Liboost launched to improve sexual function in men and women
Composed of the novel botanical extract of Damiana (Turnera diffusa), the claims of enhanced libido and wellbeing result from the bioflavonoids which have a long history of support.
“In recent years, the interest in the use of natural supplements for supporting healthy sexual health has intensified”, says CEO at Pharmactive Jean Marie Raymond, adding that the product could appeal to a wide range of consumers.
Sexual performance represents a struggle for a great number of people around the world. Pharmactive says that around 43% of women and 15% of men worldwide suffer from decreased sexual function associated with aging and occasional stress.
With increased awareness of the symptoms menopausal women face that effect libido and sexual performance, this area is also gaining more attention from this market of consumers.
Consumer Study
Pharmactive conducted a four week follow-up, placebo controlled consumer study, using questionnaires, to assess the effects of their supplement on 120 healthy adults aged 25-60.
The study included four groups – 60 participants were treated with Liboost and 60 with a placebo, with men and women in each group studied separately.
The participants were asked about a range of parameters relating to erectile function and female sexual function before and after the four week trial.
According to Pharmactive, questionnaire responses suggested men had a 40% improvement and women had a 92% improvement in overall sexual indexes.
Mechanisms of action
As well as Damiana’s long history of use as an aphrodisiac, it has received recent attention for its effects on the central nervous system and hormone balance.
Pharmactive conducted an in vitro study to characterise three mechanisms of action that lie behind damiana’s abilities to boost sexual health.
“Luteolin-7-o-glucoside increases nitric oxide (NO) release in the endothelial tissues of the male reproductive system, inducing vasodilatation via several molecular pathways," explains Daniel González-Hedström, senior scientific researcher for Pharmactive.
"In females, NO release relaxes smooth muscle favouring normal sexual activity.
“Liboost also inhibits an enzyme key to the degradation of cGMP (PDE-5), which also serves to induce smooth muscle relaxation. The naturally occurring apigenin-7-O-glucoside and acacetin content increase testosterone levels due to its anti-aromatase activity. These mechanisms have been shown to promote a healthy sexual appetite and boost performance,” González-Hedström adds.
Unique quality
CEO Raymond says there is a “problematic gap in this sector”, with many sexual health supplements lacking the scientific evidence and breakdown of key bioactives to define their biological activity.
“Damiana extracts are among the most adulterated botanical products and typically are enriched with other extracts or chemicals.”, explains Raymond,.
He says Liboost contains Damiana which is 100% traceable, grown in Mexico and manufactured in a GMP-certified plant in Madrid. It requires a low daily dosage of only 300 mg/day and is water-soluble and suitable for hard capsules, soft gels, syrups, and functional food matrices.
Source: Clinical Nutrition & Hospital Dietetics
http://hdl.handle.net/10261/195162
“Liboost induces the release of Nitric Oxide in endothelial cells in vitro”
Authors: Almodóvar, P., Salamanca, A., Prodanov, M., Muñoz Santos, D., González-Hedström, D. and Inarejos-García, A.M.
