Fact Check: Can an herbal mixture of ginger, garlic and cloves help women conceive?

Hyderabad: A Facebook post claiming that consuming a mixture of garlic, turmeric, ginger and clove helps women conceive and also regulates the menstrual cycle is making rounds on social media.

The viral post reads, “Do you have a strong infection or trying to get pregnant? Combo means combination and it is the mixture of herbs like Turmeric (Tale pupa), Ginger, Garlic and Clove (zobo pepper) to solve one or two issues in our body.” “Do not take during your ovulation period or most fertile period,” warns the viral post. Going by the comments, this post seems to have influenced many women, especially those who are trying to conceive.

NewsMeter also found another post of a Facebook user saying, “My clove, garlic, ginger and turmeric combo..... Just soaked it today..... Can’t wait to use it and share my testimonies here. (sic)”Moreover, we also found the same information in an article by 247 Media.

Does this concoction really work? Let’s find out.

Fact Check

NewsMeter could not find any scientific study to prove the efficacy of the herbal mix in helping women conceive.

- Garlic can help stimulate ovulation and prevent chromosomal defects.

- A combination of ginger and clove can help burn fat.

- Turmeric helps boost immunity and fight seasonal infections.

“The combination of garlic, ginger, turmeric and clove might help women conceive to some extent by aiding other aspects such as regulating menstrual cycle and increasing libido but there is no evidence that it could directly induce pregnancy,” Dr Jaheerunnisha said.

We also spoke to Dr M Gayathri, consultant clinical dietician at Apollo Hospitals, who said, “Garlic, ginger, turmeric and cloves are immune boosters. Cloves help in regularising the menstrual cycle. Turmeric acts as an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory medicine. Garlic improves immunity. Ginger helps in controlling blood pressure, cough, and aids in proper digestion. Ginger and garlic help in controlling heart diseases. These have anti-cancer effects. Ginger helps in relieving menstrual pain. It can be added to a cup of tea. It also reduces the risk of diabetes. These spices and herbs act as fat burners, especially in the abdomen. They also help in weight loss and enhance libido. To get more effective results these can be taken on an empty stomach in liquid form.”

Hence, we conclude that, although there is some evidence that these herbs individually can benefit women there is no evidence to prove their mixture can directly influence conceiving.

Hence, the claim is false.