Fenugreek extract shows male libido boost: Human RCT

16-Feb-2011 - Last updated on 16-Feb-2011 at 15:35 GMT

Daily supplements of an extract from Fenugreek may enhance male libido and help with the maintenance of normal testosterone levels, say results of a double blind randomized placebo controlled study.

A formulation containing a standardized extract of Trigonella foenum‐graecum and minerals was associated with an improvement in libido for 81 percent of the men in the study, and a 63 percent improvement in the ‘quality of sexual performance’, compared with no such improvements in the placebo group, according to findings published in Phytotherapy Research.

The study used Gencor’s Testofen ingredient and was conducted by scientists from Applied Science and Nutrition Pty Ltd, Clinical Trials, Brisbane and the University of Queensland.

Giving love a bad name

“Currently the libido supplements field suffers from adulterated, spiked and hyped materials, without science and research, earning a bad name for the field,” said Gencor’s managing director RV Venkatesh.

“Testofen stands out as a shining beacon in this field, with high quality science based on published animal and human studies,” Venkatesh told NutraIngredients-USA.com.

Study details

The Australian researchers recruited 60 healthy men aged between 25 and 52, and randomly assigned them to receive 600 mg of Testofen per day or placebo for 6 weeks. None of the men had erectile dysfunction at the start of the study.

In addition to the reported improvements in libido and quality of sexual performance, the researchers noted that 66 percent of the men in active intervention group reported improvements in ‘recovery time’, 82 percent reported improvements in ‘general energy’ and 56 percent reported improvements in ‘wellbeing’.

It was concluded that Testofen demonstrated a significant positive effect on physiological aspects of libido and may assist to maintain normal healthy testosterone levels.

Commenting on the active ingredients and the mechanism, the researchers note that saponins are probably responsible for these physiological effects. “The mechanisms may be quite complex,” they said.

“Gencor did not fund the human clinical study and the funding was done by one of our commercial partners,” said Venkatesh.

Availability

Venkatesh confirmed that the ingredient is available globally and is currently being sold in the USA, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Taiwan, Malaysia, India, and in many other countries.

Source: Phytotherapy Research
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1002/ptr.3360
“Physiological Aspects of Male Libido Enhanced by Standardized Trigonella foenum‐graecum Extract and Mineral Formulation”
Authors: E. Steels, A. Rao, L. Vitetta

Phytotherapy Research
2010, Volume 24, Pages 1482-1488, doi: 10.1002/ptr.3129
“Effect of Furostanol Glycosides from Trigonella foenum-graecum on the Reproductive System of Male Albino Rats”
Authors: U. Aswar, S. Laxman Bodhankar, V. Mohan, P.A. Thakurdesai