Herbal viagra is a name that can be given to any herbal product advertised as treating erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sexual performance....

. The name "herbal viagra" is taken from the brand name Viagra

Sildenafil

Sildenafil citrate, sold as Viagra, Revatio and under various other trade names, is a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension . It was originally developed by British scientists and then brought to market by the US-based pharmaceutical company Pfizer...

, under which drug company Pfizer

Pfizer

Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...

 sells sildenafil citrate, a drug that is used to treat erectile dysfunction. Viagra has become a generic

Genericized trademark

A genericized trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for, or synonymous with, a general class of product or service, rather than as an indicator of source or affiliation as intended by the trademark's holder...

 term for many people discussing drugs designed to treat erectile disfunction.

There are many different products advertised as herbal viagra, but with varying ingredients. The most popular herbs are epimedium

Epimedium

Epimedium, also known as Rowdy Lamb Herb, Barrenwort, Bishop's Hat, Fairy Wings, Horny Goat Weed, or Yin Yang Huo , is a genus of about 60 or more species of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Berberidaceae...

 (horny goat weed), damiana

Damiana

Turnera diffusa, known as damiana, is a shrub native to southwestern Texas in the United States, Central America, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean. It belongs to the family Passifloraceae....

, ginseng

Ginseng

Ginseng is any one of eleven species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae....

, ginkgo

Ginkgo

Ginkgo , also spelled gingko and known as the Maidenhair Tree, is a unique species of tree with no close living relatives...

, yohimbe, saw palmetto

Saw Palmetto

Serenoa repens, commonly known as saw palmetto, is the sole species currently classified in the genus Serenoa. It has been known by a number of synonyms, including Sabal serrulatum, under which name it still often appears in alternative medicine. It is a small palm, normally reaching a height of...

, maca

MACA

MACA or maca can mean:* Maca * Mongol-American Cultural Association* Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance* Military Aid to the Civil Authorities* Member Australian Counselling Association...

, Muira puama

Muira puama

Ptychopetalum is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Olacaceae, native to the Amazon rainforest. The indigenous name for the genus is Muira Puama, "potency wood". The species are shrubs or small trees growing to about 14 feet in height belonging to the Olive family and found in...

, and Tribulus terrestris

Tribulus terrestris

Tribulus terrestris is a flowering plant in the family Zygophyllaceae, native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the Old World in southern Europe, southern Asia, throughout Africa, and Australia. It can thrive even in desert climates and poor soil...

. There are no clinical trials or scientific studies that support the effectiveness of any of these ingredients for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Herbal viagras, contrary to what the name suggests, do not normally contain sildenafil citrate. However, synthetic chemical compounds 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 has warned consumers that any sexual enhancement product that claims to work as well as prescription products is likely to contain such a contaminant.

Herbal viagras often carry a number of dangerous side effects. Primarily, they cause abnormally low blood pressure

Hypotension

In physiology and medicine, hypotension is abnormally low blood pressure, especially in the arteries of the systemic circulation. It is best understood as a physiologic state, rather than a disease. It is often associated with shock, though not necessarily indicative of it. Hypotension is the...

and can restrict blood flow to vital organs. There is also evidence to suggest some preparations may be toxic if taken in larger doses.

Herbal viagra is predominantly sold through the internet, and in 2003, around 4% or 1 in 25 of all e-mail messages sent offered herbal viagra, genuine pharmaceuticals and other herbal remedies.