Horney Goat Weed: An In-depth Look at the Herb

Viagra is not the only supplement on the market that can help enhance your sex life. The Chinese for over a hundred years have used natural herbs for all types of healing including that of sexual dysfunction. Horney Goat Weed or Yin Yang Huo as it can be called is an herb with mystery. Chinese medics are still not sure why the properties of this herb help, but their research over the last several centuries has proven its effects for helping sexual performance and strength.

Horney Goat Weed is known by Epimedium as the scientific name. It can also be called Barrenwort, Fairy Wings, Bishop’s Hat, and Inyokaku. Epimedium actually covers about 60 or more species regarding the herbal flowering plant. The family is Berberidaceae. This is one of the reasons there are several names for the plant because Epimedium is the genus.

Epimedium helps in other ways besides the libido or erectile dysfunction. First of all it will stimulate the blood vessels to dilate, which helps the hormones move through the body to other tissues in the blood. This physiological effect is what causes the stimulation needed. It will also help to lower a person’s blood pressure because it opens up the flow of the blood.

The Chinese believe Horney Goat Weed will remove tiredness from the body and enhance the energy level because it also stimulates the brain cells by opening up the flow of blood. For this reason Horney Goat Weed can also be used for coronary heart disease, bronchitis, asthma, and sinusitis.

Epimedium has been used for other diseases and problems such as liver, kidneys, joints, knees and back. It is successful in helping with diseases or disorders of these types, but still it is more of an aphrodisiac. There is a legend associated with how the herb was found to work.

According to the history a Chinese goat herder noticed an enhanced sexual activity among this flock. It was found that they were eating the weed and thus it got its common name.

Epimedium has a compound called Icariin. It is the same compound reproduced in Viagra. This compound inhibits PDE-5, which normally reduces circulation in the body. A study was done to record the effects of the Horney Goat Weed, and it found in 15 of the 20 men the Horney Goat Weed helped. For 7 of the 15 men they were already using Viagra, and they found the same effects from the herb.