Horny Goat Weed for Fertility: Does It Work?
Horny goat weed is an herb known for its ability to enhance reproductive health. It has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine. Given its remarkable benefits, understanding how to use and incorporate horny goat weed into your daily diet is crucial. Let's explore this further.
Before exploring further, please read the disclaimer located at the end of this webpage.
Key Takeaways
- Horny goat weed is a well-known herb that offers numerous health benefits, particularly for enhancing reproductive health.
- For long-term benefits, regular consumption for up to 6 months is essential, underscoring the importance of patience and steady supplementation.
- Horny goat weed helps improve sperm count and quality, increases testosterone levels, and boosts libido in men.
What is Horny Goat Weed?
Horny goat weed, also known as Epimedium sagittatum, is a renowned herb in traditional Chinese medicine. This herb is used to enhance sexual function, boost immunity, combat aging, and support cancer treatment.
The main active components of this herb are flavonoids and polysaccharides. Among them, the bioactive compounds found in flavonoids are icariin, epimedin A, epimedin B, and epimedin C. The levels of these compounds in horny goat weed can vary depending on location, region, light, temperature, and different times of the year. [4]
Key Benefits of Horny Goat Weed for Human Health
Based on the mentioned compounds, horny goat weed offers several health benefits for humans:
- Enhanced Sexual Health: The bioactive compound icariin in horny goat weed is known to enhance libido and sexual performance in both men and women [4]
- Improved Cardiovascular Health: Icariin has also been shown to protect overall heart health by lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow, and reducing levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood [5]
- Antioxidant Effects and Immune Enhancement: Polysaccharides also act as antioxidants, protecting cells from oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Additionally, these compounds enhance immune cell activity, thereby improving overall immune function [4]
How Does Horny Goat Weed Benefit for Fertility?
Therefore, horny goat weed has a great function in enhancing fertility and reproductive health in humans. To delve deeper into this benefit and understand more about how horny goat weed works, let's explore further in the following sections.
Does Horny Goat Weed Improve Male Fertility?
According to a study conducted in 2006 on mice, Horny Goat Weed has been shown to significantly improve sperm quantity and quality as follows [6]:
Study Methodology: Mice were administered Horny Goat Weed extract for periods of 30, 60, 90, and 120 days.
Results: The average sperm concentration was initially 10.75 million, which increased to 12.1, 23.2, 18.3, and 17 million, respectively, after the corresponding periods of Horny Goat Weed use.
Conclusion: Overall, the use of Horny Goat Weed continues to demonstrate excellent effectiveness for males, increasing both sperm quantity and quality. In particular, continuous use over 60 days showed the best results.
Other Studies:
- Another study involving adolescent male mice administered Horny Goat Weed extract for 20 days at doses ranging from 2-8 mg per day also showed significant effects. Specifically, the group with the extract exhibited higher sperm counts and improved testosterone levels than the non-used group [9].
- A study in 2013 also indicated that Horny Goat Weed extract enhances sperm quantity and improves sperm motility in mice [10].
Horny Goat Weed May Increase Testosterone
Several studies have shown that Horny Goat Weed also stimulates testosterone production in males. This is attributed to the compound Icariin found in this herb, which can stimulate Leydig cells in the testicles, thereby increasing testosterone levels [1] [2] [3].
Additionally, studies on mice have demonstrated that Horny Goat Weed increases testosterone levels, thereby improving sexual performance and testicular development [11].
Horny Goat Weed for Libido in Men
In traditional medicine, Horny Goat Weed is used as an herbal remedy to support the treatment of sexual disorders due to its adaptive mechanism of action. This mechanism helps enhance the body's energy and reduce cortisol levels, alleviating stress, thereby improving sexual desire and performance in males [3].
In a study conducted in 2007 on aged male mice using Horny Goat Weed extract for ten days, there was an increase in the frequency of sexual intercourse by over 150%. Additionally, the ejaculation frequency of the studied group of mice was also more than 250% higher [12].
Does Horny Goat Weed Benefit for Female Fertility?
For women, horny goat weed is also used to support the treatment of reproductive disorders such as premenopausal symptoms. It helps improve sexual desire by restoring thyroid hormone levels and aids in preventing the development of endometrial cancer [3] [7].
Read more: Does Horny Goat Weed Work For Women?
Things Need to Consider When Taking Horny Goat Weed for Fertility
For individuals experiencing bleeding disorders, pregnancy, cancer, or planning surgery within the next two weeks, it is advised not to use horny goat weed. This herb can affect hormone levels and may contribute to blood clotting issues.
When using horny goat weed, it's important to avoid combining it with certain medications and supplements, including:
- Blood pressure medications, Estrogen, Blood thinners
- Supplements include niacin, yohimbe, ginger, ginkgo biloba, caffeine-containing products like coffee and green tea.
How to Use Horny Goat Weed for Fertility Effectively?
Currently, there are no specific studies indicating the appropriate dosage of Horny Goat Weed for achieving the best reproductive health benefits. However, you may consider using Horny Goat Weed in the following forms and dosages:
- Supplement products in tablet or capsule form with a dosage of 250-500mg [8]
- Horny Goat Weed powder with a dosage of 1-2 teaspoons per day, which can be mixed with juices or smoothies.
- Liquid extract form of Horny Goat Weed with a dosage of 15-30 drops per day.
- Horny Goat Weed tea can be used with tea bags or fresh tea leaves at a dosage of 1-2 cups per day.
You can use Horny Goat Weed in the above forms and dosages on a cycle of 5 days, followed by two days off. However, it is best to consult with a doctor to ensure safety and prevent any risks.
Alternative Herbal Supplements for Horny Goat Weed
In addition to using Horny Goat Weed, you may consider alternative herbal supplements such as:
- Maca Root (Lepidium meyenii): Known for improving reproductive health and sperm quality in men.
- Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum): Supports the balance of sexual hormones in both men and women while also improving sperm quality in men.
- Ginkgo Biloba Can enhance blood circulation, helping blood flow to the genital areas, thus improving sexual function and performance.
- Tribulus Terrestris, ginseng, and saffron: These herbs also have similar capabilities to improve sexual function, boost reproductive health, and enhance libido in men.
Conclusion
Horny goat weed is indeed a promising herbal remedy for improving reproductive health in both men and women. You can consider incorporating this herb into your daily regimen under the guidance of a doctor to achieve the desired effects.
Related Article:
What is the best time to take horny goat weed?
Horny Goat Weed Vs Ginseng: Which One Should You Choose?
References
- [1] Traditional Asian folklore medicines in sexual health - July 2006 Indian Journal of Urology DOI:10.4103/0970-1591.27632
- [2] Potential Effects of Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium grandiflorum) on The Level of Fertility in Male Rats Infected with Cadmium Chloride: Biochemical and Histopathological Study - Amal Z. Nasef, Naglaa A. El-Sheikh DOI: 10.21608/ASEJAIQJSAE.2023.315705
- [3] Phytochemical and biological assessments on Lipidium meyenii (maca) and Epimidium sagittatum (horny goat weed). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28603109/
- [4] Variation of Medicinal Components in a Unique Geographical Accession of Horny Goat Weed Epimedium sagittatum Maxim. (Berberidaceae) Molecules 2012, 17(11), 13345-13356; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules171113345
- [5] Icariin, an Anti-atherosclerotic Drug from Chinese Medicinal Herb Horny Goat Weed - Front. Pharmacol., 12 October 2017 Sec. Cardiovascular and Smooth Muscle Pharmacology Volume 8 - 2017 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2017.00734
- [6] Different administration duration of Epimedium Herb extract solution on the spermatogenic - CH Lee · 2006 https://koreascience.kr/article/JAKO200618317173184.page
- [7] Icaritin causes sustained ERK1/2 activation and induces apoptosis in human endometrial cancer cells - PMID: 21408143 PMCID: PMC3050810 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016781
- [8] Horny Goat Weed - Last Update: August 8, 2022 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK583203/
- [9] EPIMEDIUM POLYSACCHARIDES IMPACTS THE REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTION OF PUBERTAL MALE MICE NI G., YUE ZH., SETH YAW A., RONG R. https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=37205381
- [10] Protective Effects of Total Flavonoids from Epimedium on the Male Mouse Reproductive System Against Cyclophosphamide-Induced Oxidative Injury by Up-Regulating the Expressions of SOD3 and GPX1 First published: 12 March 2013 https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.4956
- [11] Chemotherapeutic Potential of Epimedium brevicornum Extract: The cGMP-Specific PDE5 Inhibitor as Anti-Infertility Agent Following Long-Term Administration of Tramadol in Male Rats Antibiotics 2020, 9(6), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics9060318
- [12] Effect of lipid-based suspension of Epimedium koreanum Nakai extract on sexual behavior in rats https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2007.08.021
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