THE narcotic leaves of the khat plant, banned as an illegal drug in some countries, might help boost fertility.
Khat contains a stimulant called cathinone. It breaks down into cathine and norephedrine, compounds which are similar to amphetamines and adrenalin. When Lynn Fraser’s team at King’s College London placed mouse sperm in cathine, norephedrine, adrenalin or noradrenaline, they found all four accelerated the final stage of sperm development.
Cathine has the same effect on human sperm. What’s more, it helps prevent the sperm head prematurely releasing the enzymes needed to penetrate an egg, but does not interfere with the normal…
