now this is something!

Below information found on Richters Catalog newsletter that I receive
periodically. Can you believe it???
I hate those puncture vine weeds. I carefully remove them whenever I see
one. And I do see them way too often! Gee.........maybe I  should ..??????

---------------------------------------------------- 
1. Plant Dubbed 'Nature's Viagra' 
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
By Carol Harrington
CALGARY, Nov. 15, Canadian Press -- Nature thought of it first. 
Puncture vine, affectionately called "nature's Viagra," is a common 
plant that proponents say may be as effective as the famous anti-impotence 
pharmaceutical. 
"It really works," says Eric Wicik, 25, who took puncture vine drops to 
improve a sex drive temperorarily lowered by strict fasting. 
"I noticed an improvement after two days."
Puncture vine -- so named because its sharp seeds can flatten bicycle 
tires -- grows wild throughout North America. 
Naturopaths or homeopaths prescribe an extract of it to treat 
impotency.
Some bodybuilders also use it as a "natural steroid."
"It increases testosterone production," claims Edmonton botanist Robert 
Rogers, who owns an herbal centre. 
"Studies found that in just five days of taking puncture vine, it 
increased testosterone levels by 30 per cent or more."
Rogers cited a 1981 study by the Chemical Pharmaceutical Institute in 
Sofia, Bulgaria, of more than 200 men suffering from impotence. It found 
an increase in sperm production, survival rate and motility. 
Other benefits cited in the study were increased immunity and 
self-confidence, lower cholesterol levels and generally better moods. 
Puncture vine is usually listed on herbal bottles by its latin name, 
Tribulus terrestris, says Tom Chan, a researcher with Organika Health 
Products in Vancouver. 
It is often manufactured with a combination of other herbs, as are most 
herbal concoctions, and can be purchased in some drugstores and herbal 
shops, Chan says. 
Wild oats and plumtree berry extract are two other herbs that optimize 
testosterone levels, he claims. 
Europeans, particularly Romanians, have been using puncture vine for 
more than 1,000 years, mostly as a muscle enhancer, he says. 
The drops can be used by either sex, Rogers says.
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index