Fadogia Agrestis

Fadogia Agrestis is a bush plant native to Nigeria. It can also be found in other parts of Africa, in the west in Ghana and the east in Sudan.

This herb is typically used as an aphrodisiac to treat erectile dysfunction. It has also been recognized to improve athletic performance attributed to the increased release of luteinizing hormone from the pituitary gland which stimulates the release of testosterone.

It is also used to treat Malaria due to the inhibitory effects on specific parasites and bacteria displaying antimalarial activity(1).

Unfortunately, there is limited scientific research on the effects of this herb on athletic performance. Currently, there is also no scientific research available on humans, thus, more scientific research is needed to fully understand its effects.

Let's look at the available research on Fadogia Agrestis.

First, a study orally dosed the extract in male rats, 18mg per kg, 50mg per kg, and 100mg per kg of body weight at 24-hour intervals. Researchers evaluated the rat's sexual behavior parameters and serum testosterone concentration on days 1, 3, and 5. All doses resulted in a significant increase in mount frequency, intromission(the process of inserting the penis into the vagina)frequency, serum testosterone concentration, and prolonged ejaculatory latency. Thus, the increase in blood testosterone concentrations may be the mechanism responsible for its aphrodisiac effects and various masculine behaviors(2).

Another study investigated the effect of the herb on the testicular function of male rats and their recovery potential from the effects for 10 days. They were separated into 4 groups, with one control group receiving 1ml of distilled water, and the test groups receiving a daily dose of 18, 50, and 100 mg per kg body weight of the extract for 28 days.

This resulted in a significant increase in the percentage testes to body weight ratio, and testicular cholesterol while there was a significant decrease in the activities of testicular alkaline phosphatase indicating the adverse effect in the functional ability of the testes, especially at higher doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg. The ability of the rats to recover from the effects on some testicular functions was at 18mg/kg body weight which led to no permanent toxicity at this dose(3)

Researchers also observed the cellular toxicity of the herb at the same doses as mentioned above on the kidney and liver. This did not lead to any swelling, atrophy, or hypertrophy of the organs(4), thus, acknowledging the safety of consuming Fadogia Agrestis at 100 mg/kg doses on the kidney and liver. However, keep in mind that these studies were observed in rats and that there were adverse effects on the functional ability of the testes when consuming this supplement at higher doses.

Lastly, in a more recent study, again, in rats, the researchers examined the influence of the herb on key biomolecules associated with erectile dysfunction(ED) in the penile and testicular tissue. They concluded that the pathways associated with ED and the key enzymes in penile and testicular tissue were restored in male rats. Thus, after clinical trials, Fadogia Agrestis may help manage ED(5).

Overall, the scientific evidence is currently insufficient to support the use of Fadogia Agrestis as a supplement for enhancing athletic performance. Although the increase in blood testosterone concentration and aphrodisiac effects may illustrate this, the studies were tested on rats therefore there needs to be more research on humans to fully understand the benefits of this herb.

Also, due to the lack of evidence regarding the safety and potential side effects, it is important to exercise caution when considering the use of Fadogia Agrestis and to consult with a healthcare professional before using it.

Do you recommend supplementing with Fadogia Agrestis?

Personally, we have not tried this supplement because, to date, studies in humans are nonexistent. As there are other supplements like Tongkat Ali that consist of scientific studies in humans with reported safety in taking the supplement, we would generally recommend this instead.

Once there are more studies on humans and we try Fadogia Agrestis ourselves, we will review it again. As for now, we would not recommend it.

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References

(1) Osman, Ahmed Galal et al. “Glycosides of Ursane-type Triterpenoid, Benzophenone, and Iridoid from Vangueria Agrestis (Fadogia agrestis) and their Anti-infective Activities.” Natural product research vol. 34,5 (2020): 683-691. doi:10.1080/14786419.2018.1497031. [PubMed]

(2) Yakubu, M T et al. " Aphrodisiac Potentials of the Aqueous Extract of Fadogia Agrestis (Schweinf. Ex Hiern) Stem in Male Albino Rats." Asian Journal of Andrology vol 7,4 (2005): 399-404. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7262.2005.00052.x. [Link]

(3) Yakubu, Musa Toyin et al. “Effects of Oral Administration of Aqueous Extract of Fadogia Agrestis (Schweinf. Ex Hiern) Stem on Some Testicular Function Indices of Male Rats.” Journal of ethnopharmacology vol. 115,2 (2008): 288-92. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2007.10.004. [PubMed]

(4) Yakubu, M T et al. “Mode of cellular toxicity of aqueous extract of Fadogia agrestis (Schweinf. Ex Hiern) stem in male rat liver and kidney.” Human & experimental toxicology vol. 28,8 (2009): 469-78. doi:10.1177/0960327109106973. [PubMed]

(5) Ogunro, Olalekan Bukunmi, and Musa Toyin Yakubu. “Fadogia Agrestis (Schweinf. Ex Hiern) Stem Extract Restores Selected Biomolecules of Erectile Dysfunction in the Testicular and Penile Tissues of Paroxetine-Treated Wistar Rats.” Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), 10.1007/s43032-022-01050-6. 15 Aug. 2022, doi:10.1007/s43032-022-01050-6. [PubMed]