The leaves of as many as 15 species of Epimedium are used as the herb known as yin yang huo in traditional Chinese medicine. "Yin yang huo" is usually translated as horny goat weed because the Chinese characters literally mean, "obscene goat leaves of pulse plants." In traditional Chinese medicine, Epimedium (yin yang huo) is used as a bodybuilding agent, a yang supporter, an agent to reinforce muscles and bones, and a supporter to the health of the liver and kidneys. This herb is also commonly used to treat angina pectoris (chest pain), chronic bronchitis, and neurasthenia (nervous exhaustion). As with many other herbs in Chinese medicine, horny goat weed is rarely used as a single ingredient. Horny goat weed is traditionally used as an ingredient in a yang tonic and for combating wind-damp-cold blocking qi circulation. Horny Goat is also used in other areas including sexual function.
Tribulus terrestris has a long history of use for a variety of conditions. It has been suggested that it was used in ancient Greece and India as a physical rejuvenation tonic. In China, it is used as a component of therapy for conditions affecting the liver, kidney, cardiovascular system and immune systems. It has also been used in Eastern European folk medicine for increased muscle strength and sexual potency. Tribulus has been studied as a non-steroidal alternative to treatment of infertility. Research with tribulus also suggests its usefulness for sexual impotence as well as for treating coronary heart disease.
Maca is a vegetable that has been cultivated as a root crop for at least 2,000 years. It can be found wild in Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina, but has primarily been cultivated in the highlands of the Peruvian Andes. Traditionally, maca has also been used to relieve stress, as an aphrodisiac, and for fertility enhancement in both males and females. Maca is also referred to as Peruvian ginseng, although it is not closely related to ginseng. Maca may improve sexual desire in healthy men independent of changes in mood, or serum testosterone, and estradiol levels.
For more than 2,000 years, the roots of this slow-growing plant have been valued in Chinese medicine. The two most commonly used species are Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), which is mostly extinct in its natural range but is still cultivated. The ginsenosides that is present in the Panax species, which are believed to be active ingredients and have been studied scientifically. Several studies have examined the effects of ginseng (with or without multivitamins) on overall well-being in healthy and ill patients.
TongKat is one of the most expensive herbals around. Tongkat ali roots take some 20 years to reach a stage of full potency. Because the shrub is difficult to cultivate, there is no tongkat ali plantation anywhere in the world. The plant grows on well-drained jungle slopes, partially protected by a canopy. There may be other yet to be discovered requirements for the habitat, which explains why all attempts to grow the plant for commercial purposes have so far failed. All genuine tongkat ali is harvested in the wild. The plant's traditional geographic distribution is in the rainforests of Southeast Asia. It is valued for the medicinal properties of its roots. The only country where still now, there are areas with a natural prevalence of tongkat ali is Indonesia. It is no surprise that when a rare and expensive substance, such as tongkat ali, is traded in a highly competitive market, there will be cheats. A number products sold as tongkat ali have been found spiked with bootleg pharmaceuticals. They all originated in Malaysia.
Arginine is considered a semi-essential amino acid, because although it is normally synthesized in sufficient amounts by the body, supplementation is sometimes required (for example, due to inborn errors of urea synthesis, protein malnutrition, excess ammonia production, excessive lysine intake, burns, infection, peritoneal dialysis, rapid growth, or sepsis). L-Arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide, which causes blood vessel relaxation (vasodilation). Preliminary evidence suggests that arginine may be useful in the treatment of medical conditions that are improved by vasodilation, such as angina, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, erectile dysfunction, heart failure, intermittent claudication/peripheral vascular disease, and vascular headache. Early studies propose that men with low nitrate levels in their blood or urine may find arginine supplements to be useful for managing erectile dysfunction (ED). Controlled clinical trial reported improvements in patients with mild-to-moderate ED following use of a combination of L-arginine, yohimbine hydrochloride. Notably, yohimbine hydrochloride is an FDA-approved therapy for this condition, and the effects caused by arginine alone in this combination therapy are difficult to determine.