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What is Horny Goat Weed Extract?

Horny goat weed is the common name for the plant known as Epimedium, which is used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine as a tonic, an aphrodisiac, and an antirheumatic agent. It also goes by the names Herba epimdii, yin yang huo, fairy wings, and rowdy lamb herb. While over 200 compounds have been identified in horny goat weed, the main bioactive constituents appear to be flavonoids, of which icariin is the most well-studied. Icariin is also the main active ingredient in horny goat weed supplements.
Horny goat weed appears to have anti-atherogenic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and immune-modulating effects, though most of these mechanisms have only been investigated in research animals and in vitro.

What are Horny Goat Weed Extract main benefits?

Although Horny Goat Weed Extract is one of the most common ingredients in male testosterone-boosting and *erectile dysfunction (ED) supplements, there is a lack of human evidence to support its effectiveness for these outcomes. Horny Goat Weed Extract (icariin) does have pro-erectile properties in rodent models of ED.One study found that Horny Goat Weed Extract elevated estrogen and reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels in postmenopausal women.
In vitro and in vivo studies have suggested that Horny Goat Weed Extract is useful for treating cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Furthermore, recent evidence supports the neuroprotective properties of Horny Goat Weed Extract,though human studies are needed to confirm these effects.

What else is Horny Goat Weed Extract known as?

Note that Horny Goat Weed Extract is also known as:

Epidemium
Herba Epimdii
Icariin
Yinyanghuo

Fairy Wings
Rowdy Lamb Her
Horny Goat Weed should not be confused with:
Icariin (active ingredient)

Dosage information of Horny Goat Weed Extract：

Medical disclaimer

Testosterone boosting effects in rats have been noted at a dosage of 200mg/kg of a 40% extract (80mg/kg Icariin), and based on body weight conversions from rats to humans this results in an estimated human dose of:

900mg Icariin for a 150lb person
1,200mg Icariin for a 200lb person
1,500mg Icariin for a 250lb person

Studies that use a lower dosage of Icariin (1-10mg/kg) are approximately equal to:

11-110mg Icariin for a 150lb person
15-150mg Icariin for a 200lb person
18-180mg Icariin for a 250lb person

The human study on postmenopausal women and bone health noted that 60mg Icariin daily was active, and might serve as the lowest active dose currently known. It also appears to fall within the above range of lower active dosages which show benefits in rats.