If you've done any research on , you'll probably recognize the names and Icariin. These herbal, natural solutions are sold over-the-counter as naturally derived remedies for (ED). Icariin is the in that's credited with its alleged erection-causing capabilities.
Alleged is the key word here. Unlike Viagra and Cialis pills, neither Icariin or are approved by the U.S. FDA for the of . FDA approval is the most rigorous process a possible go through, having proved to this U.S. regulatory agency that the is not only safe in humans, but also effective. The FDA has helped keep many fake, snake oil products off the market.
Still, millions of guys every year try these natural ED remedies.
Is it worth it? Does Icariin really work? Does work like Viagra?
Here's what the research on Icariin says so far.
What Is Icariin?
Icariin is a chemical that comes from several species of plants in the genus epimedium. They're native to China and Asia and are known as , Fairy Wings (), Barrenwort (), and others.
is the most well-known of the epimedium erection champs, and it's been used for generations in for its aphrodisiac qualities.
Through its use as an , there is some evidence to support Icariin's potential for ED. You see, this is a mild of the -5 (). PDE5 is the exact same way that Viagra (), Cialis (tadalafil), Levitra (vardenafil), and other FDA-approved ED medications work.
Inhibiting PDE5 is a recognized mechanism to alleviate ED quickly and improve .
Icariin inhibits PDE5, so does it work for ED? Is a miracle ?
First, How Does PDE5 Work?
Viagra ( ) was the first oral approved by the FDA for in men. While more PDE5 inhibitors have come along since then, it's still the most popular quick-acting and potent .
Inhibiting PDE5 in the male body can improve and in the of the penis and help to induce an erection. Here's how it works.
Normally, a few processes in the body contribute to an erection. When a man is sexually aroused, either through psychological or reflexive stimuli, nerves in the penis release . This stimulates muscle in the penis to make more of a molecule called cyclic GMP ().
increases and accumulates in the muscle , which activates a number of other effects. Ultimately, leads to relaxation of the vasculature in the penis, arteries, and the corpora cavernosa, the big spongy on each side of the penis shaft that fill with blood during an erection.
More means more as the blood vessels relax and widen.
Meanwhile, PDE5 (-5) is an in the body that breaks down . (Think back to high school chemistry and you'll recall that enzymes are proteins that catalyze a reaction.) As it eliminates , the erection processes slow down and/or stops completely.
You can think of PDE5 as a braking system on the erection. It's a totally normal biological process.
(Viagra) and other PDE5 inhibitors stop this from doing its normal job of breaking down . As they do this, they're releasing the usual brakes on the erection/arousal system.
One thing that's important to know about erections and proper sexual function is that doesn't CAUSE an erection. That's why men still need sexual stimulus to get things started. and other PDE5 inhibitors just keep things moving in the right direction and release the brakes on the system for better . Don't expect to get a raging hard-on just by popping this little blue pill; you'll still need a little intimacy to warm things up.
How Much Icariin Equals Viagra ()?
Icariin is a too. But here's the thing: it's weak when it comes to improving through PDE5 in the body compared to prescription medications.
One of the more robust attempts to work out Icariin's potential effectiveness in ED came from from Italian researchers in 2008. This team looked at the PDE5 inhibiting qualities of a handful of natural, alleged aphrodisiac plants, including . They found that Icariin was the most potent of these...but it still fell well short of Viagra.
Scientists measure the ability of a to "work" on its intended target by something called the IC50, which quantifies how much of a it takes to inhibit the target by 50%.
In this case, the researchers were looking at how much Icariin it took to inhibit PDE5 function by 50% (the IC50).
These researchers found that Icariin has an IC50 for PDE5 of 5.9 micromolars, while has an IC50 of 75 nanomolars.
Converting both to nanomolars (nM), that's 5900 nM for Icariin to have the same effectiveness as 75 nM !
is about 78 times more potent than Icariin and based on these observations.
Hands down, when it's vs Icariin...Viagra is better than Icariin.
A Alternative?
Part of the reason so many men - and researchers - have been interested in proving that Icariin works is that it could be a compelling all-natural alternative to Viagra. That's partly because Viagra has some side effects in a small portion of men who use it, and the hope is that a natural alternative with different targeting could improve on Viagra. works well because it's so selective to PDE5, meaning it usually has few other side effects in the body. This "selectivity" is part of what makes it a great , but could something even more selective work even better than Viagra?
So, in looking for a more , the researchers took things a step further by making a small to the Icariin molecule. Of the five Icariin derivatives that emerged from these , one of them was a more potent and more selective than the original Icariin.
This " 5", as they called it, had a PDE5 inhibitory potential of 80 TIMES that of icariin in their . They concluded: "its selectivity and lack of cytotoxicity make 5 a candidate worthy of further ."
That's potent stuff compared to , so what happened? Unfortunately as far as we know, further research never happened on this selective new .
Dosage
So, if Icariin "works", does work?
is available over-the-counter as a supplement to help with ED. It contains Icariin, but of course is a much more unique name, so it's the name you often see. The name allegedly comes from an ancient goat herder whose herd ate the plant and immediately became more promiscuous.
Popular and Icariin supplements are available online and in stores at suggested doses of 900 mg to 1500 mg daily. They often come in 500-750 mg capsules.
As we've shown, icariin is a comparatively weak substance for improving ED, but Icariin supplements are also often not very pure or "bioavailable." Bioavailability refers to the amount of a substance that goes into your bloodstream after ingesting it, in the case of oral supplements. If only a portion of the intended icariin that comes from your Horny Goat Weed pill is reaching the bloodstream, it requires an even larger upfront dose to achieve substantial PDE5 in the blood. For many over-the-counter supplements, we don't know the true bioavailability.
As illustrated above, it would require a large amount of icariin to rival the effectiveness of (Viagra), and unfortunately capsules alone are probably inadequate.
Icariin Vs Viagra: The Verdict
No OTC supplement has been able to rival the potency of the little blue pill Viagra () or other PDE5 inhibitors approved by the FDA, and the verdict on the natural alternative is hazy at best. While men have reported success for generations using this and similar plant-based remedies, research comparing Icariin to directly in humans has never been done.
But the data seem conclusive enough (and are probably why no one's bothered to test the two head-to-head in men): Icariin just doesn't have the same potency as Viagra.
Can icariin help with ED? There's reason to believe so, but don't expect a crushing hard-on from this alone. Because it's natural and has some research to back up its use, we've actually included it as part of our Testosterone Support Supplement, a once-daily capsule that make testosterone support easier than ever. You can get started yourself right here.
The good news is: you can get prescription ED treatments including on-demand (Viagra), daily tadalafil (Cialis), and more without ever leaving home. Rex MD's telehealth platform make it easy to save money and time, all from home.
