Excessive intake of fluted pumpkin leaf harmful to fertility — Research

Yes, pumpkin leaves are edible! The younger leaves are best for eating. Besides being consumed raw, pumpkin juice can also be added to a number of beverages and confectionaries for improved taste, flavour and nutrition.

Otherwise known as ‘fluted gourd, iroko, ugu, and ikong-ubong,’ it has been used to moderate menstrual cramps, treat infertility, boost blood for anaemia patients and improve digestion thereby reducing the chances of health conditions like an irritable bowel movement, constipation and those causes by indigestion problems like ulcers.

Granted, fluted pumpkin leaf and seed have protective or disease preventing potential, the leafy vegetable like others contains considerable levels of anti-nutrients and toxic substances which have negative effect on animal and human health at high concentrations.

In a new study, researchers suggest that its regular use and in high amounts could be detrimental to fertility in both men and women. They indicated that both fluted pumpkin leaf and seeds have both profertility and reversible antifertility effects in experimental animals.

According to them, although low doses of the extract of fluted pumpkin leaf and seeds in experimental animals over a period of time promoted testis regeneration and improved testosterone concentration and sperm quality, at higher doses they had antifertility effects.

Extracts of fluted pumpkin leaf and seeds, including ethanol, aqueous, methanol and hydroethanolic, had protective effects on the testes of study animals at lower doses less than 50 mg/kg body weight. But at doses more than 200 mg/kg body weight, they inhibited hormone synthesis, sperm quality and histomorphological structure, under both normal and disease conditions.

In addition, the anti-fertility effects of fluted pumpkin seeds on the gonads were however reversible in young mature rats and it also had slightly systemic toxic effects.

The study in the Journal of Integrated Medicine involved Rex-Clovis C. Njoku at the Alex Ekwueme-Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo and Sunny O. Abarikwu at the University of Port Harcourt, Choba. It was entitled, “Antifertility and profertility effects of the leaves and seeds of fluted pumpkin: Sperm quality, hormonal effects and histomorphological changes in the testes of experimental animal models”.

Fluted Pumpkin leaves have been used locally in the treatment of infertility issues in both men and women. Its content of many vital nutrients and compounds have proven effective in its use to boost/improve sperm count in men and the overall functioning of their testicles. Also, it boosts fertility in women and improves post-natal health as it helps lactating mother to adequately feed their babies by increasing breast milk production.

There are a large number of studies which supports the anti-fertility effects of many medicinal foods, including some fruits like pawpaw. Pawpaw fruits can cause infertility and irregular estrous cycles.

Also, sweet basil, (efirrin in Yoruba), which is widely used in folk medicine for several conditions can cause sperm count and motility to decrease. The percentages increase in abnormal sperm cells, sperm debris, and primordial cells is both dose and time dependent.

Previously, experts also warned that Moringa leaf is not safe at conception and during pregnancy because it can be inimical to fetal development.

In a new study, researchers investigated the effect of the intake of low amounts of moringa leaves before conception attempts as well as its effect during conception under laboratory conditions and found it can cause contraction of the womb with varying intensities.

According to the animal study, both the cold and hot moringa leave extracts significantly produced contraction of the womb with varying intensities. It also indicated that it had anti-infertility properties.

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