Side Effects of Goat Weed
Goat weed is conventionally known as Horny Goat Weed. That's what it will be called right on the bottle in your local pharmacy or health food store. Its history dates back hundreds of years to China, when a shepherd noticed his goats were a little more sexually rambunctious than usual after eating this plant. The Chinese call it Yin Yang Huo, which loosely means "licentious goat plant." It was adopted for medicinal purposes as an herbal remedy to treat joint, liver, kidney and back disorders, as well as an aphrodisiac. Scientific tests have shown that it does, indeed, work as an aphrodisiac.
Side Effects
There have not been many studies on the active ingredients of goat weed, but two noted side effects of taking goat weed in pill form and larger-than-recommended doses have been increased heart rate and insomnia or light sleep. However, these symptoms have been noted only when goat weed was taken in high doses. The insomnia effect has been noted in studies even when the high doses were taken in the morning. No other deleterious side effects have been chronicled in medical testing thus far. Some physicians recommend that goat weed extract not be taken by pregnant or lactating women, though no specific dangers have been identified.
How Goat Weed Works
Goat weed contains flavonoids, sterols and magnaflorine that may influence sexual biochemistry in a variety of ways. It is thought that the biochemical reactions enhance neurotransmitters in the brain that play a role in arousal and emotional response. The goat weed seems to inhibit an enzyme that stops or slows the production of these neurotransmitters.
