Epimedium Sagittatum (Horny Goat Weed)

Latin name: Epimedium Sagittatum

Common name: Horny goat weed

Other names: Epimedium, Barrenwort, Herba Epimedii, Japanese Epimedium, Xian Ling Pi, called Yin Yang Huo in Chinese which means "licentious goat plant"

What it is: a leafy plant that grows in the wild, most abundantly at higher altitudes.

Habitat: native to China

History: used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2000 years, it is

believed to strengthen kidney yang, dispelling wind and eliminating dampness

Parts used: only the leaf part of the plant, harvested in spring and autumn

Constituents: the leaves of the horny goat weed plant contain a variety of flavonoids, polysaccharides, sterols and an alkaloid called magnaflorine

Actions/Uses: Horny goat weed is used as an aphrodisiac to relieve sexual dysfunction in both men and women, to treat arthralgia, rheumatic conditions, back pain, impotence, involuntary ejaculation, mental and physical fatigue, coronary heart disease, bronchitis, asthma, memory loss, and muscle spasms , dilates blood vessels, is an expectorant that can be used to control coughing

Preparation method: infusion, which is the safest form, and tincture

Side Effects: can cause nosebleed, thirst, and vomiting if too much is ingested

Interactions: none known

Animal Studies: Horny goat weed has shown to raise adrenaline, noradrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine levels. Dopamine may be responsible for the reproductive effects as it can cause a release in testosterone

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