Effects and Benefits of Icariin for Male Libido
Long before the first tablet or injection was invented, people knew about the amazing healing virtues of animal and vegetal life, even just stones, water and air. They used the forces of the world around them to improve their health and acquire new strengths for everyday life. One of such magic remedies was the Horny Goat Weed, or Epimedium grandiflorum in Latin, which is originally from Asia. It was known for its multiple remedial effects, let’s review some of them.
Horny Goat Weed was used in traditional Chinese medicine for many centuries. This herb is from the family Berberidaceae, which in Europe people called the bishop’s hat or barrenwort.
It has yellow or purple flowers. Most of all, these flowers are famous for their ability to increase the libido and men’s sexual strength, as well as help sportsmen in bodybuilding. It is clinically proven that the curative constituents of Horny Goat Weed is a flavonol, a natural anabolic steroid, which speeds up the muscle growth.
What Is Icariin?
Icariin is the active substance of the extract of barrenwort. It comes in the form of bulk powder or capsules, different producers offer various purities and strengths. This remedy is sold over the counter, and to be more exact, it is a health supplement not approved and licensed by medical authorities.
Mechanism of Action
Icariin has various effects on a human’s body. The mechanism of work mainly consists of three actions — it promotes the production of free-circulating testosterone, increases the level of nitric oxide, and inhibits phosphodiesterase type 5, PDE5 for short. Why and how does it help men to have an erection, enhance sexual energy and desire? Let’s look deeper into all three advantageous effects of our herbal drug.
Testosterone is a male hormone which is responsible for many processes in the body. Our interest concerns only its influence on amorous and reproductive performances. This hormone is involved in producing sperm. It also makes men feel an aroused sexual wish, and this is how it improves men’s libido.
Nitrogen oxide (NO for short) is the natural free radical that occurs in our body and serves to relax muscles to help blood circulation. When a man feels sexual vigor, nitric oxide starts action, releasing certain chemicals that relax the smooth muscles of the penis, letting the blood in and causing the erection. PDE5, which also naturally occurs in our body in different organs, may break these chemicals, thus impeding a healthy sexual performance. Icariin works as a weak PDE5 inhibitor, preventing its negative influence.
Dosage of Icariin Supplements
The first thing to remember before beginning to take Epimedium extract is that different supplements contain different volumes of the pure icariin flavonol. Its content can vary from 10% to 60% and even more, but the strengths over 70%, in spite of a higher percentage of the active compound, seem to be less effective. This happens because Epimedium needs the presence of other constituents of the original herb to work stably. To work properly, flavonols need their natural surrounding, as they occur in the herb, so if you take a powder or capsules with 90-99% of the active substance, it does not mean that you have the most effective supplement of this origin. Of course, you should read the instruction for the drug before choosing a dose. One more clue from us — always pay attention what the manufacturer writes in the list of ingredients. If you see the word ‘icariin,’ the singular form, then the manufacturer is providing you with a content of pure, actual flavonol. If it is written as ‘icariins’ in plural, then it is referring to various materials taken from barrenwort herbs.
The dosage of Yin Yang Huo (the Chinese name of the plant) extract may differ depending on the weight and health condition of the patient. What do you expect from this remedy? If a man is healthy and sexually strong but wants to experience more desire and make the sensations brighter, small dosages of the extract with 20% icariin content, or even lower, will work fine for him. But if there is any impairment — erectile dysfunction or libido loss — the supplement should be administered in higher concentrations and amounts.
There is no need to remind you that the rates of administration for accessory food substances are linearly proportional to body weight. The average recommended dose of actual icariin flavonol for a man with moderate and strong ED is about 100mg per kilogram of his weight. Thus, a man with 70 kilograms in weight should take 700 mg of pure medication; 80 kilograms would make it 800 mg, etc. It is very easy to calculate what dose of the supplement you should take when you know the concentration of the active ingredient. For example, let’s see how much of 40% Horny Goat Weed extract a man who weighs 80 kilos should take. If 100 mg make 40% of the whole amount of the drug, then 100% is 250 mg. Thus, 80 kilograms of body weight requires 2 grams of the supplement. Usually, it makes two capsules per day for an average man.
Side Effects of Icariin
During the clinical tests of the medication, there were no severe adverse side effects discovered. Usually, barrenwort extract is well-tolerated by the body. All manufacturers provide their products with instructions where you can find information about the right doses and methods of administration. As long as the guideline is obeyed, there cannot be any problems.
Only less than one percent of users reported undesired reactions after using Yin Yang Huo teas or powders, and only in mild forms. Some of them experienced headaches and agitation, while some men reported mood changes and aggression. This may be explained by the increased testosterone circulating in the blood. Such adverse reactions go away when the organism gets used to medications.
Nevertheless, you should be worried if you observe these long-time and strong negative signals from your body:
- stomach pain, indigestion, diarrhea, vomiting;
- heartburn, arrhythmia;
- loss of coordination, speech, consciousness;
- excessively long erection (several hours).
Be aware not to take the drug if you have an allergy to any constituents of the extract. If you see any rush, flushing, itching, or other symptoms, stop using the drug and go to a doctor.
Is Icariin Safe for Health?
The extract of Epimedium grandiflorum is mostly safe and does not cause any negative consequences to a human’s health. What are some precautions that should be taken before using this herb? First of all, men who cannot have sex due to any medical reasons should avoid it. When overdosed, icariin may cause a rapid heartbeat, labored respiration, and muscle convulsions.
Also, icariin has the same contraindications and interactions with other drugs as all other PDE5 inhibitors. They are:
- Sildenafil, such tablets as Viagra and Kamagra;
- Vardenafil, which is in Staxyn, Vivanza and Levitra;
- Tadalafil, which is the main compound of Cialis, Adcirca and others;
- and Avanafil, that is sold under the brands Spedra and Stendra.
Men cannot use the drug when they have severe cases of Peyronie’s disease, or if there are heart attacks and/or strokes in their clinical records. Any cardiovascular illnesses, including hypotension and hypertension, hepatic disease, and nephritis are also reasons to seek medical advice before using “bishop’s hat”. As this herb is sometimes used by women, too, it is a good chance to mention that this drug is not for pregnant and breastfeeding ladies.
You should not take several erection remedies together, mix them with antifungals, antibiotics, or blood thinners, and never take it together with nitroglycerin and congener medications. All medications from antiretroviral therapies, chemotherapy, and birth-control preparations should be avoided, too, or taken only under professional medical control, as well as nootropics and antidepressants.
A high level of nitric oxide may be dangerous to people with blood incoagulability, so barrenwort medicine may aggravate the symptoms of the disease. Because of the same action, it is not allowed for use before surgery. The general recommendation for all who want to take this health supplement is to consult a doctor and provide him with full information about your health condition and other medications you take.
Icariin Reviews
The internet is full of users’ reports about the changes in their lives after they started using this herbal drug. Mostly, the reviews are positive and people thank the remedy for bringing back their sexual energy and taste for life. But amorous issues are not the only reason why people use icariin. It turns out that it helps with many other problems and helps to achieve various results. Looking through the icariin reviews, you will see that it has various benefits that are proven by users’ experiences.
Summary: Icariin Benefits
The teas and potions made of our herb were used for more than two thousand years for many purposes:
- blood pressure problems;
- osteoarthrosis and osteoporosis;
- pain in bones and joints;
- coughing;
- loss of memory;
- stress, tiredness;
- liver and kidney diseases;
- ischemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease;
- control of the cholesterol level.
As you see, it can come to the rescue not only for patients with ED or other sexual impairments. We have already mentioned about the ability of the men’s sex hormone to enhance stamina and grow lean muscle mass. It can also perform a thymoleptic action, improving the patient’s mood and giving more energy for life. Icariin was noted to reduce the level of the hormone cortisol, related to stress and depression. It was discovered during the tests on animals, but it lets us to believe that Horny Goat Weed can really have an anti-depressant effect.
Boosting the action of nitric oxide, the Epimedium extract helps to regulate blood pressure and alleviate the symptoms of heart and blood vessel illnesses, including the formation of blood clots. It also can work as an antioxidant, which makes it an efficient prophylactic drug for many illnesses, including cancer.
TOP Icariin Supplements
There is no way you can get enough icariin from usual food for any visible effect. This is why if you need it — you have to buy it, and the best way is to use various online drugstores. They are widely represented in the net and contain numerous trademarks of Horny Goat Weed supplements.
The most popular, that are in the top of the chart, are:
- The product of Havasu Nutrition company, Extra Strength Horny Goat Weed Extract With Muira Puama, Maca Root, L Arginine, Tribulus — for Men & Women. The bottle contains 60 capsules with 1000 mg of the extract in each.
- Libido Support by BioFusion. This is a combination of herb extracts, includes eurycoma longifolia (in Vietnamese its name is “the tree that cures thousands of diseases”), ginseng and maca.
- 60 capsules of pure 1000 mg Horny Goat Weed extract, produced by Biogreen Labs.
- The Hornier Goat of Dr. Thobias — a popular dietary supplement made in USA, and many others.
You will not need longer than a minute to find dozens of inexpensive preparations with positive reviews if you search for it on the internet.
What If Icariin Doesn’t Work for Me?
The folk medicine is popular and seems closer to nature. Still, sometimes it is not strong enough to help us with our problems. Traditional cures can help but not when there is a need for professional modern medications. In such cases, it is better to substitute the teas and extracts of Horny Goat Weed for innovative tablets from the new era of ED and PE treatment. We have already mentioned them, the PDE5 inhibitors pills, which are all represented on our site. ViaBestBuy is one of the largest online pharmacies which does not require a prescription from your doctor. At the same time, we offer you legal, affordable, and effective drugs to get rid of your sexual problems once and for all.
You can buy the most popular Viagra, Cialis and their generics for the prices that will surprise you on the upside. In addition, we take cards, bitcoins and PayPal. Look through our catalog, you will see that we have constantly developing system of discounts, special offers and presents. Our clients never look for other drugstores!