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Horny Goat Weed
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food &
Drug
Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or
prevent
any disease. If pregnant or lactating, consult a physician before using.
Horny Goat Weed is an all-natural botanical sexual enhancer. It is a botanical complex that contains Horny Goat Weed (yes that is the name of the herb), Maca, L-Dopa and other exotic botanicals.
What Does it Do? ( See Clinical Trials )
Horny Goat Weed's combination of botanical ingredients may enhance sexual performance through a variety of mechanisms such as increased testosterone production, increased energy and increased sexual hormone production.
( See Clinical Trials)
Many of the herbs contained in Horny Goat Weed have been used in traditional botanical medicine in China, South America and Ayruveda.
It is a robust all-natural stimulant that can support a more robust life as well as love-life.
How Do I Take it?
Take 2 capsules daily with a meal. For more IMMEDIATE ACTION, take 3-4 capsules 90 minutes before activity.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Horny Goat Weed (Please note the word
"Standardized" it is important)
Each Capsule Provides:
Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium sagittatum, Epimedium brevicornum).....500 mg
(Standardized 10% icariin)
Maca Pure (Lepidium meyenii)........................................ 250 mg
(Standardized 0.6% macamides & macaenes)
Macuna pruriens............................................................. 33.3 mg
(Standardized 15% l-dopa)
Polypodium vulgare........................................................... 25 mg
(Standardized 8% 20-hydroxyecdysone)
Directions for use: As a dietary supplement, take 2 capsules daily with a meal. For more IMMEDIATE ACTION, take 3-4 capsules 90 minutes before activity.
UNCONDITIONAL, 30 DAY, MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE!
Horny Goat Weed - 60 Tablets - $28.99
Effect of Horny Goat Weed Herbal Complex Supplement on Sexual Satisfaction in Healthy Men and Men Treated with Viagra
Clinical Trial.
Steven Lamm, M.D. and Gerald Secor Couzens
| Methods | | Results | | Tables | | Discussion | | References |
Purpose We examine the effects of an herbal complex product on sexual satisfaction in healthy male volunteers and male volunteers who use Viagra.Methods In this study, 25 healthy men (HM) and 13 men (VM) who used Viagra were assigned to initially receive daily therapy for 45 days with two capsules (808 mg x 2) of a commercially-prepared herbal complex of epimedium grandiflorum, maca pure (lepidium meyenii), mucuna pruriens, and polypodium vulgare . An additional four capsules (3232 mg) were taken one to two hours prior to sexual activity to determine its effect on sexual interest, sexual performance, and overall sexual satisfaction. After 45 days, the double-blind phase of the study began with a placebo product and active product randomly given to healthy men (HM) who had reported a positive response and taken for two weeks to four weeks. All subjects were evaluated after the first 45 days of treatment and finally after 60 days.
Results 13 of 20 HM had a positive response to the herbal mixture and 6 of the 13 VM had a positive response to the herbal mixture. In the double-blind placebo portion of the study, no HM had a positive response to placebo product; 6 of the 7 HM had a positive response to the active product.
Conclusions Daily use of the herbal complex for a minimum of 45 days resulted in an enhancement of sexual satisfaction in 60 percent of healthy male subjects and 45 percent of men using Viagra. The exact mechanism of action of the herbal mixture is unknown although it may have a testosterone-like effect.
Folk medicine has always been applied whenever a mans virility showed signs of waning. A seemingly endless succession of herbal potions, drugs, and mechanical devices have been employed over the centuries, from crushed rhinoceros horn and pulverized antelope, deer, and horse testicles, to parings of human nails. In times of desperation, a piece of bone was actually eased into the urethra to stiffen the penis.1
The mandrake plant, a member of the nightshade family, was used extensively in medieval Europe, northern Africa, and Asia as both a pain killer and a cure for ED (erectile dysfunction). It is even mentioned in the Old Testament, under the name dudaim, as the stimulant used by Jacob. Stemless, with bell-shaped flowers, the plants long and thick root, which often divides into two sections, resembles the lower male torso. It contains many alkaloids of medicinal value, making it one of the most discussed plants in medical literature, as well as the subject of myth and superstition. Alkaloids are a diverse group of nitrogen-containing substances produced by plants that have powerful effects on body function; some of the more common alkaloids include atropine, morphine, quinine, and codeine.1
And then there was food. Throughout history, edibles, especially those phallic in shape, were employed as virility boosters. Asparagus, bananas, carrots, and cucumbers stood out in this category. Some indigenous tribes in coastal areas traditionally rubbed long, slender fish against their penises in the hope that they would become similarly long and hard.1
The herbal complex product used in this study is a proprietary combination of plant parts, primarily epimedium grandiflorum, lepidium meyenii, mucuna pruriens, and polypodium vulgare. Epimedium grandiflorum has been used historically as a sexual enhancer by the Chinese for 2,000 years. The herbal product is a combination of epimedium grandiflorum and other plants which are shredded and prepared traditionally as a powder as a supplement for sexual enhancement. Because of its sexual medicine properties, this herbal product has been offered commercially in the USA in preparations of pulverized plant parts.
The most consistent use related of this herbal product by Chinese medical practitioners has been to enhance sexual desire and performance. The mechanism of action is unclear but may be related to androgenic stimulating properties, perhaps working on the hypothalamus or pituitary
gland.2
Today, sexual medicine is in its infancy and male sexual enhancement programs are being studied. At least 30 percent of men between the ages of 40 and 70 in the U.S. are dissatisfied with their sexual lives. According to the Massachusetts Male Aging Study a high percentage of the dissatisfaction comes from erectile dysfunction.3 For many, dissatisfaction is related to lack of intimacy or depressed desire.4 (Compared to male dissatisfaction, female sexual dissatisfaction is reported to be at a higher level (42 percent).4 Its obvious that more research is needed in this important and little-studied area.)
Sexual medicine programs are just beginning to come into use. Because of the increased interest in this area, triggered in part by the world-wide approval of the prescription medication Viagra in 1998 and due to anecdotal reports of the beneficial prosexual effect of herbal supplements, we have undertaken to test the hypothesis that a particular herbal supplement has a prosexual effect on healthy men as well as men using Viagra by evaluating it and comparing it to placebo product in volunteers.
Here we report that the HGW herbal complex supplement did enhance sexual satisfaction, and hence these data suggest an important possible clinical application for it.
A human intervention study was carried out using male volunteers attending a General Practice Clinic in New York City. The randomization, administration of the herbal complex product in unlabeled bottles and collection of medical data was carried out by Dr. Steven Lamm and his program coordinator located at 12 East 86th Street in New York City between July 2000 and October 2000. Male volunteers between 25 and 66 years with exclusion criteria of no serious untreated sexual dysfunction were included in the study.
Initially, 38 male volunteers were divided into two groups (Table 1): Healthy Male (HM: n = 25; age, 25 to 65 years); and men using Viagra (VM: n = 13; age, 36 to 66 years). HM is defined as sexually active and not needing Viagra for sexual activity. However, he may be using medication for the treatment of other common ailments, including hypertension, depression, asthma, etc. HM and VM were told they were going to receive either a 45-day supply of the commercially-prepared herbal complex of epimedium grandiflorum, maca pure (lepidium meyenii), mucuna pruriens, and polypodium vulgare (Bodyonics, Hicksville, NY) or a placebo that would be taken daily at a dose of 1616 mg orally (2 capsules) with an additional 3232 mg (4 capsules) that would be taken 60 minutes prior to sexual activity with approximately 4 to 6 ounces of water. The capsules were contained in unmarked white plastic bottles.
The 13 VM (Table 2) followed a similar protocol except they took the herbal product two hours prior to a sexual encounter, followed by Viagra, as needed, one hour prior to a sexual encounter. The study participants received a study questionnaire to complete at the beginning of the study which assessed their sexual satisfaction and sexual performance levels. This 16-question questionnaire for HM and 25-question questionnaire for VM was designed by Dr. Steven Lamm and Gerald Secor Couzens, incorporating the key domains as outlined in part in the International Index of Erectile Dysfunction.5
After 45 days, 20 of the 25 HM completed the trial. 5 men did not complete this portion of the trial due to personal reasons; no side effects were reported. In the sildenafil (Viagra) phase, 13 VM completed the trial; no one reported any side effects. Study participants were asked to fill out another questionnaire assessing their impressions of the herbal complex product.
At this time, 13 HM subjects who admitted having a positive response to the product were randomized by the program coordinator to receive either placebo or active product (Active product n = 7; placebo product n = 6) in unmarked white plastic bottles. Neither patients nor study director knew which product patients had received. 6 VM noted enhanced sexual satisfaction from the products after 45 days and they continued taking the active product. They were not subject to the double-blind portion of the study.
The population of men for this trial came from the patients of a clinic in New York City with ages between 25 and 65. There were no documented side effects attributed to the herbal complex supplement during the trial evaluation of 60 days. 20 HM and 13 VM completed the trial.
Sexual Satisfaction
13 HM reported a variety of positive effects after taking the herbal complex product.
When the men were specifically asked:
Over the last four weeks, how satisfied have you been with your overall sex life?
Very satisfied
Moderately satisfied
About equally satisfied and dissatisfied
Moderately dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
we noted increases of 20% in overall satisfaction with sex life in 4 of the 13 respondents, with 4 reporting a 40%
increase in overall satisfaction (Table 3a). 1 respondent went from being very dissatisfied to moderately satisfied with his overall sex life, a gain of 60%.
Individual satisfaction increased from Day 1 to Day 45, the initial time period the herbal capsules were taken (Table 3b).
When the men were specifically asked:
Over the last four weeks, when you attempted sexual activity, how often was it satisfactory to you?)
Did not attempt sexual activity
Almost always or always
Most times (much more than half the time)
Sometimes (about half the time)
A few times (much less than half the time)
Almost never or never
we noted that of the 13 respondents, 3 said there was an increase in 20% in personal satisfaction in their sexual activity. One man noted an increase of 40%, going from being satisfied much less than half the time to being personally satisfied in sexual activity more than half the time.
Overall sexual satisfaction has a lot to do with the satisfaction a man feels his partner is experiencing (Table 3c).
When we asked:
Over the last four weeks, how satisfied has your partner been with your overall sex life?
Very satisfied
Moderately satisfied
About equally satisfied and dissatisfied
Moderately dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
5 of the 13 men reported no change in the sexual satisfaction of their partner after taking the capsules. However, 4 men felt there was a 20% jump in sexual satisfaction, going from being moderately satisfied to very satisfied. 2 men noted a jump in their partners satisfaction, going from being equally satisfied and dissatisfied to very satisfied. 1 man felt his partners satisfaction went from moderately dissatisfied to moderately satisfied.
Sexual Desire
Enhanced or increased sexual desire plays a large role in overall sexual satisfaction.
When we asked:
Over the last four weeks, how often have you felt sexual desire?
Almost always or always (daily)
Most times (several times a week)
Sometimes (several times a month)
A few times (a few times per month)
Almost never or never
we noted that sexual desire was increased by use of the herbal complex product (Table 4a). While 5 subjects maintained the same level of desire over the course of the study, 6 subjects noted an increase in 20%, with 1 subject noting a boost of 40%, going from feeling sexual desire a few times a month to several times a week.
Perception of ones sexual desire is critical in overall sexual satisfaction.
When we asked:
Over the last four weeks, how would you rate your level of sexual desire?
Very high
High
Moderate
Low
Very low or none at all
we found that most of the men maintained their same level of sexual desire (n = 7). However, after taking the herbal complex product, five noted increases of 20% in their levels of sexual desire. 2 went from low levels of desire to moderate levels; 1 went from moderate to high levels of desire; and 1 went from high to very high levels of sexual desire. 1 man noted a 40% increase, going from very low or no desire to a moderate level of sexual desire.
Sexual Activity
In an effort to see if the herbal complex product triggered an increase in the amount of sexual activity, we asked:
Over the last four weeks, how many times have you attempted sexual activity? (Sexual activity was defined as masturbation or intercourse.)
No attempts
1-2 attempts
3-4 attempts
5-6 attempts
7-10 attempts
11-20 attempts
After taking the product for the allotted time, we noted that there was an increase in sexual activity (Table 5). 5 men in the active group maintained their high levels of sexual activity (3-4 attempts or higher), while 2 men had a decrease in sexual activity; 1 man admitted that he did not have a regular sexual partner, which accounted for his decrease in activity. 6 men noted 20% increases in sexual activity, with 4 men going from 7 to 10 attempts in the time span to 11 to 20 attempts.
The Viagra Trial
The population of men for this portion of the trial used Viagra (VM) and were patients at a clinic in New York City. They ranged in age from 36 and 66 and over. There were no documented side effects attributed to the herbal complex product during the trial evaluation of 60 days. 13 VM completed the trial. After 45 days, 6 of the 13 men noted a positive effect of the herbal complex product on their overall sexual satisfaction.
Sexual Satisfaction
When the 6 VM men were specifically asked:
Over the last four weeks, how satisfied have you been with your overall sex life?
Very satisfied
Moderately satisfied
About equally satisfied and dissatisfied
Moderately dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
we noted that 5 of the 6 men maintained their same level of satisfaction, perhaps indicating the efficacy of Viagra (Table 6a) . However, one subject noted a jump in his satisfaction, going from moderately dissatisfied to moderately satisfied after using the herbal complex product.
Individual satisfaction remained the same for 4 of the 6 respondents from Day 1 to Day 45 (Table 6b).
When the 6 VM were specifically asked:
Over the last four weeks, when you attempted sexual activity, how often was it satisfactory to you?)
Did not attempt sexual activity
Almost always or always
Most times (much more than half the time)
Sometimes (about half the time)
A few times (much less than half the time)
Almost never or never
we noted that of the 6 respondents, 2 said there was an increase in 20% in personal satisfaction in their sexual activity.
In order to find out how much the subject enjoyed sexual intercourse after taking the herbal complex product, we asked:
Over the last month, how much have you enjoyed sexual intercourse?
No intercourse
Very highly enjoyable
Highly enjoyable
Fairly enjoyable
Not very enjoyable
No enjoyment
3 of the 6 subjects noted increases in enjoyment (Table 6c). 1 subject went from feeling very enjoyable to very highly enjoyable. 2 subjects noted 20% increases, going from fairly enjoyable to highly enjoyable and highly enjoyable to very highly enjoyable. 1 subject maintained his highly enjoyable feelings. 1 male went from very highly enjoyable to enjoyable, and 1 man had no sexual intercourse in that period.
Overall sexual satisfaction has a lot to do with the satisfaction a man feels his partner is experiencing (Table 6d).
When we asked:
Over the last four weeks, how satisfied have you been with your sexual relationship with your partner?
Very satisfied
Moderately satisfied
About equally satisfied and dissatisfied
Moderately dissatisfied
Very dissatisfied
2 of the 5 respondents remained moderately and very satisfied, while 1 man went from feeling moderately dissatisfied to very satisfied with his sexual relationship after taking the capsules. Conversely, two men taking Viagra noted a drop in their sexual satisfaction with their partners. 1 man did not have a regular sexual partner.
Sexual Desire
Enhanced or increased sexual desire plays a large role in overall sexual satisfaction.
When we asked:
Over the last four weeks, how often have you felt sexual desire?
Almost always or always (daily)
Most times (several times a week)
Sometimes (several times a month)
A few times (a few times per month)
Almost never or never
we noted that increases in feelings of sexual desire in 3 of the 6 respondents (Table 7a). 2 of the subjects jumped from feeling sexual desire sometimes to almost always. 2 subjects maintained the highest levels of sexual desire; 1 man noted an increase from sometimes to most times, and 1 man dropped from feeling sexual desire almost always to most times.
Perception of ones sexual desire is critical in overall sexual satisfaction.
When we asked:
Over the last four weeks, how would you rate your level of sexual desire?
Very high
High
Moderate
Low
Very low or none at all
we found that there was a marked increase in desire (Table 7b), with 2 men noting that desire increased after taking the herbal complex product from moderate to high, and 1 man noting an increase from moderate to very high. 2 subjects maintained their previous very high and high levels of sexual desire, while 1 man noted a drop in overall desire from high to moderate.
Sexual Activity
In an effort to see if the herbal complex product triggered an increase in the amount of sexual activity, we asked:
Over the last four weeks, how many times have you attempted sexual activity? (Sexual activity was defined as masturbation or intercourse.)
No attempts
1-2 attempts
3-4 attempts
5-6 attempts
7-10 attempts
11-20 attempts
After taking the product along with their Viagra for the allotted time, we noted that there was definitely an increase in sexual activity (Table 8). While 3 men maintained their level of sexual activity, 3 men went from 7-10 attempts at sexual activity per month to 11 to 20 attempts.
Erectogenic Effect
In an effort to see if the herbal complex product could have an impact on a mans ability to get an erection during sexual activity (Table 9a), we asked,
Over the last month, how often were you able to get an erection during sexual activity?
No sexual activity
Almost always or always
Most times (much more than half the time)
Sometimes (about half the time)
A few times (much less than half the time)
Almost never or never
4 of the 6 subjects maintained the same high level of being able to get an erection. However, 1 man went from sometimes being able to get an erection to almost always or always. Finally, 1 man reported that he went from no
sexual activity in the previous month to sometimes being able to get an erection, which was a product of engaging in sexual activity.
Maintaining an erection suitable enough for penetration is often a problem for men with erectile dysfunction. In order to determine how often their erections were hard enough for penetration (Table 9b), we asked:
Over the last month, when you had erections with sexual stimulation, how often were your erections hard enough for penetration?
No sexual activity
Almost always or always
Most times (much more than half the time)
Sometimes (about half the time)
A few times (much less than half the time)
Almost never or never
In this instance, the herbal complex product seemed to have a positive effect in 5 of the 6 men. Although 1 subject dropped from almost always to most times in being able to maintain his erection and 1 man maintained his high consistency, 4 men noted improvements. 2 men went from most times to almost always being able to maintain their hard erections and 1 man noted going from almost never being able to have an erection suitable for penetration to sometimes being able to have an erection suitable for penetration. Finally, 1 man went from no sexual activity in the previous month to sometimes being able to maintain an erection suitable for penetration.
Sexual Confidence
Finally, the men were asked if they felt increased confidence in their ability to achieve and maintain an erection (Table 9c). We specifically asked:
Over the last month, how do you rate your confidence that you can get and keep your erection?
Very high
High
Moderate
Low
Very low
3 of the 6 respondents maintained their moderate and high levels of confidence after taking the herbal complex product. However 1 man felt that he had increased his confidence from moderate to high and 1 man went from high to a very high level of confidence. 1 man jumped from a low level of confidence at the beginning of the study to a very high level of confidence that he could achieve and maintain his erection by studys end.
The Placebo Phase
The placebo phase of the study lasted for two weeks. (Table 10) 13 men who had noted a positive effect of the herbal complex product on their sexual satisfaction were randomly selected by the study program coordinator to receive an unlabeled container with active product or an unlabeled container with placebo product. 6 men received the placebo, and 7 men received the active product. The plain white plastic bottles were unlabeled and neither the study participants nor the study director knew which men received which product during this phase of the study.
After two weeks, the study director telephoned the men and asked the participants if they noted any continued positive effect with the product they had been provided. Of the 6 men who received the placebo, no one noted any positive response. Of the 7 men who received the active product, 6 men noted a continuation of the positive response, with 1 noting no effect whatsoever on sexual satisfaction.
There were no negative side effects noted.
Table 1.
Schedule of events for clinical evaluation of an herbal complex product as enhancer of sexual response.
Time Healthy Male Group
Day 1
Complete consent form Complete questionnaire
Distribute herbal capsules
Start taking supplement
Day 45
Return questionnaire #1
Complete second questionnaire
Randomized to placebo group
and active group based on stated
efficacy of product.
Day 60
Phone participants for comments on
product
Table 2.
Schedule of events for clinical evaluation of an herbal complex product as enhancer of sexual response.
Time Viagra Group
Day 1
Complete consent form Complete questionnaire
Distribute herbal capsules
Start supplement
Day 45
Return questionnaire #1
Complete second questionnaire
Continue taking the product
The following three questions ask about sexual satisfaction.
Day 60 Phone participants for comments on product
| See Tables 3c, 4a, 4b, & 5 |
The following four questions ask about sexual satisfaction.
| See Tables 6a, 6b, 6c, 7a, & 7b |
The following question refers to sexual activity.
| See Tables 8, 9a, 9b, 9c & 10 |
Sex, when not intended for procreation, is about having fun. It can have positive value, helping increase ones sense of well being and may even prolong life. Sex is a highly complex issue. Whether one is an adolescent or a senior citizen, sex requires various levels of desire, performance, and communication. We appreciate just how complicated the issue of determining actual sexual satisfaction actually is. We do know, however, that there appears to be a large portion of our population, both male and female, that is not experiencing sex commensurate with their expectation levels. Males and females have similar and dissimilar issues. Dissimilar issues include those of desire, performance, and communication. Biologic issues such as atherosclerosis, neurological difficulties, diabetes, arthritis, and hormonal factors, as well as social and religious factors, early sexual experience, trauma, and medications all contribute to the overall sexual satisfaction of men and women.1
With that in mind, we understand that one single performance medication, such as Viagra, or less powerful agents, such as the herbal complex product, will not be the solution to everyones overall sexual satisfaction. Still, anecdotal reports of an improvement in sexual satisfaction with a particular herbal complex product prompted us to investigate whether there was a beneficial prosexual effect. There are currently many OTC prosexual products available in pharmacies, health food stores, and via the Internet. We chose a specific herbal complex product supplement and the manufacturer supplied us with unmarked containers of capsules for our study.
Although the pharmacology of each of the four individual prosexual ingredients in the mixture can be found in various texts, we do not know the pharmacological action of this particular mixture. In this two phase, double-blind placebo-controlled study of oral supplementation with a herbal complex product in men, we found no toxic side effects with the two-capsule (1616 mg) daily dose or the additional four-capsule (3232 mg) dose taken prior to sexual activity as judged from medical interviews by the attending physician and questionnaire reports. The mode of action of the herbal complex product has not been clearly defined, although anecdotally it is known to enhance sexual arousal in animal and human subjects.
There were no toxic side effects observed. Statistically significant sexual satisfaction was observed for the individuals taking the herbal complex product. A significant number of healthy men (n = 13) reported that the product enhanced their overall sexual satisfaction. In reviewing patient questionnaires and in telephone interviews, what was clearly noted was that taking the herbal complex product seems to significantly increase sexual satisfaction in healthy men and in men taking Viagra. We hypothesize that the particular ingredients working in concert produce a stimulating effect on most men.
A fulfilling sex life requires a lot more than a pill or a capsule. There are any number of variables and conditions which can affect the attraction, as well as the sexual performance, of two people. Therefore, we must note that sexual satisfaction cant be judged by only one parameter. For some men, enhancing sexual satisfaction requires enhanced sexual performance, while for others it requires enhanced sexual interest. For others, its a boost in confidence which then leads to an increase in overall sexual activity and satisfaction. Still, in others, enhanced sexual satisfaction is linked with the deep and loving relationship they have established with their partner.
This particular herbal complex product appears to function on multiple levels. What percentage has a placebo effect is unknown. We know there is a placebo effect with every product and there may be one with this one as well. However, we believe that this herbal complex product goes beyond placebo and is worthy of use.
In summary, our Phase 1 study demonstrates that daily supplementation with Horny Goat Weed herbal complex product can lead to increases in overall sexual satisfaction.
1. Couzens GS, Lamm S. The Virility Solution. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1998
2. Bensky D, Gamble A. Chinese Materia Medica. Vista, CA: Eastland Press. 1993
3. Feldman HA, Goldstein I, Hatzichriston DG, Krane RJ, McKinlay JB. Impotence and its medical and psychosocial correlates: results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Urol 1994; 151: 54-61.
4. Laumann EO, Paik A, Rosen RC. Sexual Dysfunction in the United States; prevalence and predictors. JAMA 1000; 281, No 6: 537-44.
5. Rosen, RC, Riley A, Wagner G, Osterloh IH, Kirkpatrick J, Mishra A. The International Index of Erectile Dysfunction (IIEF); a multidimensional scale for assessment of erectile dysfunction. Urology 1997; 49: 822-30.
The authors are grateful to Bodyonics (Hicksville, NY) for supplying the herbal complex mixture Horny Goat Weed (HGW) and for supporting this study.