A new dietary supplement to treat erectile dysfunction will contain an extract of horny goat weed, a traditional herbal remedy for male impotence. How it will perform vis-a-vis Viagra, Cialis, and other prescription ED drugs remains to be seen.
A Texas-based biotechnology company announced in early 2020 that it was developing a dietary supplement to treat erectile dysfunction. The key ingredient in the supplement, colorfully dubbed “Full Salute,” will be an extract of Epimedium brevicornum, also known as horny goat weed.
Horny goat weed, which has long been used as an herbal remedy for ED, is touted by AngioSoma Inc. as “an all-natural phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor” that is biosimilar to the active ingredients in Viagra and Cialis.
‘A Significant Addition’
In announcing the new product, Alex Blankenship, chief executive officer of AngioSoma, said it will provide “a significant addition to our line of products that provide synergistic or complementary effects to an organ system of the body.”
So far unclear is how, if at all, AngioSoma’s Full Salute will differ from other horny goat weed supplements already available on the market. It’s possible, of course, that the new product will also contain other herbs that have been traditionally used as treatments for ED. It’s also possible that the new supplement’s manufacturer has found a way to amplify the effects of the herb.
What Is Horny Goat Weed?
For those unfamiliar with horny goat weed, it is a flowering plant, multiple species of which grow naturally in China and certain other parts of Asia. It is also found in parts of the Mediterranean basin.
AngioSoma’s claims that Epimedium brevicornum is a natural PDE5 inhibitor are not without foundation. An article posted at NewScientist.com notes that the plant contains a compound known as icariin, which has been proven in laboratory testing to be a PDE5 inhibitor.
Not as Potent as Sildenafil
However, naturally occurring icariin found in horny goat weed is nowhere near as potent as sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra. In fact, the NewScientist article says that sildenafil “is 80 times more effective at inhibiting PDE5 than icariin.”
The NewScientist article recounts an effort by pharmacological scientist Mario dell’Agli to study icariin and its potential more closely. The scientist and his team extracted icariin from horny goat weed plants and then produced six modified versions of the compound.
What Lab Tests Showed
All six variants of icariin were then tested in the laboratory on the PDE5 enzyme, which impedes optimal erectile function by breaking down cyclic guanosine monophosphate, a key player in the erection process. One of those variants, dubbed Compound 5, worked “as well as Viagra,” according to dell’Agli.
It is possible that AngioSoma’s Full Salute supplement will contain a similarly modified version of icariin or other horny goat weed components that makes it a more effective treatment for ED.
Side Effects of Horny Goat Weed
According to WebMD.com, possible side effects of horny goat weed include dry mouth, irregular heart beat, low blood pressure, mood changes, nosebleeds, and upset stomach. There also have been reports of respiratory failure and spasm associated with high doses of the herbal remedy.
How to Buy Viagra Online
In the meantime, there’s no need to search for an herbal alternative to the proven ED relief available from Viagra and its generic alternative, sildenafil. Prices for these drugs are increasingly competitive, and their effectiveness and safety has been thoroughly tested in the 22 years they’ve been on the market.
Many men have been able to save both time and money by ordering their Viagra, sildenafil, or other ED medications from eDrugstore.com, a longtime online prescription drug service. Its prices cover not just the medications themselves but a number of added-value services as well. To learn more, visit eDrugstore’s Erectile Dysfunction page.
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