Horny Goat Weed
Horny goat weed is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. It is also known by its many botanical names, including Epimedium, and its Chinese name, yin yang huo.
As a form of alternative medicine, the herb has been used to treat conditions from hay fever, to atherosclerosis, nerve pain fatigue, osteoporosis, and erectile dysfunction.
There have been studies conducted on cells in laboratories that report evidence of several beneficial properties of horny goat weed. Early research suggests that it may have properties that can keep bones strong, protect the nerves, and support the immune system.
Other cell research has revealed the following possible effects:
anticancer effects
anti-HIV activity
radio sensitizing effects
reversal of multidrug resistance in some tumor cells
postmenopausal bone loss prevention
Atherosclerosis is a condition where the arteries in the neck harden. For people with atherosclerosis, a mixture containing horny goat weed may be beneficial and result in improved symptoms and clinical tests.
People with hay fever may experience symptom relief and a reduction in white blood cells that tend to increase with allergies.
Horny goat weed and erectile dysfunction
One study looked at rats with injured nerves and nerve cells grown in a lab. The researchers reported that icariin, the active component of horny goat weed, might show positive and promising effects in treating erectile dysfunction (ED) caused by nerve injury.
ED is a common problem affecting men, especially those aged 40-70 years old. Nearly 20 million men in the United States are affected by the condition, which can have many causes. At times, men may experience psychological conditions, such as depression or anxiety, that may cause or contribute to ED.
ED has 2 categories:
Primary ED: Men affected by this rare condition have never been able to have or sustain a penile erection. Primary ED is often due to a physical abnormality or a psychological cause.
Secondary ED: This form is typically caused by a physical condition. Causes range from conditions such as diabetes, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and physical injuries. This group of men will likely have had erections in the past.
Certain medications, such as those to treat high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, depression, cancer, and long-term pain, may contribute to the condition. Some of these medications include:
beta-blockers
clonidine
spironolactone
thiazide diuretics
alcohol and drugs such as cocaine
opioids
SSRI and tricyclic antidepressants
anxiolytics
monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
amphetamines
5 alpha-reductase inhibitors
anticholinergics
cimetidine
hormonal therapies
EPIMEDIUM
Common Names
Horny goat weed, Rowdy lamb herb, Randy beef grass,
Fairy wings, Bishop's hat, Yin Yang Huo
Botanical Name
Epimedium grandiflorum
Family
BERBERIDACEAE
What is it?
How has it been used?
Science & Safety
Personal experiences
Constitutional note
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What is it?
In herbal medicine, it is the leaves of Epimedium that are either powdered and placed into capsules or extracted into strong teas or tinctures. The various colourful common names of Epimedium as mentioned above show how its effects on the sexuality on domesticated animals that have grazed on it have long been observed by farmers.
FLOWER
FRESH PLANT
DRIED HERB
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How has it been used?
Epimedium has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine for erectile dysfunction and to enhance sexual energy. It has historically been seen as a herb for men though in modern times women have also begun to use it for restoring a low libido.
Whilst a traditional use of any herb going back thousands of years should be met with an attitude of respect the area of sexual health, like weight loss or baldness, has no doubt always been rife with charlatans with no qualms about exploiting people's vulnerabilities. It is therefore encouraging to see that there has been a reasonable level of scientific research to support Epimedium's traditional usage.
Science on Epimedium
~ Epimedium is traditionally used to increase fertility. A controlled trial suggests that Epimedium might improve sexual performance and quality of life in patients with renal failure on chronic hemodialysis (Liao, H. J., Chen, X. M., and Li, W. G. [Effect of Epimedium sagittatum on quality of life and cellular immunity in patients of hemodialysis maintenance]. Zhongguo Zhong.Xi.Yi.Jie.He.Za Zhi. 1995;15(4):202-204)
~ A randomized, double-blind control trial suggests that Epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids (EPFs) can significantly improve bone density (Zhang G, Qin L, Shi Y. Epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids exert beneficial effect on preventing bone loss in late postmenopausal women: a 24-month randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial. J Bone Miner Res 2007;22:1072-9)
~ A randomized control trial suggested that Epimedium combined with Chinese yam may improve symptoms and quality of life in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (Zhao YL, Song HR Fei JX Liang Y Zhang BH Liu QP Wang J Hu P. The effects of Chinese yam-epimedium mixture on respiratory function and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Tradit Chin Med. 2012;32(2):203-207)
~ A randomized control trial suggests that horny goat weed extract may have beneficial effects on sex hormone and lipid levels in postmenopausal women (Yan, F. F., Liu, Y., Liu, Y. F., and Zhao, Y. X. Herba Epimedii water extract elevates estrogen level and improves lipid metabolism in postmenopausal women. Phytother.Res. 2008;22(9):1224-1228)
Similar to the drug viagra, there is an active compound in Epimedium that inhibits a substance (phosphodiesterase) which then, through a series of complex steps, relaxes and increases blood flow to where it is needed. The active ingredient icarin has been identified as the element within Epimedium that achieves this action.
~ the authors, titles and where-and-when published of nearly 80 further studies and articles on Epimedium are listed in a PDF found here
Safety of Epimedium
Epimedium has been extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine and has not been associated with the risk of adverse effects in their literature. There is one report of a 66-year old man developing a rapid heart-beat and developing symptoms akin to a manic episode but it is not clear how much he was taking or for how long (Partin JF, Pushkin YP. Tachyarrhythmia and hypomania with horny goat weed. Psychosomatics . 2004;45:536-537).
Epimedium may lower blood pressure if used consistently over time and if a person using it starts to feel dizzy or faint-headed after a while then they should get their blood pressure checked.