aphrodisiacs or sexual male enhancers

Here's some scientific, as well as anecdotal and historical, evidence on the efficacy of few substances which are known as aphrodisiacs or sexual male enhancers.

Muira Puama

Also know as "potency wood," muira puama is a small tree native to the Brazilian Amazon and other parts of tropical South America . Two varieties of the tree are used in herbal medicine, though the Ptychopetalum olacoides variety is the regarded as the most potent as it has a higher content of lupeol, one of the plant's active phytochemicals.

All parts of the plant are used to some degree in herbal medicines, but the bark and roots are regarded as real treasures.
Native peoples in the Amazon have used muira puama to treat a number of ailments, including neuromuscular problems, paralysis, flu, gastrointestinal problems and, of course, impotence. Today the plant extract is highly regarded as an aphrodisiac and a preventive for baldness.

European explorers eventually discovered the plant's use as an aphrodisiac and impotence treatment, and brought it back to Europe where it became popular as an herbal remedy to treat the same ailments it cured for millennia in the rainforest. In recent years, muira puama has gained a strong following in the United States , where it is also used to treat depression, menstrual cramps and disorders of the central nervous system.

Researchers began searching for the secret to the plant's potency back in the 1920s and discovered that the root and bark were rich in fatty acids and fatty acid esters, essential oils, plant sterols, triterpenes such as lupeol, and a new alkaloid, which they named muirapuamine . Later research revealed that the plant was also rich in free long-chain fatty acids, sesquiterpenes, monoterpenes and novel alkaloids.

According to Rain Tree Nutrition, a leading source of information on herbal medicines from the tropics, researchers found that muira puama was effective in treating disorders of the nervous system and sexual impotence, and boosting libido. In one study conducted in France, around two-thirds out of 262 male patients who experienced lack of sexual desire and the inability to attain or maintain an erection reported that muira puama “had a dynamic effect.” More than half of the participants said that the plant extract was “beneficial.”

Saw Palmetto

A small palm tree with branches that terminating in a rounded fan of leaflets, saw palmetto is common on the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains. Native Americans used it as a nutritive food, as well as a remedy for urinary problems and a tonic for men's sexual health.
Saw palmetto contains high-molecular-weight polysaccharides, which are usually associated with either anti-inflammatory or immune-stimulant effects. Saw palmetto is lauded today as treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia, a condition triggered by an enlarged prostate.

In an article published by the Associated Press, Marlin Huffman, a Florida saw palmetto dealer with decades in the business, explains how older Native Americans would eat the berries so they did have to get up in the middle of the night to go the bathroom - “and they also saw they were more able to achieve relations with females.”

Huffman also said that many locals believe that saw palmetto's male enhancement properties were the basis for Ponce de Leon's belief that Florida was home to the mythical fountain of youth.

Maca

A plant native to the Andean mountains in Peru , maca grows at altitudes of more than 10,000 feet and has been used for centuries by natives for nutritive and medicinal purposes.

The ancient Incans believed that the plant restored energy and enhanced sexual function. Maca has gained increasing attention in recent years for its ability to restore strength and energy, boost libido and improve sexual performance for both sexes.

According to Neutraceuticalsworld.com, a leading web site for information on supplements, research conducted by an herbal product company in New Jersey revealed that rats fed with maca gained increased energy and stamina. The researchers also noticed a boost in sexual activity, which they believe due to the presence of macamides and macaenes, substances novel to the plant.

The study did not reveal definitively how the plant restores energy and boosts sexual function. According to the doctor who conducted the research, a total of 68 studies conducted since 2000 supported the use of maca as a sexual enhancer. It's certainly interesting to see some hard scientific evidence backing up the wisdom of the Incans.

Maca sales exploded earlier this decade, growing from below $1 million to around $30 million in 2003. It seems the secrets of the Incans aren't so secret anymore.

Avena Sativa

Actually, it's just an oat, but what an oat it is. Preparations from avena sativa have been used to treat anxiety, sleeplessness, stress and bladder weakness, as well as erectile dysfunction. The phrase “sow your wild oats” refers to the use of this herb as an aphrodisiac.

According to numerous studies, avena sativa works by “freeing up” testosterone, which becomes increasingly “bound” to various compounds within the body with advancing age. Bound testosterone is not nearly as effective as free testosterone in stimulating desire. Basically, the oat boosts the overall effectiveness of the testosterone in your body in so far as it relates to sexual activity.

According to research at the Institute of Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, those taking avena sativa also reported increased stamina and an overall feeling of well being.

Tribulus Terrestris

This plant has been a popular health supplement for millennia in the western world. The ancient Greeks and Balkan peoples used it to treat a variety of health problems including lack of strength, heart problems, immune deficiencies and, of course, erectile dysfunction and loss of libido.

According to Neutraceuticalsworld.com, the plant has gained a strong following for its ability to raise testosterone levels. The web site cites clinical studies on the sexual-enhancing effect of tribulus which show that an extract of the herb standardized to contain protodioscin boosted libido and strengthened ererctions. The extract also increased sperm mobility in infertile and sub-fertile men.

The web site reported that by increasing the percentage of free testosterone levels, the active phytochemicals in tribulus could treat a variety of sexual disorders and regulate sexual energy levels and strength.

In one study cited by the web site, 59 men between the ages of 22 and 67, suffering from a range of sexual dysfunctions, were prescribed an herbal supplement containing tribulus three times a day for a minimum of 90 days and up to six months in cases of severe dysfunction or sterility. Almost all the men in the study reported an increase of sexual desire and fantasies, as well as sexual self-confidence.

Furthermore, 80 percent of the men in the study reported feeling greater amounts of pleasure, joy and satisfaction, while 75 percent reported having better erections. The duration of intercourse before ejaculation was prolonged in 25 percent of the participants. That's an awful lot of benefits from one extract.

Yohimbine

Yohimbine is well-known to alleviate erectile dysfunction by enlarging the blood vessels in the penis. But there are serious drawbacks. This substance has been know to cause anxiety, panic attacks, high blood pressure, increased heart rate, irritability, headache, nausea, skin flushing, sweating, dizziness, frequent urination, water retention, rise in body temperature, hyperactivity, weakness, paralysis, gastrointestinal problems, renal failure, hallucinations, psychosis and even death. You don't want to mess around with this stuff.