The effect of date palm on sexual function in infertile couples
Infertility refers to the inability of couples to be fertile after 1 year without the use of contraceptive methods.
15% of women of childbearing age are infertile.
It is estimated that 10% of the population, 13% of women, 10% of men, and 15% of couples worldwide are infertile.
The results of a meta-analysis study conducted in Iran revealed that the prevalence of lifetime primary infertility, current primary infertility, and current secondary infertility is 13.96%, 3.09%, and 2.18%, respectively.
Infertility is not only a medical problem, but also affects all personal dimensions and social life of most infertile individuals.
Infertile couples are more prone to psychological problems (anxiety, depression, and stress), which can lead to marital discomfort, social dysfunction (stigma, social exclusion, and sense of failure), and reduce quality of life. Infertility and infertility management affect several dimensions of couple life.
Sexual dysfunction can appear in both partners and can cause problems at any stage of sexual response.
Infertility negatively affects the sexuality of infertile couples.
Numerous studies show that infertile women have lower sexual function than fertile women. Sexual satisfaction is strongly affected by the consequences of infertility, such as reduced self-esteem, feelings of depression and anxiety, and sexual relationship failure.
The use of herbal medicine has played an important role in the history of medicine, and humans have always used plants to treat their diseases throughout history.
In traditional medicine, phytotherapy is used to treat infertility.
Date is one of the medicinal herbs with important pharmacological effects.
Egyptian scientists have reported that date palm can stimulate the gonads. Valid traditional medical books have referred to several medicinal properties of date palm, including enhancing sexual desire in males and increasing lust in females. In addition, the presence of compounds such as alkaloids, saponins and flavonoids in dates increases sexual desire and intercourse in males and females by acting on the central nervous system and stimulating dopamine secretion, activating the mesolimbic system and nucleus accumbens.
Rasekh indicated that palm pollen is effective in the sperm parameters of infertile men.
Administration of date palm to male rats and measurement of the rats’ sexual parameters showed improvement in their sexual function.
Few studies exist on the effect of date palm on male and female sexual function in humans.
Animal studies have shown its effect on sperm analysis parameters in male animals and increased hormones. In addition, there are sexual problems in infertile couples, and females tend to resort to alternative therapies of complementary medicine. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of date palm on the sexual function of infertile couples.
The study
The present study is a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted on infertile women and their husbands who referred to infertility clinics in Iran in 2019.
The intervention group was given a palm date capsule, while the control group was given a placebo.
Data were collected through the female sexual function index and the international erectile function index. The total sexual function score of women in the intervention group increased significantly from 21.06 ± 2.58 to 27.31 ± 2.59 (P < 0.0001).
The other areas of female sexual function (arousal, orgasm, lubrication, pain during intercourse, satisfaction) in the intervention group also showed a statistically significant increase compared with females in the control group (P < 0.0001).
All areas of male sexual function (erectile function, orgasmic function, sexual desire, satisfaction during intercourse, and overall satisfaction) increased significantly in the intervention group compared with the control group (P < 0.0001).
The present study revealed that date palm consumption for one month has a positive impact on sexual function in infertile couples.
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Source: Jahromi, A.R., Mosallanezhad, Z., Hosini, F.S. et al. The effect of date palm on sexual function in infertile couples: a double-blind controlled clinical trial. BMC Res Notes 15, 55 (2022).
