Horny Goat Weed extract product
 

Although horny goat weed has a history of traditional use for disorders of the kidneys, joints, and liver, its principle use is as an aphrodisiac and to combat fatigue.

Horny Goat Weed, 400 mg
Horny goat weed is one of the most valued tonics of Chinese herbalism.  In China it is especially used for supporting healthy sexual activity - thus its name, Horny Goat Weed. Horny Goat Weed 400 mg has epimedium extract (standardized to 10% flavonoids as icariin).

Horny Goat Weed Supplement
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Subscribe to a FREE Supplement Research Update newsletter. Once or twice a month we email a brief abstract of several studies on supplements and natural medicine topics - including horny goat weed extract - and their practical interpretation by a medical doctor.  For more horny goat weed information.

Horny Goat Weed: Will it make you horny, too?
Horny goat weed (Epimedium) is a pungent ornamental herb found in Asia and the Mediterranean. The Chinese call it Yin Yang Huo, which loosely means "licentious goat plant." Legend has it that the name horny goat weed came from a herder who noticed his goats becoming more sexually active after eating the plant. Supplement companies have adopted the provocative name by which it is known in the U.S. Horny goat weed was named epimedium because it is similar to a plant found in the ancient Asian kingdom of Media, now a part of Iran. Epimedium is a genus of many related plant species and some are used for medicinal purposes, including Epimedium sagittatum, Epimedium brevicornum, and Epimedium koreanum.

What the Research Says about horny goat weed
Very little research has been published in the Western medical literature regarding this plant. Our Chinese study investigated the therapeutic effect of epimedium sagittatum on 22 patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis. Twelve patients with hemodialysis were served as controls. Horny goat weed had a sex enhancing effect and improved their quality of life.

Horny goat weed composition
This plant has flavonol glycosides icariin, sagittasine, kaempferol, together with known flavonoids, flavonolignans, 2-phenoxychromones, a lignan, and aromatic acid derivatives.

Horny Goat Weed Mechanism of Action
The exact way that horny goat weed works remains unclear. Animal studies have shown that it may influence levels of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine and reduce cortisol levels. The leaves of ES contain a variety of flavonoids, icariin, sterols and an alkaloid called magnaflorine. It’s quite possible horny goat weed influences several aspects of human sexual biochemistry. Icariin is known to help with erectile function

Full Spectrum Horny Goat Weed
Epimedium is one of the most valued tonics of Chinese herbalism.  In China it is especially used for supporting healthy sexual activity - thus its name, Horny Goat Weed. Full Spectrum Horny Goat Weed 1200 mg combines epimedium extract (standardized to 10% flavonoids as icariin) with whole leaf epimedium to insure a full spectrum of important constituents.

Horny Goat Weed Summary
Horny goat weed is, in fact, likely to make you horny. Most users will notice a mild to moderate effect on the third or fourth day of use.

Horny Goat Weed study
Effects of icariin on cGMP-specific PDE5 and cAMP-specific PDE4 activities.
Xin ZC. The 1st Hospital, Peking University, 8 Xishiku Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2004 Jan;84(2):142-5.
To clarify the mechanism of the therapeutic action of icariin on erectile dysfunction (ED). PDE5 was isolated from the human platelet and PDE4 from the rat liver tissue. The inhibitory effects of icariin on PDE5 and PDE4 activities were investigated. Papaverine served as the control drug. Icariin and papaverine showed dose-dependent inhibitory effects on PDE5 and PDE4 activities. The IC(50) of Icariin and papaverine on PDE5 were 0.432 micromol/L and 0.680 micromol/L, respectively and those on PDE4, 73 micromol/L and 3 micromol/L, respectively. The potencies of selectivity of icariin and papaverine on PDE5 (PDE4/PDE5 of IC(50)) were 167 times and 4 times, respectively. Icariin is a cGMP-specific PDE5 inhibitor that may be developed into an oral effective agent for the treatment of ED.

Effect of Epimedium sagittatum (horny goat weed) on quality of life and cellular immunity in patients of hemodialysis maintenance
Dept. of Nephrology, General Hospital of PLA, Beijing. 1995
Our previous study had demonstrated that Chinese medicine Epimedium Sagittatum (horny goat weed) exerted immuno-enhancing effect on the animal model of chronic renal insufficiency. In present study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of horny goat weed on patients of hemodialysis maintenance. 22 cases of regular hemodialytic patients were treated with horny goat weed in the form of decoction. 12 patients with hemodialysis were served as controls. It was found that horny goat weed had sexual potentiation effect and improved the quality of life in the patients of chronic renal failure with regular hemodialysis. Interleukin 2 (IL-2) activity of peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) stimulated by PHA was increased significantly in the patients treated with horny goat weed. It was suggested that Chinese medicine horny goat weed had therapeutic effect on sexual disorder and immunologic inadequacy in the patients of chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis.

Horny Goat Weed emails
Q. Can horny goat weed  be combined with other herbs such as yohimbe, maca, or tribulus?
   A. I can only speak from my personal and professional experience. Thus far I have combined horny goat weed with several herbs and have not found any significant side effects.

Q. How long does it take for horny goat weed to start working?
   A. It may take 3 or 4 days for the full effect of horny goat weed to be noticed.

Q. Can horny goat weed be taken regularly for many months?
   A. As with most herbs, we recommend taking breaks from use. In the case of horny goat weed you could take it for 1 or 2 weeks on, 1 or 2 weeks off. Horny goat weed has been used in Asia for centuries, however no long term research is available to indicate safety and side effect profile.

Q. Is horny goat tea available?
   A. It is difficult to find horny goat weed tea, although you could open a capsule of horny goat weed supplement and add hot water and stevia to sweeten it.

Q. Is it important for horny goat weed to be standardized, or is there a horny goat weed extract?
   A. There are no accepted standardized horny goat weed version. Horny goat weed is available as pure powder, and various extract potencies. Not enough research is available to determine which horny goat weed extract potency is best.

Q. Q. I was wondering if tongkat ali and tribulus are the only aphrodisiac herbs that are supposed to increase testosterone levels. But I was just wondering if herbs like horny goat weed also increases testosterone levels?
   A. Thus far tongkat ali and tribulus are the ones that have been studied the most in regards to testosterone level influence. We have not come across studies regarding horny goat weed and testosterone influence.

Q. I am 58 years old and I do have a rapid ejaculation. I did a lot of reading on internet regard to horney goat weed that it is very good for erection and delay ejaculation. Is that true? If it is, is there any side effect. Please advise me if there is any other herbal beside horney goat weed for premature ejaculation.
   A. See premature ejaculation page. Horny goat weed is a good erection enhancer, but we are not sure it is good for delaying ejaculation.

Q. Can I use Horny Goat Weed extract along with another ED supplement to help me stay up longer?
   A. There are a number of ED supplements and each one works in a unique way. As a general rule it is best to learn how each supplement, including horny goat weed extract, works by itself before combining them. When combining ED supplements, one should use low dosages in order to avoid side effects.

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