HEALTHY ANDROPAUSE: The Healthy, Safe, Effective Alternative to Testosterone Therapy

Andropause & Osteoporosis

Cardiovascular risk*

Do I Have Andropause?

Understanding Risks

Testosterone Replacement Therapy

What should I expect from testosterone replacement?

Lifestyle

Ingredients

Primary Benefits

Do Androgens Decline in Men & Women?

Tribulus Terrestris is an herb also known as the puncture vine, and has been used for centuries in Europe as a treatment for impotence and as a stimulant to help enhance sexual drive and performance. On the athletic front, this potent herb has been studied and observed to enhance LH (luteinizing hormone) production and raise testosterone levels. The increased testosterone levels by Tribulus Terrestris will have a positive effect on strength and stamina. Atheletes are using Tribulus Terrestris to help ensure their own natural levels of testosterone are at a normal level at all times. Tribulus Terrestris does not work the way prohormones such as Androstenedione and DHEA. It is a natural stimulant of LH. In fact, a person that has used a prohormone, should use Tribulus Terrestris on the "off cycle" to help their own testosterone levels return to normal, which is what the prohormone will suppress. On the "off cycle", many men feel weak, tired, and moody because their own natural testosterone levels have been suppressed. Tribulus Terrestris will help alleviate these symptoms.

Clinical studies in Bulgaria showed Tribulus Terrestris improved reproductive functions, including increased sperm production and testosterone levels in men. Among women, Tribulus Terrestris increased the concentration of hormones including estradiol, with testosterone being very slightly influenced, thereby improving reproductive function, libido, and ovulation.

• Increases the Natural Level of Testosterone.

• Increases Strength and Stamina

• Alleviates Tired, Week Moody Feelings on the "Off Cycle" of a Prohormone

• Stimulates Sexual Drive and Performance

• Increases Sperm Production

• Improves Reproductive Function, Libido, and Ovulation

Epimedium Sagittum may not sound serious, but in reality, it could provide a serious boost to those who need it. An all-natural phyto-aphrodisiac, it's based on the latest scientific research into male performance and well-being.

Epimedium Sagittum is a traditional botanical medicine used in China and Japan. Although this herb (which also goes by the names Yin Yang Huo, Inyokaku, and Herba Epimedii, Horny Goat Weed) has a history of traditional use for disorders of the kidneys, joints, liver, back and knees, its principle use is as an aphrodisiac.

According to one herbal author, Epimedium Sagittum has testosterone-like effects. It stimulates sexual activity in both men and women, increases sperm production, stimulates the sensory nerves, and increases sexual desire. Epimedium Sagittum's aphrodisiac effects has been verified in both animal and human research. Mice treated with a Epimedium Sagittum preparation produced "apparent effects on the improvement of sexuality". It was also shown to improve sperm producing capability. Since Epimedium Sagittum has been traditionally used for kidney disease, it's interesting that research has demonstrated a sexual potentiation effect and improved quality of life in patients with chronic renal failure who were given Epimedium Sagittum.

Research has shown that Epimedium Sagittum significantly increases testosterone in mice. This certainly appears to be the herb's mechanism of action, although Epimedium Sagittum may have more than one. For example, it has been established that sexual arousal is linked to the activity of cholinergic neurotransmitters. However, an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inactivates cholinergic neurotransmitters within 1/500 of a second. As it turns out, research shows that Epimedium Sagittum is capable of inhibiting AChE. Such an inhibition may support higher levels of the key cholinergic neurotransmitters associated with sexual arousal. In addition, research has shown that Epimedium Sagittum has anti-fatigue effects and helps prevents adrenal exhaustion. Horny Goat Weed ( epimedium ): Will it make you horny, too? by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Epimedium is a pungent ornamental herb found in Asia and the Mediterranean. The Chinese call epimedium Yin Yang Huo, which loosely means "licentious goat plant." Legend has it that the name horny goat weed came from a herder who noticed his goats becoming more sexually active after eating the plant. Supplement companies have adopted the provocative name by which it is known in the U.S.

Horny goat weed was named epimedium because it is similar to a plant found in the ancient Asian kingdom of Media, now a part of Iran. Epimedium is a genus of many related plant species and some are used for medicinal purposes, including Epimedium sagittatum, Epimedium brevicornum, and Epimedium koreanum. Although epimedium has a history of traditional use for disorders of the kidneys, joints, and liver, its principle use in the United States is as an aphrodisiac and to combat fatigue.

Very little research has been published in the Western medical literature regarding this plant. Our Chinese study investigated the therapeutic effect of epimedium sagittatum on 22 patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis. Twelve patients with hemodialysis were served as controls. Epimedium sagittatum had a sex enhancing effect and improved their quality of life.

The exact way that epimedium works remains unclear. Animal studies have shown that it may influence levels of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine and reduce cortisol levels. The leaves of epimedium sagittatum contain a variety of flavonoids, icariin, sterols and an alkaloid called magnaflorine. It's quite possible epimedium sagittatum influences several aspects of human sexual biochemistry. Icariin is thought to help with erectile function.

Muira puama (Ptychopetalum olacoides) is a Brazilian shrub with a long history in South American folk medicine as an aphrodisiac and sexual tonic for promoting virility and treating impotence.

Human studies have substantiated the use of muira puama for improving libido and treating erectile dysfunction. In one study conducted at the Institute of Sexology in Paris, France under the supervision of Dr. Jacques Waynberg, 262 male patients experiencing lack of sexual desire and the inability to attain or maintain an erection were treated with 1 to 2.5 grams of muira puama extract a day.

Following two weeks of treatment, 51 percent of those suffering from erectile dysfunction reported significant improvement. Additionally, 62% of the patients suffering from loss of libido reported that the muira puama extract had, in the words of the researchers, "a dynamic effect." A second study conducted by Dr. Waynberg included 100 men who complained of impotence, loss of libido and sexual difficulties due to "asthenia," described as fatigue, loss of strength, or debility. Following treatment with Muira puama, 66% of the men reported a significant increase in frequency of intercourse. Of 46 men complaining of loss of desire, 70% reported that treatment with muira puama increased libido.

Another important measure of sexual function, stability of erection during intercourse, was improved or restored in 55% of the patients. Other benefits reported included a reduction of fatigue, improved sleep, and increased morning erections. Treatment with muira puama was much more effective in cases with the least psychosomatic involvement. Of the 26 men diagnosed with common sexual asthenia without noticeable sign of psychosomatic disorder, the treatment was effective for asthenia in 100% of cases, lack of libido in 85% of cases, and for inability of coital erection in 90% of cases.

Maca is a hardy perennial plant cultivated high in the Andes Mountains, at altitudes from 8,000 to 14,500 feet. It has one of the highest frost tolerances among native cultivated species. Maca has a low-growing, mat-like stem system, which can go unnoticed in a farmer's field. Its scalloped leaves lie close to the ground and it produces small, self-fertile, off-white flowers typical of the mustard family to which it belongs.

The part used is the tuberous root, which looks likes a large radish (up to 8 cm in diameter) which is usually off-white to yellow in color. Unlike many other tuberous plants, maca is propagated by seed. Although it is a perennial, it is grown as an annual; seven to nine months is required to produce the harvested roots. The species L. meyenii was described by Gerhard Walpers in 1843. It has been suggested that the cultivated maca of today is not L. meyenii but a newer species L. peruvianum Chacon, based on various specimens collected since 1960 in the district of San Juan de la Jarpa, in Huancayo province of Peru. While most maca sold in commerce today still refers to the L. meyenii name, economic botanists believe most is L. peruvianum. In 1994 less than 50 hectares were devoted to the commercial cultivation of maca; by 1999 over 1200 hectares were under production due to rising demand in the U.S. and abroad.

The area where maca is found, high in the Andes, is an inhospitable region of intense sunlight, violent winds, and below-freezing weather. With its extreme temperatures and poor, rocky soil, the area rates among the world's worst farmland; yet, over the centuries, maca has evolved to flourish under these conditions. Maca was domesticated about 2,000 years ago by the Incas, and primitive cultivars of maca have been found in archaeological sites dating as far back as 1600 B.C.

To the Andean Indians and indigenous peoples, maca is a valuable commodity. Because so little else grows in the region, maca is often traded with communities at lower elevations for such other staples as rice, corn, green vegetables, and beans. The dried roots can be stored for up to seven years. Native Peruvians traditionally have utilized maca since pre-Incan times for both nutritional and medicinal purposes. It is an important staple in the diets of these people, as it has the highest nutritional value of any food crop grown there. It is rich in sugars, protein, starches, and essential nutrients (especially iodine and iron). The tuber or root is consumed fresh or dried. The fresh roots are considered a treat and are baked or roasted in ashes (in the same manner as sweet potatoes). The dried roots are stored and, later, boiled in water or milk to make a porridge. They also are made into a popular sweet, fragrant, fermented drink called maca chicha. In Peru even maca jam, pudding, and sodas are popular. The tuberous roots have a tangy, sweet taste and an aroma similar to that of butterscotch.

This energizing plant is also referred to as Peruvian ginseng (although maca is not in the same family as ginseng). Maca has been used for centuries in the Andes to enhance fertility in humans and animals. Soon after the Spanish conquest in South America, the Spanish found that their livestock was reproducing poorly in the highlands. The local Indians recommended feeding the animals maca; so remarkable were the results that Spanish chroniclers gave in-depth reports. Even colonial records of some 200 years ago indicate that payment of (roughly) nine tons of maca was demanded from one Andean area alone for this purpose.

In Peruvian herbal medicine today, maca is reported to be used as an immunostimulant; for anemia, tuberculosis, menstrual disorders, menopause symptoms, sterility (and other reproductive and sexual disorders); and to enhance memory. Maca has been growing in world popularity over the last several years due to several large U.S. marketing campaigns touting its energizing, fertility enhancement, hormonal balancing, aphrodisiac, and, especially, enhanced sexual performance properties. Other (anecdotal) herbal medicine uses in the U.S. and abroad include increasing energy, stamina, and endurance in athletes, promoting mental clarity, treating male impotence, and helping with menstrual irregularities, female hormonal imbalances, menopause, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

The nutritional value of dried maca root is high, resembling those of cereal grains such as maize, rice, and wheat. It contains 60-75% carbohydrates, 10-14% protein, 8.5% fiber, and 2.2% lipids. The protein content of maca exists mainly in the form of polypeptides and amino acids (including significant amounts of arginine, serine, histidine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, valine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and threonine). It also has about 250 mg of calcium, 2 g of potassium, and 15 mg of iron in 100 g of dried root-and important amounts of fatty acids (including linolenic, palmitic, and oleic acids). Maca contains sterols (about 0.05% to 0.1%) and other vitamins and minerals. In addition to its rich supply of essential nutrients, maca contains alkaloids, tannins, and saponins.

A chemical analysis conducted in 1981 showed the presence of biologically active aromatic isothiocyanates (a common chemical found in the mustard family of plants and shown to be a wood preservative and insecticide). Chemical research shows maca root contains a chemical called p-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate, which has reputed aphrodisiac properties. At least four alkaloids are also present but have not yet been quantified. Fresh maca root contains about 1% glucosinolates-plant chemicals found in many plants in the family Brassicaceae (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and other cruciferous vegetables). Maca's main plant chemicals include: lkaloids, amino acids, beta-ecdysone, calcium, carbohydrates, fatty acids, glucosinolates, iron, magnesium, p-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate, phosphorus, potassium, protein, saponins, sitosterols, stigmasterol, tannins, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc.