitamin D were less likely to develop the condition, and that the women who suffered from severe preeclampsia-related complications had the lowest levels of the vitamin, on average. As a result of this study, most obstetricians and midwives now recommend vitamin D supplemenation at all stages of pregnancy.
Preeclampsia can be a dangerous condition, but it is manageable for most women. Combined with a healthy diet and conventional treatments prescribed by your doctor or midwife, you may find that natural supplements may help to both prevent and treat pregancy-induced hypertension and the complications that it causes.
Sources:
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “World Health Organization randomized trial of calcium supplementation among low calcium intake pregnant women.” March 2006.
Science Daily. Garlic Boosts Hydrogen Sulfide to Relax Arteries.” Oct 17, 2007.
The Times. Give Sperm a Fighting Chance. January 30, 2006.
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Low selenium status is associated with the occurrence of the pregnancy disease preeclampsia in women from the United Kingdom.” November 2003.
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology. ‘Maternal vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of preeclampsia.” September 2007.
