Potency Herbs

Problems with male potency take many different forms, erectile dysfunction, loss of libido and premature ejaculation among them. While the pharmaceutical industry has produced several medications to combat these problems, some people prefer herbal remedies as an alternative. Throughout the centuries and across the world many different herbs have been used to improve potency, although the scientific evidence supporting these uses is limited. As the FDA has not approved and does not regulate herbs for medicinal use, caution is always advised before taking any herbal medicines.

Ginkgo Biloba

• Ginkgo is a Chinese herb perhaps more widely known for its brain boosting capabilities than any potency benefits. But in addition to improving memory by increasing blood flow to certain related parts of the brain, it can improve erectile function and sexual performance by increasing blood flow to the male genitals. One scientific study on impotent men published in the "Journal of Sex Education and Therapy" found 78 percent of participants improving after taking ginkgo.

Ginseng

• In two studies, one in the 1995 "International Journal of Impotence Research" and the other in the 2002 "Journal of Urology," Korean red ginseng was found to improve libido and erectile function in impotent men. Further study, reported in a 2008 research review published in the "Journal of Clinical Pharmacology," found that Panax ginseng produced a significant improvement in men with erectile dysfunction. One of the ingredients in Asian ginseng, ginsenoside, has been found to direct blood flow to the male genitals and increase sperm production. Other studies have found ginseng to have positive effects on the prostate gland.

Maca

• Although maca is actually a root vegetable, it is widely marketed as an herbal medicine, and often considered "Peruvian ginseng" despite no real relationship between the two beyond their uses. No hard scientific evidence supporting maca's use for potency exists, but it is used nonetheless to improve sexual function and fertility of both men and women as well as to boost stamina and energy.

Yohimbe

• A chemical in the bark of the yohimbe tree called yohimbine is one of the most widely marketed herbal supplements for male potency. Multiple double-blind studies have supported yohimbe's efficacy for erectile dysfunction, no matter the cause. However, several other studies have also found that yohimbe is one of the potency herbs with the greatest number of known risk factors, including insomnia, nausea and nervous disorders.

Muira Puama

• For centuries South Americans have used this shrub native to Brazil for its aphrodisiac and nerve stimulating properties. Studies on muira puama, scientific name psychopetalum guyanna and nicknamed "potency wood," have shown its promise as an impotence treatment that in some people enhances libido and increases sexual function. One of these studies, presented in June 1990 at the First International Congress on Ethnopharmacology, found psychopetalum guyanna more effective against erectile dysfunction than yohimbe.