The Concise Lowdown On Icariin
What is icariin?
Icariin is the primary active flavonol (flavonoid) contained within the plant family called Epimedium or commercially known as Horny Goat Weed extract.
What color is icariin extract powder?
The color range of icariin extract varies from colors of beige through to shades of prominent brown. The color of extract powders typically varies from plant-harvest to plant-harvest, mainly due to natural variances in terms of plant pigmentation. Also, plants from different parts of the world will sometimes extract to yield a darker or lighter shade, again due to pigmentation and soil types variances. The point in summary here is that the amount (percentage) of icariin contained within an extract has no bearing on the color of the end/finished extract powder.
What are the benefits of using icariin supplements?
- Improved sex drive in both men and women.
- Stronger more frequent erections in men.
- Raised levels of energy in both men and women.
- Increased ability to build muscle tissue in both men and women.
- Stronger bones and improved bone repairability in both men and women.
- Better memory function and overall mental focus in both men and women.
- Improved ability to deal with depression and anxiety in both men and women.
- Increased sperm and ejaculation health in men.
- Assists in lowering blood pressure in both men and women.
- Helps relieve the symptoms associated with fatigue in both men and women.
What strengths of icariin are available?
Icariin strength is measured as a percentage content of active icariin flavonols in any given finished Horny Goat Weed extract. The percentages available range from 10% pure, up to 98% pure, however, the effectiveness is not linear; meaning that 98% icariin is not as effective as say a 50% icariin supplement. This is due to the fact that like most plant extracts Horny Goat Weed can only be extracted up to a certain level until the icariin flavonols suffer and become stripped therefore losing their active structure, and as a result impairing the overall effectiveness of the extract.
What is the difference between standardized icariin & non-standardized icariin?
The difference between standardized icariin and non-standardized icariin relates to the above information regarding purity and percentages. Icariin strength can be standardized (and therefore guaranteed in purity) from 10% icariin content, right up to an extract percentage of between 60% and 70% icariin, after which the strength will then tend to dissipate due to the over-extraction loss mentioned in the previous Q&A above. This means therefore that extracts in the 70% to 98% range cannot be standardized and are (without wanting to state the obvious) classed as non-standardized extracts. For this very reason, it is always best practice to only opt for icariin supplements within the 10% to 60% icariin purity range i.e. the standardized percent range.
Does icariin work the same way as Viagra?
Icariin is a natural extract, as opposed to Viagra which is a man-made prescription medicine. Viagra is a very potent PDE-5 inhibitor that is designed to enable successful blood flow to the male penis within one hour of consuming the medicine, with the effects abruptly wearing off a number of hours later.
Icariin is very different to Viagra, in the sense that icariin is a supplement that should be taken on a daily basis with the goal of gradually re-teaching the body to supply the penis tissues with enough blood to enable a healthy erection. It is however similar to Viagra in the respect that it is also a natural PDE-5 inhibitor, but one that stays active in a long-term sense as opposed to being a hard-hit for a period of only a few hours.
Icariin has another benefit up its sleeve in which Viagra doesn't possess, which is the ability to boost actual sex drive rather than merely just addressing erectile function. This is because icariin also boosts 'free-testosterone' levels which for men plays a very important role in maintaining healthy levels of sexual desire.
Can icariin increase penis size?
Once the penis is fully developed post-puberty stages, there is very little in which any man can really do to achieve the permanent enlargement of the penis.
While icariin will certainly help men gain stronger and larger erections, icariin as with any other supplement, medicine or contraption will not cause the penis to grow larger in a fully developed adult male. Aiming to enlarge your penis with any sort of remedy or drug/medicine is really just a false hope unfortunately which is why it's better to look past that venture and instead focus on having frequent and strong erections when they are actually needed, that's where icariin becomes your best friend.
Can both men & women use icariin supplements?
Yes, both men and women can take icariin supplements and icariin can be very beneficial for women too in many different areas such as sex drive, bone health, sports fitness, and muscle building. Generally speaking, however, women do not require the same percentage dosage and strength of icariin as men do and so for example, if a woman takes a max strength standardized 60% icariin supplement, then she may reduce the dose per day and still gain the same intensity of benefit as that of man would on the full daily dose.
Which is the most effective icariin product on the market?
The best icariin supplement on the market is currently icariin 60™ Horny Goat Weed by a company called World A.B.S, which as the name suggests; is a supplement consisting entirely of standardized 60% icariin extract. Many men and many women take icariin 60™ for numerous different reasons, including sexual health, bodybuilding, osteoporosis, etc. Women generally take 1 to 2 capsules per day as opposed to taking the full dosage of 3 capsules daily that men need to take.
For more of an in-depth rundown on the most effective Horny Goat Weed supplements available, please visit the following link:
How long has icariin been around?
Icariin has been used as a traditional/natural remedy for many decades if not centuries now, in the form of far-eastern Horny Goat Weed based remedies. However, it is only within the last few decades that icariin was singled out as Horny Goat Weed's primary beneficial active ingredient. Since this discovery, icariin has been trialed and tested extensively leading to the discoveries of many of its beneficial activities within the body. New studies on icariin are being carried out continually, leading to the recent discovery of many new benefits.
Right now it is a very exciting time for icariin and in the world of Horny Goat Weed extract in general. It is great to see how well it is being utilized in areas of health other than what it is of course historically deep routed in i.e. sexual health.