Horny goat weed has a long history of use as an aphrodisiac in Asia, and recently has been shown to have a natural viagra-like effect in animal studies. According to the research, Epimedium increases engorgement of the corpus cavernosum, the blood vessel structure involved in erections. Like Viagra and Cialis, Epimedium influences the nitric oxide/cyclic guanosine monophosphate chemical pathways and promotes blood flow to the genitials.

Horny goat weed got its name by loosely translating the Chinese name: ying-yang-huo. According to legend, a shepherd noticed that goats grazing on this plant got friskier and sexually charged. Herbalists soon found that Epimedium has a similar effect in humans.

In Chinese medicine, Epimedium is considered a yang invigorating tonic - a category of medicines rich in aphrodisiacs. In the book Chinese Natural Cures, Henry Liu lists Epimedium as an aphrodisiac herb, and states it tones the Life Door, the energy in the kidney/adrenal system that is required for sexual vitality.

According to western and integrative medicine, Epimedium is filled with phytochemicals. Some of these plant chemicals block estrogen or mimic it, others act similar to viagra in inhibiting the enzyme PDE5 - when PDE is blocked, an increase in nitric oxide and cGMP generally result. (PMID:16395327)

One study found that Epimedium extract 'elicits penile erection' in mice. The researchers found no evidence of a direct effect on neurotransmitters or libido; instead, they concluded that it was through a local change in the penis. (PMID 16527595) While it may not directly increase lust, my perspective as a middle-aged male has convinced me that an increase in the frequency or intensity of erections can in fact increase libido.

It's been my experience that best effects come from using it several days in a row. This is in agreement with some research that shows that Epimedium up-regulates genes associated with blood flow to the penis. While Viagra is an instant on through direct chemical stimulation that increases nitric oxide, Epimedium contains icariin, which turns on the genes that lead to more nitric oxide. While both can result in better performance, the herb is more gradual while the pharmaceutical is more dramatic. Viagra has an edge if nitric oxide levels are really low, but Epimedium is better for those whose motto is always prepared. (PMID:16490167)

A traditional use of horny goat weed is for controlling high blood pressure, and this effect has been demonstrated in medical studies. Recent research on viagra suggests that it does the same, particularly pulmonary hypertension.

I recently got a bottle of Planetary Formulas Horny Goat Weed. I am easing into it and will report my experiences in the next weeks. --- Ok, weeks later, I can tell you it does in fact work. --- Planetary Formulas is a brand I trust - I have read several books and scores of articles by Michael Tierra, the company's founder. Their product Planetary Formulas are reasonably priced - for about $10 online I got 60 tablets (a 2 month supply).

The daily dosage of epimedium leaf is 4 to 15 grams (up to about a half an ounce). In Chinese pharmacies, epimedium leaves are dried, pressed, and sold in bundles. If you take a tablet or capsule with the extract, it will be more concentrated and the bottle will have the proportional dose.

While there are no known counterindications and Chinese herbalists consider Yingyanghuo to be safe, some caution is merited:

Because it this herb has tradionally been used to treat high blood pressure, it may not be suitable for people with low blood pressure, or those on medicine to reduce blood pressure.

Epimedium has calcium channel blocking properties, and should not be mixed with other medicines that block calcium channels. This includes not only some drugs used to treat high blood pressure, but also to control certain heart conditions or prevent neurovascular headaches, among other things. An overdose of calcium channel blockers can slow the heart excessively, and lead to irregular heart beats - it is potentially fatal.

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Bibliography

Int J Impot Res. 2006 Jul-Aug;18(4):335-42. Epub 2006 Jan 5.

Epimedium brevicornum Maxim extract relaxes rabbit corpus cavernosum through multitargets on nitric oxide/cyclic guanosine monophosphate signaling pathway. Chiu JH, Chen KK, Chien TM, Chiou WF, Chen CC, Wang JY, Lui WY, Wu CW.

Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. chiujh@mailsrv.ym.edu.tw

Epimedium brevicornum Maxim (EbM) has been reputed to have sexual stimulation effects on males. The study is aimed to test the hypothesis that EbM extracts relaxed the corpus cavernosum (CC) smooth muscle through activation of multitargets on nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling pathway. Water extract of EbM and its subfraction (EP-20) were prepared and standardized by high-performance liquid chromatography. Isolated rabbit CC strips were mounted in organ baths and isometric tension was recorded in the presence or absence of specific inhibitors related to NO/cGMP signaling such as L-N(G)-nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo-[4,3-a] quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, a guanylyl cyclase inhibitor) or phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE 5) inhibitors. cGMP level was determined in EP-20-treated CC strips. The results showed that EP-20 enriched the content of L-arginine in the process of purification and relaxed the CC smooth muscle precontracted with phenylephrine (PE, 1 microM) in a concentration-dependent manner. Besides, EP-20 increased the amount of cGMP production in rabbit CC tissues. Coincubation with EP-20 and L-NAME or ODQ significantly decreased EP-20-induced relaxation whereas EP-20 increased sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxation in PE-precontracted CC strips. Besides, EP-20 increased the potency and the duration of the relaxation effects caused by electrical field stimulation. Finally, EP-20 could potentiate PDE 5 inhibitors in relaxation of PE-precontracted CC strips. We concluded that extract of EbM relax the CC smooth muscle through multitargets in NO/cGMP/PDE 5 pathway and might bring into perspective the treatment strategy for those patients with erectile dysfunction.