Skip to content
DE
Botanical

Horny Goat Weed

Horny goat weed refers to Epimedium herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. Icariin is one of their main studied constituents.

Also listed as Epidemium, Herba Epimdii, Icariin, Yinyanghuo

CardiovascularEnergyLongevitySexual HealthBone & Joint

What it is studied for

The strongest rated effects first. Bars show the size of the effect, the letter grades the evidence, and each rating lists the studies behind it.

Blood pressureCardiovascularSmallCNo linked study
Physical EnergyEnergySmallCNo linked study
Cellular health & agingLongevitySmallCNo linked study
Male LibidoSexual HealthSmallCNo linked study
Bone densityBone & JointSmallCNo linked study
StressStress & MoodSmallCNo linked study
All 8 rated effectsGrouped by health goal, with the publications behind each rating

What is horny goat weed?

Horny goat weed refers to Epimedium herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. Icariin is one of their major studied constituents; products marketed for libido draw on this research and traditional use. 1

Why people take it

Energy24.1%
Men's Hormones22.2%
Fitness19.3%
Stress & Mood12.6%
Essential Health6.1%
Cognition3.7%

SuppCo community snapshot, 2026-09-28. Reasons for use are not evidence that it works.

Questions people ask

Is horny goat weed equivalent to sildenafil?

No clinical equivalence was shown. The often-cited comparison involved a chemically modified molecule in a laboratory enzyme assay. 2

Does the bone trial prove that plain icariin works?

No. It tested icariin together with daidzein and genistein, with calcium given to both groups. 3

Did the bone trial show endometrial thickening?

It found no detectable change in endometrial thickness over 24 months. That specific finding does not establish safety for people with hormone-sensitive cancer. 1 3

Sources

  1. Epimedium Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center