Horny Goat Weed may offer Viagra alternative: Italian study

Tue Sep 30, 3:31 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - A Chinese herbal remedy called horny goat weed is a promising alternative to Viagra for impotent men, Italian researchers said on Monday.

The herb has long held a reputation as a natural aphrodisiac. The lab experiments, which did not look at whether the plant actually increases desire, could lead to new drugs to help men get erections, said Mario Dell'Agli, a researcher at the University of Milan, who led the study.

"This could be the natural Viagra," he said in a telephone interview. "The novelty is that we have synthesized a new molecule that one day may be able to replace Viagra."