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http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/natural-health/36440-lime-juice-has-an-anti-fertility-potential

Lime juice has an anti-fertility potential

Written by Sade Oguntola Thursday, 23 February 2012



IT is common to hear women talk about using lemon juice solutions as a postcoital douche, with the belief that it prevents pregnancy and/ or sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, lemon and lime juices are widely used for douches among women at high risk of HIV transmission in Central Nigeria. Drinking lime juice is also used by women in preventing conception.

Scientists in a new study have corroborated the usefulness of lime in the prevention of pregnancy. Extrapolating the findings in an animal study to humans, the scientists indicated that lime indeed has anti-infertility properties, thus supporting its folkloric use in the prevention of pregnancy in the community.

In the study that looked at the effect of lime juice on the ovaries and womb of Sprague-Dawley rats, the researchers found that lime reduced the number of ova (the female egg) shed and also caused an irregularity in the histology of the reproductive organs (ovaries and uterus), hence possibly compromising fertility.

The study entitled “Effect of Lime Juice (Citrus Aurantifolia) on Histomorphological Alterations of the Ovaries and Uterus of Cyclic Sprague-Dawley Rats” was carried out by researchers at the Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos. They are Bakare, Airat A.; Bassey, Rosemary B.; Okoko, Ini-ibehe E.; Sanyaolu, Arinola O.; Ashamu, Adeola E.; and Ademola A. Oremosu.

Lime, is one of the citrus fruits that is widely planted fruit for direct human consumption in the world. Its fruit is typically round, green to yellow in colour and its juice has been shown to have both medicinal and cosmetic values.

It has several health benefits, and one could make use of it from its skin, to its juice, down to its pulp. Its juice can do wonders to the body and it can relieve a person from numerous diseases.

Previous studies have shown that lime juice destroys both Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and sperm cells. It was suggested that its high acidity was probably responsible for the destruction of the HIV and sperm cells.

Because of its acidic property, it has natural antibacterial component that naturally fights off bacterial infection. It is used as a face cleanser by gently massaging the lime pulp on the face and rinsing it off after five to 10 minutes.

Lime, as a rich source of vitamin C, is very effective in boosting the immune system. When its juice is mixed with warm water, it promotes biliary secretion from the liver, resulting to an easier release of feaces, thus making it a natural recipe for constipation.

Lime juice, under laboratory conditions, has been shown to immobilise sperm as well as advocated as a ‘natural’ spermicide. Spermicide is a contraceptive substance that eradicates sperm, inserted vaginally prior to intercourse to prevent pregnancy.

Lemon and lime juices have been reported to exhibit antimicrobial activity against the germ that causes cholera. In addition, the concentrated lime juice extract is said to prevent the proliferation of cancer cells.

The 2012 study published in the European Journal of Scientific Research, which was aimed at exploring the contraceptive potential of a plant (Citrus aurantifolia) demonstrated that undiluted lime juice alters the oestrous cycle, by significantly prolonging the duration of the diestrus and oestrus phases.

Prolonged oestrus phase is suggestive of negative influences of the extract on the oestrous cycle, as this reduces the number of days/ova ovulated during the proestrus and oestrus phases. The prolongation, which causes a delayed or partial block of ovulation, may in turn impair fertility.

The researchers, who stated that a possible mechanism of the anti-ovulatory effect of lime juice is through its anti-inflammatory property, said this might be responsible for its observed effect in partially blocking ovulation when administered to the rats.

In addition, the study, which noticed a reduction in body weight and was somewhat in agreement with previous studies, found a reduction in body weight when overweight adults were given lime juice. But, from the present study, there is a tendency to regain weight when the juice was discontinued.

However, in India, it was recorded by researchers that a herbal preparation decoction made from lime and potash is sold for male contraception, and that this was found to cause a significant reduction in the number of implantation in female rats that mated with males which were pre-treated with the preparation.

Meanwhile, extractives of the neem plant, such as neem oil, have also been proposed as spermicides based on laboratory studies. Animal studies of creams and pessaries derived from neem have shown they have contraceptive effects, but trials in humans to determine its effectiveness in preventing pregnancy have not yet been conducted.

Quite a number of other medicinal plants have already been shown to have male anti-fertility properties like Achyranthes aspera, Stephania hernandifolia and Carica papaya (pawpaw). Carica papaya seed extract has been shown to possess in-vitro sperm immobilising effect on human spermatozoa.

The use of other plants such as Hogweed (Etiponla in Yoruba); Parkia bigglobo (Iru in Yoruba) , alligator pepper, Ethopian pepper ( Eeru alamo in Yoruba); and Tetrapleura tetraptera (Aidan Aidan in Yoruba) were cited by scientists to have different effects on spermatozoa.

Decoction and rings were the common methods of application, although some were applied as powder rubbed into fresh skin incisions. In some instances, individuals make up to seven cuts or incision on the leg and apply the dried powder of the plant to the fresh wound.

Rings were usually metal rings boiled in water extracts of the relevant parts of the plant and subsequently worn on the fingers during sexual acts.