Description
Why Should I Take Horny Goat Weed?
Horny goat weed is a fantastic supplement for blood flow, libido and testosterone enhancement. It promotes erectile function in addition to enhancing psychological libido. Horny Goat Weed 50% would be ideal for individuals looking for a boost to general vitality, helping them perform better both in the gym and in the bedroom!
What is Horny Goat Weed?
Epimedium brevicornum, better known as horny goat weed, is a great source of the flavonoid Icariin. Icariin is extracted from the aerial parts of the plant, which include the leaf, stem and fruit. The use of Horny Goat Weed stems all the way back to traditional Chinese practices where it was used to promote cardiovascular function and vitality.
Horny Goat Weed Benefits & Uses
Inhibitor of PDE-5
Promotes testosterone levels
Promotes cardiovascular function
Get Your Blood Pumping With Horny Goat Weed
As one of Horny Goat Weed’s most well-known effects, it only made sense to begin this section talking about blood flow! Icariin is a fairly selective inhibitor of an enzyme called phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE-5). When we inhibit this enzyme with icariin, we get a large increase in overall blood flow. The unique thing about PDE-5 inhibition, which doesn’t extend all too much to other mechanisms of enhancing blood flow, is that it can specifically enhance blood flow in penile tissue. This likely will translate to more effortless and higher-quality erections. Due to this, it is no surprise that it is one of the most well-known libido enhancers!
Let’s touch on the name “horny goat weed”, this is a pretty funny name and always raises a few eyebrows! There is a good reason for this name though, a Chinese goat herder reportedly noticed that his goats were particularly frisky after eating from wild Epimedium species. As we discussed above, icariin certainly has a libido enhancing effect via its blood flow enhancement, but clearly, it enhances libido through some different pathways too.
One study in particular showed that rats supplemented with Horny Goat Weed had higher testosterone levels than the levels of those in the control group. Testosterone is important for both male and female libido, so this is likely where the bulk of its psychological libido effects come from. Even more interesting, is that icariin specifically seems to be able to enhance the strength of penile tissue, again adding to its pro-erectile effects.
A Highly Selective Extract
As you may have noticed, we have two different Epimedium extracts, one standardized for 10% icariin and the other one which is standardized for 50% icariin. On the surface, it may seem that the only difference between these two is their potency, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
During beta-testing, we quickly noticed that the 10% icariin extract has a very pharmacologically complex effect, while the 50% felt a lot “cleaner” and more targeted for blood flow. When we concentrate high amounts of one compound, like in the 50% icariin extract, we also reduce the amount of different compounds in the extract. This allows us to further exploit the effects of single compounds, and this comes through very clearly with the two different Epimedium extracts.
The 50% icariin extract is perfect for those looking to inhibit PDE-5 and enhance blood flow through this mechanism, without many other auxiliary effects. It’s a perfect daily supplement that makes a great addition to various different stacks. The 10% icariin extract on the other hand is better for standalone effects if you are after some mood enhancement too!