Our ingredients and their studies
Maca
"Shin BC, Lee MS, Yang EJ, Lim HS, Ernst E. Maca (L. meyenii) for improving sexual function: a systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2010 Aug 6;10:44. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-10-44. PMID: 20691074; PMCID: PMC2928177." Four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) met all inclusion criteria. Two RCTs suggested a significant positive effect of maca on sexual dysfunction or sexual desire in healthy postmenopausal women or healthy adult men, respectively, while the third RCT showed no effect in healthy cyclists. Another RCT, evaluating the effects of maca in patients with erectile dysfunction using the IIED-5 (International Index of Erectile Dysfunction-5), showed significant effects.
Ginseng
"Oh KJ, Chae MJ, Lee HS, Hong HD, Park K. Effects of Korean red ginseng on sexual arousal in menopausal women: placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover clinical study. J Sex Med. 2010 Apr;7(4 Pt 1):1469-77. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01700.x. Epub 2010 Feb 5. PMID: 20141583." Oral administration of red ginseng extracts improved libido in menopausal women. These extracts could be a therapeutic alternative to improve the sexual life of menopausal women. "Leung KW, Wong AS. Ginseng and male reproductive function. Spermatogenesis. 2013 Jul 1;3(3):e26391. doi: 10.4161/spmg.26391. Epub 2013 Sep 13. PMID: 24381805; PMCID: PMC3861174." Rodent studies show that Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) ¹⁶ and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) ¹⁷ can facilitate copulatory behavior. Daily treatment with Asian ginseng (25–100 mg/kg) or ginsenoside Rg1 (2.5–10 mg/kg) induces a dose-dependent increase in mounting, intromission, and penile licking behaviors in mice exposed to estrous females¹⁸. These effects are not observed in mice treated with ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, and Ro. In higher mammals, libido is based on a complex coordination between hormonal and neuronal components. Testosterone, the male sex hormone, is synthesized in Leydig cells under the control of luteinizing hormone (LH), produced by the anterior pituitary gland. 19 Testosterone levels are strongly correlated with libido, and testosterone is therefore one of the main treatments prescribed to men with decreased libido. 20 Interestingly, rats fed with 5% Panax ginseng in their diet for 60 days showed a significant increase in their blood testosterone levels, while treatment with 1% Panax ginseng had no effect. 21 Ginsenoside Rg1 (10 mg/kg), the main active constituent of Panax ginseng, is responsible for the observed increase in serum testosterone levels and improvement in copulatory behavior. Ginsenoside Rb1 (10 µg/kg), a key ginsenoside found in American ginseng, increases LH secretion by acting directly on the anterior pituitary gland. 22 A clinical study in 66 participants showed that Asian ginseng extract significantly increased plasma levels of total and free testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and LH. 23 However, oral administration of American ginseng (10 to 100 mg/kg) for 28 days does not seem to alter testosterone and LH levels in rats, 18 suggesting that the type of ginseng and the duration of treatment could influence its effect on libido. Several neurotransmitters are involved in libido, such as dopamine (DA) for desire, acetylcholine (ACh) for arousal, and GABA for orgasm. Ginsenoside Re has been shown to increase extracellular levels of DA and ACh in the rat brain. 24 The action of ginsenoside Rb1 on ACh release is associated with an increase in choline reuptake by nerve endings. 25 American ginseng extracts have been shown to modulate GABAergic neurotransmission in rat brainstem neurons. 26 Ligand-receptor binding assays have demonstrated that ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Re, Rf, and Rg1 are agonists of the GABAA receptor, and that Rc is also an agonist of the GABAB receptor. 27 These results suggest that ginseng could regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis at both hormonal and neuronal levels.
Muira Puama
"Waynberg, J., & Brewer, S. (2000). "Effects of Herbal vX on libido and sexual activity in premenopausal and postmenopausal women." Advances in Therapy." Of the 202 women completing the trial, 65% reported improvement in sex drive and sexual satisfaction. [...] Significant improvements were noted in the frequency of sexual desires, sexual intercourse, and sexual fantasies, and in satisfaction with sex life, intensity of sexual desires, arousal, ability to achieve orgasm, and intensity of orgasm. "Nguyen, H. M., et al. (2018). "Safety and efficacy of daily Revactin® in men with erectile dysfunction: a 3-month pilot study." Translational Andrology and Urology." Fifty-four middle-aged men [...] were recruited for this study. Patients were provided the complex twice daily (total daily dose of 500 mg ginger root, Muira puama, and Paullinia cupana [Guarana] and 1,600 mg L-citrulline) and were asked to complete the IIEF-15 questionnaire [domains assessed: erectile function (EF), orgasmic function (OF), sexual desire (SD), intercourse satisfaction (IS), overall satisfaction (OS)]. [...] there was an increase in median scores for the erectile function, orgasmic function, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction, and overall satisfaction domains over 3 months compared to baseline scores.
Damiana
"Estrada-Reyes, R., et al. (2009). "Turnera diffusa Wild (Turneraceae) recovers sexual behavior in sexually exhausted males". Journal of Ethnopharmacology." "Turnera diffusa extract significantly increased the percentage of males reaching ejaculation and reduced the latency of mounts and intromissions [the time taken to initiate the sexual act]. [...] These results support the use of Turnera diffusa as an aphrodisiac in traditional medicine and suggest potential therapeutic properties of the plant for sexual dysfunction." "Szewczyk, K., & Zidorn, C. (2014). "Ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and bioactivity of the genus Turnera (Passifloraceae) with a focus on damiana--Turnera diffusa." Journal of Ethnopharmacology." "Turnera diffusa (damiana) is highly valued as an aphrodisiac. [...] In vivo and in vitro pharmacological studies have mainly focused on aphrodisiac activity [...] These studies confirmed the aphrodisiac activity of T. diffusa."
Ginger
"Wen, G., et al. (2023). "Effects of Ginger on Disgust, Sexual Arousal, and Sexual Engagement: A Placebo-Controlled Experiment". The Journal of Sex Research." Ginger increased sexual arousal to erotic stimuli in both men and women. [...] The results provide further evidence for the role of disgust in sexual problems, and, more importantly, that ginger can improve individuals' sexual function through its sexual arousal-enhancing effect. "Khaki, A., et al. (2021). "A systematic review on the effect of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) on improvement of biological and fertility indices...". PubMed ID: 34191404." According to research findings in different species, ginger appears to possess strong antioxidant properties [...] and androgenic activity. Ginger [...] modifies the levels of gonadotropic hormones (LH, FSH) and sex hormones (such as testosterone). "Banihani, S. A. (2018). "Ginger and Testosterone". Biomolecules, National Library of Medicine." The mainstream of research linking ginger to testosterone has shown that ginger supplementation [...] enhances testosterone production in males. The mechanisms by which this occurs are mainly by enhancing the production of luteinizing hormone (LH), increasing cholesterol levels in the testes, reducing oxidative stress [...] and increasing blood flow. "Wen, G., et al. (2022). "Is Consumption of Ginger in Daily Life Associated with Sexual Response?". Psych, MDPI." Ginger consumption was associated with higher sexual desire and more frequent sexual behaviors, as well as feelings of sexual arousal during them. Sexual desire and feelings of sexual arousal during specific sexual activities mediated the association between ginger consumption and the frequency of sexual behaviors. [...] The results imply that ginger has potential as an intervention to improve sexual behavior.
Guarana
"Kennedy, D. O., Haskell, C. F., Wesnes, K. A., & Scholey, A. B. (2008). Attenuated stress response to mental fatigue following acute administration of a combination of Panax ginseng and Paullinia cupana (guarana). Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 23(2), 119-132." The results showed that participants who received this mixture had a significant decrease in subjective mental fatigue and a better stress response compared to the placebo group. Researchers observed that this combination helps prevent the decline in performance associated with mental exhaustion in humans.
L-Arginine & L-Carnitine Tartrate
"Chen, J., Wollman, Y., Chernichovsky, T., Iaina, A., Sofer, M., & Matzkin, H. (1999). Effect of oral administration of high-dose nitric oxide donor L-arginine in men with organic erectile dysfunction: results of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. BJU International, 83(3), 269-273." Of the 31 men who participated in the study, a significant improvement in erectile function was observed in those who received 5 grams of L-arginine per day, compared to the placebo group. The researchers concluded that L-arginine, through its role as a nitric oxide precursor, improves the blood circulation necessary for male sexual function. "Cavallini, G., Caracciolo, S., Vitali, G., Modenini, F., & Biagiotti, G. (2004). Carnitine versus androgen administration in the treatment of sexual dysfunction, depressed mood, and fatigue associated with male aging. Urology, 63(4), 641-646." This clinical study compared the efficacy of Propionyl-L-carnitine and Acetyl-L-carnitine on male sexual dysfunction. The results showed clinically significant improvements in erectile function and sexual satisfaction. The study indicates that carnitine supplementation is effective in treating sexual dysfunction and reducing fatigue symptoms associated with male aging. "Ito, T. Y., Polan, M. L., Whipple, B., & Trant, A. S. (2001). The enhancement of female sexual function with ArginMax, a nutritional supplement, among women differing in menopausal status. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 27(4), 369-378." We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to determine the effect of a nutritional supplement on sexual function in women of differing menopausal status. One hundred eight (108) women, aged 22-73 years, who reported a decrease in sexual desire, participated in the study. Of these, 55 received ArginMax for women and 53 received a placebo. ArginMax for women contains L-arginine, ginseng, ginkgo, damiana, multivitamins, and minerals. The 108 women were self-reported, by definition, as follows: 59 premenopausal (PRE), 20 perimenopausal (PERI), and 29 postmenopausal (POST). After 4 weeks, women in the pre-menopausal (PRE) group on ArginMax primarily reported a significant improvement in sexual desire (72%; p = 0.03) and overall sexual satisfaction (68%; p = 0.007), compared to the placebo group, according to the FSFI (Female Sexual Function Index; Kaplan et al., 1999). The frequency of sexual desire (60%; p = 0.05) and the frequency of sexual intercourse (56%; p = 0.01) also increased in these women. In contrast, in perimenopausal (PERI) women, the main improvements observed were in the frequency of sexual intercourse (86%; p = 0.002), sexual satisfaction (79%; p = 0.03), and vaginal dryness (64%; p = 0.03), compared to the placebo group. Postmenopausal (POST) women primarily showed an increase in sexual desire, with improvement in 51% of them, compared to only 8% in the placebo group (p = 0.008). Nutritional intervention plays an important role in women's sexual health, but the most important issues and areas for improvement vary by menopausal stage. The largest number of improvements were seen in premenopausal and perimenopausal women, although the nature of these improvements differed between these groups. The level of desire significantly increased in postmenopausal women. ArginMax for women, having no estrogenic activity, could be an interesting alternative to hormone therapy for sexual dysfunction.
Zinc & Selenium
"Prasad, A. S., Mantzoros, C. S., Beck, F. W., Hess, J. W., & Brewer, G. J. (1996). Zinc status and serum testosterone level of healthy adults. Nutrition, 12(5), 344-348."This clinical study demonstrated that zinc status is directly linked to serum testosterone levels in healthy adults. The results showed that zinc deficiency induces a significant decrease in testosterone, while supplementation helps restore normal physiological levels. Zinc acts as an essential enzymatic cofactor for maintaining the hormonal balance necessary for sexual function. "Lewandowska, A., et al. (2019). The Role of Selenium in Human Health. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 8(12), 2098."This scientific review highlights that selenium is an essential trace element for testosterone biosynthesis and the antioxidant protection of reproductive tissues. The results of the cited studies indicate that an adequate intake of selenium is required to preserve the integrity of reproductive cells and the proper functioning of the endocrine system in men and women.
