Herbal viagra is a herbal product advertised as treating

erectile dysfunction Erectile dysfunction (ED), also referred to as impotence, is a form of sexual dysfunction in males characterized by the persistent or recurring inability to achieve or maintain a Human penis, penile erection with sufficient rigidity and durat ...

. Many different products are advertised as herbal viagra, but with varying ingredients. No clinical trials or scientific studies support the effectiveness of any of these ingredients for the treatment of erectile dysfunction and some products have been found to contain drugs and other adulterants, and have been the subject of FDA and FTC warnings and actions to remove them from the market. The name "herbal viagra" is taken from the brand name

Viagra Sildenafil, sold under the brand name Viagra among others, is a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension. It is also sometimes used off-label for the treatment of certain symptoms in secondary Ray ...

, under which drug company

Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered at The Spiral (New York City), The Spiral in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 184 ...

sells sildenafil citrate, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction. Viagra has become a generic term for many people discussing drugs designed to treat erectile dysfunction, even those which do not contain sildenafil. Herbal viagras, contrary to what the name suggests, do not normally contain sildenafil citrate. However, sildenafil and chemicals similar to sildenafil have been found as adulterants in many supplements which are sold as herbal viagra or "natural" sexual enhancement products. The

United States Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...

has warned consumers that any sexual enhancement product that claims to work as well as prescription products is likely to contain such a contaminant.Hidden Risks of Erectile Dysfunction "Treatments" Sold Online

, February 21, 2009 Scientists estimated that over 60% of the consumed sildenafil in the Netherlands is from illegal sources such as adulterated dietary supplements. Herbal viagras often carry a number of dangerous side effects. Primarily, they cause abnormally low blood pressure and can restrict blood flow to vital organs. Some preparations may be toxic if taken in larger doses. Additional side effects and dangers of common herbal viagra adulterants, such as sulfoaildenafil,

acetildenafil Acetildenafil (hongdenafil) is a synthetic drug which acts as a phosphodiesterase inhibitor. It is an structural analog, analog of sildenafil (Viagra) which has been detected in numerous different brands of "herbal aphrodisiac" products sold in c ...

and other analogs, are unknown because these ingredients have not had thorough review in human clinical trials. Herbal viagra is predominantly sold through the

internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...

, and in 2003 approximately 4% or 1 in 25 of all

email spam Email spam, also referred to as junk email, spam mail, or simply spam, refers to unsolicited messages sent in bulk via email. The term originates from a Spam (Monty Python), Monty Python sketch, where the name of a canned meat product, "Spam (food ...

offered herbal viagra, genuine pharmaceuticals, and other herbal remedies.

References

{{Reflist Dietary supplements Herbalism Consumer fraud