Icariin is a powerful active flavonoid compound found naturally in the Epimedium plant family. It has a more memorable name, Horny goat weed—thousands of years ago, Chinese farmers noticed that goats that had eaten the herb later increased sexual activity among his flock.

Thanks to its therapeutic effects, such as osteoporosis prevention, alleviating sexual dysfunction, immune system modulation, and improvement of cardiovascular function, Epimedium has been included into Chinese pharmacopeia, indicating icariin as a quality marker.

What Can People Benefit from Taking Icariin Extract?

It has been proven that icariin extract exhibits some potential biological activities such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, neuroprotection, anti-tumor activity, and promoting overall health in the heart, bones, and other organs.

Erectile Dysfunction

Icariin can block a protein related to ED known as phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5). Also, beyond an obvious placebo effect, icariin may help stimulate blood flow enough to trigger a positive response in men with mild to moderate ED.

Bone Health

Studies have shown that Icariin inhibited arthritis via repressing NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling-mediated pyroptosis in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that it is a promising compound in the treatment of arthritis. In addition, icariin has been utilized to treat bone fracture and bone loss for centuries. It promotes bone formation by stimulating osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. At the same time, it can inhibit osteoclastogenic differentiation and the bone resorption activity of osteoclasts.

Emotion Regulation

HPA axis plays a role in alleviating physiological responses to stress, with hyperactivity implicated in depressive and anxiety disorders. Clinical trials have shown that by decreasing HPA axis hyperactivity through inhibition of CRF and cytokine levels in depressive patients, icariin could act as an antidepressant.

Best Icariin Supplement for Arthritic

Chenland JointAlive® is a specially formulated botanical blend with three traditional Chinese herbs: Epimedium brevicornum Maxim, Discorea nipponica Makino, and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. Its development was based on 2,000 years of Traditional Chinese Medicine history. Chenland has hand-selected ingredients from its Authentic Medicinal Cultivation Areas with full traceability from Harvest to Extract.

The rat study shows that JointAlive® effectively increases the threshold of arthritis pain and reduces pain sensitivity. It is superior to the placebo (** P <0.01) and is 6.5 times more effective than the glucosamine group.