Could this ‘down-there’ herb do wonders for your ‘upper story’?
Birthdays used to be just about celebrating.
But get enough years under your belt… and with each birthday that passes, you might start worrying about your memory getting “old” as you age.
After all, you’ve got PLENTY of good years left in you.
You want to make the MOST of them… and make lots of NEW memories.
But you ALSO want to remember everything important that’s already happened!
Friend, the time to start saving your precious memories is NOW – before anything might happen that could try to take them away from you.
So today, I’m here to share with you a time-tested Chinese herb that could help SHORE UP your memory…
Even in the face of some MAJOR obstacles.
It’s got a funny name… and you might blush when you discover the reputation it’s earned…
But its potential for supporting brain health and even IMPROVING memory is NO JOKE!
Ages ago, some Asian goat herders noticed their animals getting FRISKY after eating a certain plant – which they named horny goat weed (Epimedium grandiflorum).
Turns out, scientists discovered that it has the SAME libido-boosting effect on people!
But that’s not the ONLY reason why it’s become a STAPLE of traditional medicine in Asia.
MANY of its actions could help contribute to beating back memory loss, including…
- BALANCING levels of sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen
- REDUCING stress markers, including cortisol (the “stress hormone”)
- BOOSTING mood, and
- PROMOTING blood circulation.
Horny goat weed is also RICH with flavonoids…
Like icariin, which is tiny enough to cross the blood-brain barrier… where it could provide some neuroprotective benefits through its antioxidant action.
Animal studies have shown icariin to not only REDUCE oxidative damage…
But also PROTECT against aluminum-induced memory loss.
In one study, icariin’s anti-inflammatory action appeared to help animal subjects IMPROVE both spatial learning (for example, finding its way around a new environment, like a maze) and memory.
Administering icariin to subjects in another animal study seemed to help SHIELD them from cognitive deficits resulting from an induced stroke.
That’s not all…
Because even more animal research reveals how icariin helped elevate levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus – a.k.a. the “memory center” of the brain.
If you’re not familiar with BDNF, all you need to know is that it’s a protein that helps your brain continue to GROW…
And helps keep your brain from SHRINKING!
In fact, you could consider BDNF a kind of “fertilizer” for your brain – one that could help with learning NEW skills.
And in yet another animal study, this one from 2017, researchers tested horny goat weed with curculigoside-rich Xian Mao — a common combination known as “Er-Xian decoction,” used in TCM to treat diseases of aging.
As with prior studies, this “EX” combo helped EXTINGUISH inflammation in subjects that had been induced to develop Alzheimer’s…
And helped REDUCE markers of oxidative stress… and INCREASE antioxidant activity in the brain.
Even better, EX treatment led to IMPROVED performance in a water maze test… which indicated FASTER learning and BETTER memory.
Japanese Kampo medicine calls horny goat weed “inyokaku“… and TCM refers to it as “Yin Yang Huo” (as well as by the Latin names Herba epimedii and Epimedii Folium).
But you don’t need to travel to Asia – because you can find horny goat weed supplements from several quality makers at your local health food store or online.
Look for one that’s standardized to contain a certain minimum percentage of icariin.
To beating back “shrinkage,”
Sarah Reagan
