Supplements & Stimulants

The supplements sold here are food supplements: capsules, drinks and drops with plant extracts, amino acids and vitamins that are marketed for libido, energy or stamina. They are not medicines, they are not tested the way medicines are, and the honest position is that the evidence for most of them is thin. Some people feel a difference; many feel nothing; a few should not take them at all. This guide explains what is in them, how to read a label, and how to choose sensibly if you want to try one.

What is in them

The usual ingredients are maca, ginseng, tribulus, horny goat weed, damiana, ginkgo, L-arginine, zinc, and B vitamins, alone or in blends. Maca and ginseng have the longest history of traditional use; L-arginine and zinc are amino acids and minerals the body uses anyway. Drinks and shots usually add caffeine or guarana, which is where most of the felt effect comes from. Female libido supplements use the same list with different packaging.

What they are not

A supplement is not a treatment for erectile difficulty, low desire or any medical condition, and nothing on this page should be read as saying otherwise. Persistent problems belong with a doctor, who can look for causes and prescribe medicine that has been tested. We do not sell anything containing prescription drugs, and we do not sell products whose legal status is unclear.

Reading the label

Look for the full ingredient list with amounts, a manufacturer with an address in the EU, a batch number and an expiry date. Avoid anything that hides its contents behind a proprietary blend, promises results in minutes, or is sold in a plain foil packet. Products with a very strong, fast effect usually contain something that should not be there.

Who should not take them

Anyone on medication, in particular for blood pressure, heart conditions, diabetes, depression or blood thinning, should ask a doctor or pharmacist first; ginseng, ginkgo and L-arginine interact with common drugs. Not during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Not with alcohol in quantity, and not stacked with other stimulants. If a product causes palpitations, headache, dizziness or a rash, stop.

How to try one sensibly

Choose a single ingredient product rather than a blend, so you know what did what. Take the dose on the label, not more, for the period on the label, and keep a note of whether anything changed. If nothing did after a few weeks, it is not for you, and no amount of a different blend is likely to change that. Expect any effect to be modest.

Storage

Cool, dry, out of sunlight, lids closed. Drops and drinks keep less well once opened; check the label. Keep away from children.

Frequently asked questions