Salt From the Sea or the Earth: Is One Better?
October 11, 2011Hormone therapy patches safer than pills?
October 12, 2011Only three out of ten supplements selected for testing that are for sexual enhancement passed ConsumerLab.com’s latest quality testing. Four products contained less of a key ingredient than claimed on the label, one product was contaminated with an unacceptable level of lead, and two products lacked FDA-required information on their labeling.
Due to concern over supplements being “spiked” with Viagra and related compounds, all products were screened for such compounds but none were found.
Testing focused on products made with yohimbe and/or epimedium (“horny goat weed”), two popular ingredients found in natural remedies for sexual dysfunction.
Some products also contained and were tested for L-arginine, an amino acid involved in blood flow (the focus of a separate Product Review of L-Arginine Supplements).
It is estimated that over 30% of men suffer from erectile dysfunction and over 40% of women live with a lack of libido or have trouble achieving orgasm.
“It’s no wonder that many people are willing to try supplements that promise to improve sexual functioning and fulfillment,” says Tod Cooperman, MD, ConsumerLab.com’s President.
As discussed in the report, natural ingredients can help, to a limited degree, with erectile dysfunction and, possibly, libido.
Supplements covered in the Product Review of Sexual Enhancement Supplements are:
- BodyTech LongJax MHT with Arginine,
- Dymatize Nutrition Excite,
- ExtenZe,
- Magna-RX+,
- Maximum International Horny Goat Weed,
- Natrol L-Arginine Erectile Function formula,
- NOW Horny Goat Weed Extract,
- Planetary Herbals Full Spectrum Horny Goat Weed,
- SciFit Massive Yohimbe Bark,
- Swanson Superior Herbs Yohimbe, and
- Ultimate Nutrition Platinum Series Yohimbe Bark Extract.
The report includes findings for all ten products selected by ConsumerLab.com and one product that passed the same testing through ConsumerLab.com’s Voluntary Certification Program.
The separate report on L-arginine supplements includes additional L-arginine-only products from Nature’s Bounty, NSI, and Solgar.
The report provides results for each product, ingredient comparisons, expert tips on buying and using these supplements, and warnings about potential side effects. It also includes information about the sexual enhancement properties of a range of additional ingredients including ginseng, ginkgo, tribulus, maca, and Long Jack.
ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products.