Uses of Horny Goat Weed in Chinese Medicine

Horny goat weed is becoming a popular herbal remedy for those with sexual problems and those who would like to improve their sex drive even in the first world. It is even now available in processed form and is being sold as a supplement.

However, this aphrodisiac has been used in traditional Chinese medicine as early as two thousand years ago in its crudest form. If legends are to be believed then the horny goat weed was discovered in China by a goat herder who fed the herb to his herd and found them more sexually active than before after the feeding. With the increased sexual activities of the goats due to the herb, it then became known as the horny goat weed and the name has stuck.

While the sexual wellness brought by the weed is just starting to be appreciated and known in the Western World, the horny goat weed has however been used as an aphrodisiac in China. The herb is being promoted in many health shops both online and offline as an aphrodisiac but it is being used for a variety of illnesses in Chinese medicine.

The horny goat weed is commonly found in Asia and in the Mediterranean and it is commonly used for its testosterone-like effect in China. It is called Yin Yang Huo by the Chinese to mean licentious goat plant. The herb, which is scientifically known as Epimedium, is also known as Yin Yang Huo, Bishop’s Hat, Barrenwort and Fairy Wings. Epimedium consists of more than 20 species of herbal flowering plants belonging to the Berberidaceae family.

Research shows that the plant contains the alkaloid magnaflorine as well as sterols, flavonoids and polysaccharides. If you buy the horny goat weeds supplement in extracted form, you get content that s 10% icariin (the same compound found in Viagra) and flavonoids.

While the horny goat weed is more popular even in traditional Chinese medicine for sexual wellness, there are other still unpopular uses for the herb. It is used in traditional Chinese medicine as a cure for back pains, joint pains, liver and kidney problems. The horny goat weed has stood the test of time and the Chinese traditional healers show no sign of letting up on this miracle herb especially when it comes to boosting the libido naturally.

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