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How we came up with the top 5 key ingredients

Our team determined which ingredients are essential for male enhancement by consulting with medical professionals, herbalists and scientists. We then searched medical journals for clinical trials on all the herbs associated with erection quality. What we found was quite interesting. Most products make miraculous, some would say ridiculous, claims about their product and certain ingredients which are neither medically proven nor have any scientific research supporting their claims for male enhancement.

At the end of our lengthy evaluation, we agreed on 5 ingredients that have the most science behind them and the best record of accomplishment for male enhancement. You can read more about these key ingredients below.

The Top 5 Key Ingredients:

1. L-arginine
   
2. Tongkat Ali
   
3. Horny Goat Weed
   
4. Tribulus Terrestris Extract
   
5. C-nidium
   
   

Yohimbe – This ingredient is flagged by the FDA as a product of concern and is known to cause adverse side effects in many men. You should talk to your doctor first if you wish to try a product containing it. One of the companies we called up (Enzyte) told us they had reformulated their product to exclude Yohimbe, after numerous customer complaints. We must also mention that for those who can tolerate it, Yohimbe seems to work fine. The trade-off is safety and finding out whether or not you can tolerate it well. But, there is really no need to do this. There are enough, much safer ingredients available, that in our opinion, there is no need to take the risk.

1. Treatment of erectile dysfunction with pycnogenol and L-arginine. Seminological Laboratory SBALAG, Maichin Dom, Sofia, Bulgaria. J Sex Marital Ther. 2003 May-Jun;29(3):207-13.
   
   
2. The influence of two different doses of L-arginine oral supplementation on nitric oxide (NO) concentration and total antioxidant status (TAS) in atherosclerotic patients. Karol Marcinkowski Medical University, Poznan, Poland. Med Sci Monit. 2004 Jan;10(1):CR29-32.
   
   
3. Lerman A, Burnett JC Jr, Higano ST, et al. Long-term 1-arginine supplementation improves small-vessel coronary endothelial function in humans. Circulation. 1998; 97:2123-2128.
   
   
4. Burnett, AL Novel nitric oxide signaling mechanisms regulate the erectile response. Int J Impot Res. 2004 Jun;16 Suppl 1:S15-9. PMID: 15224130
   

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Tongkat Ali – Tongkat Ali is a tree native to Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. The part of the tree used medicinally is the root. Tongkat Ali was dubbed the "Asian Viagra" in a May 1999 report in the New Sunday Times. It has been used in Malaysia for many years by men to increase sexual desire, libido, sexual performance and to treat erectile dysfunction. Extracts of Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali) are commonly used as a traditional medicine. It is generally accepted that E. longifolia possesses various bioactive compounds. Some compounds from E. longifolia are suspected aphrodisiacs. Tongkat Ali is a scientifically studied plant which holds up brilliantly under close scrutiny. The root contains a plethora of beneficial compounds, including potent protective antioxidants which inhibit cellular aging. Other phytochemicals in Tongkat Ali are anti-viral, anti-malarial, and anti-cancerous. Others combat high blood pressure, and quell dysentery. Quassinoids in the root prove twice as potent as aspirin against fevers.

Even with its other serious medical applications, what excites most people about Tongkat Ali is that the root significantly boosts sex drive and function in both men and women, by building testosterone.

Because tongkat ali increases testosterone levels it should not be used by men with breast cancer or prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, or sleep apnea.

It is especially important to tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking insulin. Tongkat ali may decrease blood sugar levels.

References:

1. J Nat Prod. 2003 Oct;66(10):1324-7. Cytotoxic and antimalarial beta-carboline alkaloids from the roots of Eurycoma longifolia. Kuo PC, Shi LS, Damu AG, Su CR, Huang CH, Ke CH, Wu JB, Lin AJ, Bastow KF, Lee KH, Wu TS.
   
   
2. Fundam Clin Pharmacol. 2002 Dec;16(6):479-83. Effect of Eurycoma longifolia Jack on orientation activities in middle-aged male rats. Ang HH, Lee KL.
   
   
3. Bioorg Med Chem. 2004 Feb 1;12(3):537-44. Cytotoxic and antimalarial constituents from the roots of Eurycoma longifolia. Kuo PC, Damu AG, Lee KH, Wu TS.
   
   
4. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2003 Nov;51(11):1301-3. Eurycomaoside: a new quassinoid-type glycoside from the roots of Eurycoma longifolia. Bedir E, Abou-Gazar H, Ngwendson JN, Khan IA.
   
   
5. Exp Anim. 2000 Jan;49(1):35-8. Effects of Eurycoma longifolia Jack (Tongkat Ali) on the initiation of sexual performance of inexperienced castrated male rats. Ang HH, Cheang HS, Yusof AP.
   
   
6. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. 2003;14(3):301-8. Eurycoma longifolia Jack enhances sexual motivation in middle-aged male mice. Ang HH, Lee KL, Kiyoshi M.
   
   
7. Arch Pharm Res. 2001 Oct;24(5):437-40. Effects of Eurycoma longifolia jack on laevator ani muscle in both uncastrated and testosterone-stimulated castrated intact male rats. Ang HH, Cheang HS.
   
   
8. Jpn J Pharmacol. 1999 Apr;79(4):497-500. Studies on the anxiolytic activity of Eurycoma longifolia Jack roots in mice. Ang HH, Cheang HS.
   
   
9. Thai J Phytopharmacy. 1998 Dec; 5(2):14-27. Toxicological and antimalarial activity of eurycomalactone and Eurycoma longifolia Jack extracts in mice. Satayavivad J, Soonthornchareonnon N, Somanabandhu A, Thebtaranonth Y.
   
   
10. J Ethnopharmacol. 2002 Sep;82(1):55-8. In vitro anti-tumor promoting and anti-parasitic activities of the quassinoids from Eurycoma longifolia, a medicinal plant in Southeast Asia. Jiwajinda S, Santisopasri V, Murakami A, Sugiyama H, Gasquet M, Riad E, Balansard G, Ohigashi H.
    

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Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium) – Epimedium is a genus of twenty-one related plant species. The Chinese refer to epimedium as "yin yang huo", which has been loosely translated by some as "licentious goat plant" and explains why Western supplement companies have adopted the titillating name by which it is known in the U.S: (horny goat weed). Epimedium is grown as an ornamental herb in Asia and the Mediterranean region, and various species are used for medicinal purposes, including Epimedium sagittatum, Epimedium brevicornum, Epimedium wushanense, Epimedium koreanum, and Epimedium pubescens.

Mechanism of Action
The exact way that horny goat weed works remains unclear. Animal studies have shown that it may influence levels of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine and reduce cortisol levels. The leaves of horny goat weed contain a variety of flavonoids (one prominent flavonoid is icariin), sterols and an alkaloid called magnaflorine. It’s quite possible horny goat weed influences several aspects of human sexual biochemistry. Icariin is known to help with erectile function.

Safety
It is interesting to note that although at least 15 fifteen active compounds have been identified in epimedium extracts, (luteolin, icariin, quercetin, and various epimedins), many supplement companies currently use alcohol extracts standardized only for high levels of icariin. The traditional use of epimedium, however, is as a hot-water decoction (tea), which would result in a very different profile of active constituents when compared to the high-icariin alcohol extracts that are more commonly used in commercial products. Although at least one test test-tube study has shown icariin to protect liver cells from damage with by various toxic compounds, other feeding studies (in rodents) have suggested that high-dose icariin may be associated with kidney and liver toxicity. There have been no reports of adverse side effects associated with the traditional preparation of epimedium (water-extracted) at the suggested dosage (250 to 1,000mg per day).

References:

1. Oh MH, Houghton PJ, Whang WK, Cho JH. Screening of Korean herbal medicines used to improve cognitive function for anti-cholinesterase activity. Phytomedicine. 2004 Sep;11(6):544-8.
   
   
2. Ma A, Qi S, Xu D, Zhang X, Daloze P, Chen H. Baohuoside-1, a novel immunosuppressive molecule, inhibits lymphocyte activation in vitro and in vivo. Transplantation. 2004 Sep 27;78(6):831-8.
   
   
3. Kong X, Hu Y, Rui R, Wang D, Li X. Effects of Chinese herbal medicinal ingredients on peripheral lymphocyte proliferation and serum antibody titer after vaccination in chicken. Int Immunopharmacol. 2004 Jul;4(7):975-82.
   
   
4. Liu XH, Xu LJ, Zhu JH. [Studies on extraction factors of buxueyangyan mixture] Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2003 Apr;28(4):335-6. Chinese.
   
   
5. Guo BL, Xiao PG. [Comment on main species of herba epimedii] Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2003 Apr;28(4):303-7. Chinese.
   
   
6. Sun Y, Fung KP, Leung PC, Shi D, Shaw PC. Characterization of medicinal Epimedium species by 5S rRNA gene spacer sequencing. Planta Med. 2004 Mar;70(3):287-8.
   
   
7. Geng XF, Pang XY, Li GZ. [The progress of research on ginlcgobiobal flavone] Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2003 Jun;28(6):488-90. Review. Chinese.
   
   
8. Liu HD, Lin FS, Li E, Wu MS, Tong XX. [The influence of the different components of nourishing kidney herbs on osteoporosis rats] Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2003 Mar;28(3):262-5. Chinese.
   
   
9. Wang S, Zheng Z, Weng Y, Yu Y, Zhang D, Fan W, Dai R, Hu Z. Angiogenesis and anti-angiogenesis activity of Chinese medicinal herbal extracts.
   

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Tribulus Terrestris Extract – Tribulus had been used as traditional medicine to treat sexual dysfunction and male infertility in Europe and Asia for many decades before improvement in scientific extraction techniques allowed identification of its active ingredient, called protodioscin.

More than nine clinical studies performed by six universities and academic hospitals on this purified extract have confirmed the herb's beneficial effect. These studies showed that Tribulus helps treat impotence caused by low testosterone level or an imbalance in the body's level of sex hormones. The active ingredient of Tribulus acts as a natural precursor to these hormones and is converted into its final forms by the body's own natural enzymes.

Other studies have suggested that Tribulus also acts by increasing the level of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a naturally occurring substance in the body believed to be important for a healthy sex drive.


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C-nidium – The herb Cnidium Monnier has been used for over a thousand years for its positive effect on the libido. Cnidium Monnier increases the release of nitric oxide, which activates more enzymes that make the substance cGMP, which relaxes the muscles around the genital area, which allows the penis to swell. For men Cnidium Monnier increases nitric oxide release and inhibits PDE-5, allowing longer erections for longer periods of time.

Cnidium is a variety of Carrot unknown to most Americans; Cnidium monnieri is a leafy annual with flowers that grow in clusters. The herb has been a popular remedy in Asian folk medicine for millennia, being first described about 2,000 years ago in the Chinese herbal classic Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. The seeds, which are also referred as she chuang zi or she chuang dze, are somewhat yellow in color and have a sweet smell. Cnidium is native to China, where it may be found growing on field edges, in ditches and waste places in most of the country. It also grows in Korea, Mongolia and Russia. Cnidium has been introduced to the United States (Oregon) and Europe.

Cnidium seed contains several compounds including coumarins, osthol, imperatorin, glucides and hepatoprotective sesquiterpenes. Properties of Cnidium: Preliminary studies show some of the compounds in cnidium may have anti-histamine, anti-itch, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial effects, along with having an influence on the pituitary-adrenocortex axis. Additional studies on rodents indicate that cnidium may improve bone strength (coumarins from fruits of cnidium inhibit formation and differentiation of multinucleated osteoclasts of rats). In rabbits, a compound found in cnidium called osthol or osthole was found to help relax the corpus cavernosa of the penis, which would potentially help with blood flow and erections. Cnidium may also have anti-cancer properties. As of September 2004, no human trials have been published on Medline regarding the clinical use of cnidium.

References:

1. Vasorelaxing effect of coumarins from Cnidium monnieri on rabbit corpus cavernosum. WF Chiou, YL Huang, CF Chen, CC Chen
   
   
2. What is Cnidium Monnier Extracts?Pharmacology Actions and application of Cnidium Monnier and Osthol,C15H16O3,Osthola?
   
   

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