Horny Goat Weed May Live Up To Its Name

Scientists in Milan have found that an herb long used by traditional practitioners for sexual potency may indeed lead to a new drug for erectile dysfunction. I think it is great when natural products like this are proven in the laboratory -- this has happened with Rhodiola rosea in the past, and now "Horny Goat Weed."

Horny goat weed may end up helping the 50% of men worldwide (aged over 40) who suffer from erectile dysfunction at some point. These plants, also known as Barrenwort, Bishop's Hat, or Fairy Wings have been used as sexual dysfunction treatments for years, and scientists have now inched a little closer to discovering exactly how it works.

Blood needs to flow into – and stay in the penis in order to get and maintain an erection. Viagra and its many copies work by inhibiting PDE-5, an enzyme that helps keep blood flowing to the penis.

Now University of Milan researchers have discovered that icariin, the main compound in horny goat weed, acts the same way Viagra does.The scientists examined icariin alongside other plant compounds by adding an enzyme that regulates penile blood flow, and found that icariin was the most potent out of all the plants tested. When they chemically modified the icariin they found its effect mimicked that of Viagra, noting that this is “a promising candidate for further development."

The University of Milan study will be published in the October issue of the Journal of Natural Products.

Dave