{"id":14973,"date":"2016-07-26T09:00:07","date_gmt":"2014-07-26T16:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.accessrx.com\/blog\/?p=14973"},"modified":"2025-04-30T11:57:54","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T04:57:54","slug":"the-frenzied-and-dangerous-pursuit-of-himalayan-viagra-m0708","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/erectile-dysfunction\/viagra\/the-frenzied-and-dangerous-pursuit-of-himalayan-viagra-m0708\/","title":{"rendered":"The Frenzied and Dangerous Pursuit of ‘Himalayan Viagra’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Erectile
Erectile dysfunction used to be a taboo topic for discussion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A generation ago, erectile dysfunction (ED) was talked about in hushed tones if it was talked about at all.<\/p>\n

But the blockbuster popularity of modern ED medications like Viagra clearly showed that ED was common, that it wasn\u2019t \u201call in the mind,\u201d and that it could often be treated successfully and safely with a simple pill.<\/p>\n

Despite the widespread availability of drugs like Viagra, dropping prices in some markets due to emerging generic competition, and the positive reviews of these drugs by doctors and patients alike, many men remain intrigued about the possibility of a \u201cnatural\u201d version of Viagra in the form of herbs or other natural products.<\/p>\n

For the most part, such products don\u2019t deliver the results men want. For one thing, there is little to no standardization of natural products claiming to treat ED, and for another, ED treatment is enormously tempting to scam artists who prey on fears and on desire to treat ED. One product that has received attention in recent years is Yarsagumba, also known as \u201cHimalayan Viagra.\u201d<\/p>\n

What Is Yarsagumba?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yarsagumba (Ophiocordyceps sinensis)<\/a> only grows in the high altitude meadows of the Himalayas and Tibetan plateau, at altitudes of 3,000 to 5,000 meters (roughly 9,800 to 16,400 feet above sea level). It has traditionally been used in traditional Tibetan and Chinese medicine for a huge range of conditions.<\/p>\n

Yarsagumba has a very unusual life cycle. Sometimes called \u201ccaterpillar fungus,\u201d it starts its life cycle in late summer, when fungus spores infect a certain species of moth larvae living in the soil. Once it infects a larva, the fungus grows inside the larval caterpillar, ultimately mummifying it and repositioning it below the surface so that the head of the larva points upward.<\/p>\n

Shortly before the soil freezes in wintertime, a tiny bud forms, pushing up out of the mummified caterpillar\u2019s head. The next year, from approximately April through June, a brown fruiting body, similar to a mushroom, emerges from the soil. It looks like an unremarkable, short twig, yet Yarsagumba has become astonishingly profitable, partly because of its traditional use for treatment of ED. Some men turn to Yarsagumba as an alternative to Viagra.<\/p>\n

What Are Yarsagumba\u2019s Chemical Properties?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Long ago, local herders in the Himalayans around where Yarsagumba grows noticed that their yaks, goats, and sheep who consumed the fungus became strong and stout. The product was initially used in herd animals to increase milk production, but eventually people started consuming it themselves, touting its enhancement of general vitality.<\/p>\n

An extensive list of bioactive ingredients from various parts of Yarsagumba includes:<\/p>\n