Written by Steve Theunissen | ISSA: CPT & Fitness Nutrition
Fact checked by Meghan Novoshielski, M.S Nutrition Sci. ,RDN
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Horny Goat Weed may be one the most appropriately named supplements on the market. Chinese goat herders from long ago coined it after noticing how amorous their male goats became after chewing the leaves of this weed. Whether it can have the same effects on humans is debatable, but that hasn't stopped it from becoming a popular libido enhancer. As a result, it is often referred to as natural Viagra.
This article reviews the 7 best horny goat weed supplements on the current market, separated by category. We'll also look at the research to support the use of horny goat weed and provide a buyer's guide so you can make the best supplement brand choice.
7 Best Horny Goat Weed Supplements
- Overall Best: Zhou Nutrition Horny Goat Weed
- Most Potent: Horbäach Horny Goat Weed
- For Boosting Testosterone: Nootropics Depot Horny Goat Weed
- For Older Men: Havasu Nutrition Horny Goat Weed
- For ED: Nature's Craft Horny Goat Weed
- For Libido: NOW Supplements Horny Goat Weed
- For Inflammation: Dr. Martin's Nutrition Horny Goat Weed
SFS Pick
Zhou Nutrition
SFS Potency Pick
Horbäach
SFS T-Boost Pick
Nootropics Depot
1. Overall Best Horny Goat Weed Supplement: Zhou Nutrition Horny Goat Weed
Zhou Nutrition Horny Goat Weed is a capsule-based sexual energy complex that pairs horny goat weed with nine other ingredients. A serving size of two capsules provides 1000 mg of horny goat weed, which aligns with most recommendations.
This is the best horny goat weed I've tried thanks to its well rounded formulation. I don't think you will find a better option out there considering the ingredients and value for your money.
Here's a breakdown of the other ingredients in Zhou Nutrition Horny Goat Weed:
- Maca root: 250 mg
- Tribulus terrestris extract: 70 mng
- Polypodium vulgare: 20 mg
- Tongkat Ali root: 100 mg
- Saw palmetto berry: 100 mg
- Mulra puama root: 20 mg
- L-Arginine: 20 mg
- Panax ginseng root: 20 mg
- Cayenne pepper powder: 10 mg
The horny goat weed extract has a purity level of 10% icariins, which is the active ingredient in the product.
Each bottle of Zhou Nutrition Horny Goat Weed provides you with 30 servings.
Pros
- 1000 mg of horny goat weed per serving
- Nine other research-backed ingredients
- Well priced
Cons
- Only 10% icariins purity
Zhou Nutrition uses a herbal blend of horny goat weed, maca root and saw palmetto works to support your performance without the harsh chemicals or side effects...
2. Most Potent Horny Goat Weed Supplement: Horbäach Horny Goat Weed
Horbäach Horny Goat Weed is the highest-dosed supplement in this category we have come across. You get a total of 7,500 mg per serving. That massive amount is combined with Tribulus, Maca, Yohimbe, and L-Arginine. All of this is packaged in a quick-release capsule.
The horny goat weed in this product has 50 mg of icariins per serving, which is far higher than most competing products. That makes it a lot more potent, as icariin is the key active ingredient in horny goat weed.
Horbaach Horny Goat Weed is a vegetarian-friendly product.
Pros
- 7500 mg horny goat weed per serving
- Four other proven ingredients
- 50 mg icariins per serving
Cons
- Horny goat weed dosage may be too high for some people
Featuring the equivalent of 7,500 mg of Horny Goat Weed per serving, this elite complex is also fortified with Tribulus, Maca, Yohimbe and L-Arginine, all in quick-release capsules...
3. Best Horny Goat Weed Supplement For Boosting Testosterone: Nootropics Depot Horny Goat Weed
Nootropics Depot Horny Goat Weed is available in two versions. One of them, the one under consideration here, is standardized to 10% icariins, while the other is standardized to 50% icariins. Often a higher potency supplement will sacrifice fibers, fats, proteins, and cellulose. As a result, the lower potency version provides a fuller spectrum of compounds.
These horny goat weed capsules contain 500 mg of horny goat weed extract. There are no other ingredients in the product apart from those that make up the capsule, which is vegetarian-friendly. This supplement is manufactured in a GMP-certified facility and verified in an ISO-certified lab.
Nootropics Depot Horny Goat Weed can be purchased in a 30 or 90-count bottle.
Pros
- 500 mg per capsule
- Only requires one capsule per serving
- Verified in an ISP certified-lab
Cons
- Only 10% icariin purity
Horny goat weed is a fantastic supplement for blood flow, libido and testosterone enhancement. It promotes erectile function in addition to enhancing psychological libido...
4. Best Horny Goat Weed Supplement For Older Men: Havasu Nutrition Horny Goat Weed
Havasu Nutrition Horny Goat Weed combines horny goat weed with five other ingredients that have been shown to boost libido and encourage natural testosterone production. In addition, you get Saw Palmetto to support prostate and urinary health, Tongkat Ali root extract to boost male body composition, l-arginine to make proteins and boost circulation, and maca root to promote post-workout muscle cell health.
Every two capsules of Havasu Nutrition Horny Goat Weed provides you with 1000 mg of horny goat weed, providing 10 mg of icariins. Here's a breakdown of the dosages of the other ingredients:
- Maca root: 250 mg
- Tongkat Ali root extract: 100 mg
- Tribulus terrestris: 60 mg
- Saw palmetto berry powder: 50 mg
- Muira puma bark extract: 20 mg
- L-arginine HCL: 20 mg
- Panax ginseng root extract: 20 mg
Havasu Nutrition Horny Goat weed is formulated in the USA in a GMP-certified facility.
Pros
- 1000 mg of horny goat weed per serving
- Seven other ingredients to boost effectiveness
- Made in USA
Cons
- Contains traces of lead
Formulated with some of the best ingredients - L-Arginine, Muira Puama, Maca Root and Tribulus - we help you feel better about your overall energy and endurance. Both men and women...
5. Best Horny Goat Weed Supplement For ED: Nature's Craft Horny Goat Weed
Nature's Craft Horny Goat Weed features an 'advanced complex' that pairs 1000 mg of horny goat weed with various other ingredients to improve libido, help overcome erectile dysfunction and boost natural testosterone levels. The compounds are similar to some of the other complexes on this list and in similar dosages. Here's what you'll see on the product label:
- Maca root: 250 mg
- Tongkat Ali root extract: 100 mg
- Tribulus terrestris: 60 mg
- Saw palmetto berry powder: 100 mg
- Muira puma bark extract: 20 mg
- L-arginine HCL: 20 mg
- Panax ginseng root extract: 20 mg
The only difference between this formula and that for Havasu Nutrition Horny Goat Weed is that you get double the amount of saw palmetto berry powder here. So, if you want to better support prostate health, this may be the better product.
The capsule that the ingredients are housed in is made from bovine gelatin, so this is not a vegan-friendly supplement.
Pros
- 1000 mg horny goat weed per serving
- Seven complimentary ingredients
- High level of saw palmetto berry extract to support prostate health
Cons
- Only 10 mg of icariins per serving
Nature's Craft horny goat weed with maca root capsules for men make a great energy supplement to help you work and perform your best thanks to increased flow energy and strength...
6. Best Horny Goat Weed Supplement For Libido: NOW Supplements Horny Goat Weed
NOW Supplements Horny Goat Weed provides you with 750 mg per serving and 150 mg of maca root. The minimum icariin level here is just 3%, which is pretty low. The unique oval tablets used here are smaller and easier to swallow than those found in most competing products.
Now Supplements have been manufacturing high-quality natural health supplement since 1968. Over that time, they have built a reputation for quality and great customer service. All of their other supplements are manufactured in the USA in GMP-certified facilities.
Pros
- Small, easy-to-ingest oval tablet
- Combines horny goat weed with maca root extract
- Well established company
Cons
- Only 3% icariins
Epimedium was thought to "tonify life's gate" - a term used to refer to the "vital energy" in men. NOW® Horny Goat Weed Extract is combined with maca, another herb known for its tonifying properties...
7. Best Horny Goat Weed Supplement For Inflammation: Dr. Martin's Nutrition Horny Goat Weed
Dr. Martin's Nutrition Horny Goat Weed is comprised of a seven-ingredient blend of libido and energy-increasing ingredients along with 1000 mg of horny goat weed per 2-capsule serving. The total dose per serving is 1560 mg, made up of the following:
- Horny goat weed: 1000 mg
- Maca root: 250 mg
- Tongkat Ali root extract: 100 mg
- Tribulus terrestris: 60 mg
- Saw palmetto berry powder: 100 mg
- Muira puma bark extract: 20 mg
- L-arginine HCL: 20 mg
- Panax ginseng root extract: 20 mg
This is a very similar profile to Nature's Craft Horny Goat Weed. It is extremely well-priced, containing 50% more capsules per container than most competitors. The daily cost for Dr. Martin's Nutrition Horny Goat Weed is a little more than ten cents.
Pros
- 1000 mg of horny goat weed per serving
- Seven other research-backed ingredients
- 50% more capsules than most competitors
- Very good value for the money
Cons
- Some users report that it has a bad odor
Dr. Martin's provides a unique, powerful horny goat weed blend with a serving size of 1560mg dose 2 Capsule. A powerful formula to get you going and boost your workout...
What is Horny goat weed?
Horny goat weed is the colloquial name of the epimedium plant. Known as yin yang huo (lustful sheep or goat plant) in China, horny goat weed has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine. The leathery leaves are dried and used in concentrated liquids and wines to energize the kidneys and treat erectile dysfunction, lack of libido, infertility, urinary frequency, and low back or knee pain.
Natural supplements like horny goat weed is frequently combined with other herbs to move blood and dispel cold, dampness, and wind, which can cause arthritis, numbness, limb pain, or muscle spasms.
Horny goat weed can be bought in a number of forms, including tablets, capsules, powder, and as tea.
Benefits of Horny Goat Weed Supplements:
In animal research, epimedium extracts from horny goat weed improved HPA axis function and decreased inflammatory cytokine levels in subjects with asthma. A horny goat weed extract also alleviated HPT (hypothalamic-pituitary testicular) axis inhibition caused by obesity. Much of the research on this herb is animal research, and the majority of it does not use the whole herb itself, but flavonoid extracts from the herb or the isolated flavonoid icariin.
The following health benefits of horny goat weed have the most research support.
1. May Help with ED
Horny goat weed contains the active ingredient icariin. In people who are suffering from erectile dysfunction, an enzyme called PDE5 prevents nitric oxide from dilating the blood vessels in the penis. As a result, there is not enough blood flow to sustain an erection. Icariin blocks the activity of PED5 which then can increase blood flow to the arteries in the penis can be sustained. This is similar to the way that Viagra works.¹
2. May Boost Libido
Legend has it that Chinese goat herders were the first to discover the therapeutic benefits of horny goat weed after observing their goat herds becoming significantly more sexually active after chewing the leaves of the epimedium plant.
Animal models, typically rats, have been used in contemporary studies to examine the libido-enhancing properties of horny goat weed. Russian researchers conducted one such study, which they published in 2007.
The study comprised giving a group of rats an oil-based extract of horny goat weed, then contrasting their sexual behavior with that of a control group of rats given merely olive oil as a placebo.
The researchers discovered an increase in the number of indicators of sexual activity in the group that took horny goat weed.² More trials are needed to validate the ability to support sexual health in humans.
3. May boost testosterone
There's no direct evidence from human studies that horny goat weed is able to increase the body's natural production of testosterone. However, animal studies suggest that icariin, the key active ingredient in horny goat weed, may act in a similar way to testosterone on the body. This may help to explain its ability to boost libido thus support male health and boost sexual desire.
In a 2006 Chinese study, rats with impaired reproductive systems were given icariin. The results showed an increase in the production of androgens, leading to some of the same effects that you would get from increased testosterone production, such as enhanced bone growth.³
4. Joint and Bone Health
By promoting bone growth while also minimizing bone loss and breakdown, icariin may help maintain strong bones.
In one study, 74 postmenopausal women who took a herbal regimen containing flavonoids from horny goat weed experienced a reduction in bone loss. Flavonoids in the extract contain estrogen-like properties that are advantageous for women post-menopause. The uterine lining was unaffected by this herbal regimen, which is significant.⁴
In a different experiment including over 200 postmenopausal women followed up for five years, a multi-herbal Chinese medicine containing horny goat weed decreased bone loss and fractures.
5. Helps with Bronchitis
Taking horny goat weed may help relieve the symptoms of bronchitis. Once again, it appears that the active ingredient icariin is the key compound at work here.⁵
Side effects of Horny Goat Weed
Because there have been very few human studies on horny goat weed, the side effects on humans are relatively unknown. However, based on animal studies, we can deduce some likely side effects.
The following minor side effects may be experienced when you start supplementing with horny goat weed:
- Stomach pains
- Irritability
- Dryness in the mouth
- Increased body temperature
- Slow blood clotting
Horny goat weed may interact with certain prescription medications. Don't take horny goat weed if you are currently taking aromatase inhibitors, medications to lower blood pressure, and cytochrome P450 substrates.⁶
What to look for when buying horny goat weed:
While you might assume that any old natural supplement like horny goat weed is as good as the next, that simply isn't the case. Here's a list of criteria to check off to make sure you're getting the best value and quality horny goat weed to get the results you want.
1. Ingredients
When looking for a high quality supplement, you need to first ensure that you are actually getting an extracted powder supplement. You should avoid purchasing the product in raw leaf form. That's because it has not been extracted to any particular purity and, therefore, won't have any potency.
You should also choose a free-flowing powdered extract in a hard shell capsule rather than a compressed hard-tablet form because compressed tablets are significantly less effective at increasing Horny Goat absorption.
You need to be careful when checking the dosage of horny goat weed on the product label. Often the front of the bottle gives the dry plant weight of the plant before the extracts have been removed. This weight will obviously be much greater than the weight of the powder once the extraction process has been completed. However, the extracted active ingredient weight will be significantly less than the raw dry weight.
A good rule to go by is that the maximum horny goat weed amount to fit into a capsule is around 600 mg. So, if you see a figure much higher than that, it probably refers to the raw dry weight.
Horny goat weed, which may be listed as epimedium, should be the first ingredient listed on the product label. The purity of the horny goat weed should be listed in relation to its icariin content. That purity percentage may vary between 3% and 60%. A brand that has a 60% purity will be six times more powerful than one with a 10% purity level.
2. Dosages
The generally accepted dosage for horny goat weed is 1000 mg per day. This usually represents two capsules per day. You should, therefore, expect to get around 500 mg in every capsule.
3. Testing/Transparency
Look for manufacturers who employ 3rd party laboratories to undergo independent testing on their supplements. This ensures the purity and potency of the product before it is released onto the market.
4. Price
Horny goat weed extract is quite expensive to produce. The higher the icariin purity, the more expensive it is. For example, a brand with a purity of 60% will contain horny goat weed extract that is twenty times more expensive than one with a 10% purity rating. Obviously, the higher the cost, the better the potency and effectiveness of the product.
5. Reviews
By checking reviews on sites such as Amazon, you're able to read real user experiences with the supplement you're considering buying. Pay attention to any side effects people have with the supplement, as well as its effectiveness at helping improve libido and overcome issues like erectile dysfunction and low testosterone levels.
Horny Goat Weed FAQs
When should I take horny goat weed?
There are no set guidelines as to when you should take horny goat weed. Many people take one capsule first thing in the morning with water and another capsule either before their workout or in the mid-afternoon.
Who should take horny goat weed?
Horny goat weed may be taken by people who want a natural alternative to medications like Viagra in order to boost libido. Men with erectile dysfunction may also benefit from taking this supplement, along with those who want to naturally boost their testosterone production. Before you began taking horny goat weed to improve sexual function you should speak with your primary healthcare provider as a precaution.
What does horny goat weed do?
Horny goat weed has been shown in a number of studies to increase libido, help overcome erectile dysfunction, mimic the actions of testosterone, may benefit skin health, and improve joint and bone health in studies with animals. However, human studies are lacking, and, in their absence, it can't be stated conclusively that it will have similar results with people.
What are the side effects of horny goat weed?
The side effects of horny goat weed may include nausea, headaches, stomach pains, dry mouth, slow blood clotting, and increased body temperature. This supplement should not be taken with blood-pressure-lowering medications, aromatase inhibitors, or cytochrome P450 substrates.
Can women take horny goat weed?
Yes, women can take horny gait weed; this supplement has been shown in animal studies to be able to help with balancing out the hormonal changes experienced during menopause.⁷
Summary
Horny goat weed is a popular supplement that is used as a libido enhancer, testosterone booster, and treatment for erectile dysfunction. There is quite a lot of animal research on the benefits of this supplement but very few human studies. More research is needed to conclusively state that horny goat weed is an effective supplement.
The best horny goat weed supplement on the market is Zhou Nutrition Horny Goat Weed which contains 1000 mg of horny goat weed per two-capsule serving. It also contains nine other ingredients that have been shown to work synergistically with horny goat weed to boost its effectiveness.
Zhou Nutrition uses a herbal blend of horny goat weed, maca root and saw palmetto works to support your performance without the harsh chemicals or side effects...
Want more natural health boosting options? Have a look at the Best Maca Root Supplements and Best Tongkat Ali Supplements on the market.
References
- Shindel AW, Xin ZC, Lin G, Fandel TM, Huang YC, Banie L, Breyer BN, Garcia MM, Lin CS, Lue TF. Erectogenic and neurotrophic effects of icariin, a purified extract of horny goat weed (Epimedium spp.) in vitro and in vivo. J Sex Med. 2010 Apr;7(4 Pt 1):1518-28. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01699.x. Epub 2010 Feb 5. PMID: 20141584; PMCID: PMC3551978.
- Cui T, Kovell RC, Brooks DC, Terlecki RP. A Urologist's Guide to Ingredients Found in Top-Selling Nutraceuticals for Men's Sexual Health. J Sex Med. 2015 Nov;12(11):2105-17. doi: 10.1111/jsm.13013. Epub 2015 Nov 3. PMID: 26531010.
- Zhang ZB, Yang QT. The testosterone mimetic properties of icariin. Asian J Androl. 2006 Sep;8(5):601-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7262.2006.00197.x. Epub 2006 Jun 5. PMID: 16751992.
- Zhang G, Qin L, Shi Y. Epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids exert a beneficial effect on preventing bone loss in late postmenopausal women: a 24-month randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial. J Bone Miner Res. 2007 Jul;22(7):1072-9. doi: 10.1359/jbmr.070405. PMID: 17419678.
- Cai WJ, Huang JH, Zhang SQ, Wu B, Kapahi P, Zhang XM, Shen ZY. Icariin and its derivative icariside II extend healthspan via insulin/IGF-1 pathway in C. elegans. PLoS One. 2011;6(12):e28835. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028835. Epub 2011 Dec 21. PMID: 22216122; PMCID: PMC3244416.
- Yu C, Chai X, Yu L, Chen S, Zeng S. Identification of novel pregnane X receptor activators from traditional Chinese medicines. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Jun 14;136(1):137-43. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.04.022. Epub 2011 Apr 16. PMID: 21524698.
- Dietz BM, Hajirahimkhan A, Dunlap TL, Bolton JL. Botanicals and Their Bioactive Phytochemicals for Women's Health. Pharmacol Rev. 2016 Oct;68(4):1026-1073. doi: 10.1124/pr.115.010843. PMID: 27677719; PMCID: PMC5050441.
Steve Theunissen
Author