Herbal Viagra: Is it Safe or Not?

Because of the popularity of Sildenafil, known in the market as the little blue pill Viagra, people have considered it not just as a proper name for perhaps the most effective remedy for erectile dysfunction. Lately, people and merchants have used Viagra as a common name, an all-encompassing term that refers to anything that supposedly cures erectile dysfunction. This proves that the appeal of Viagra is wide-spread and that term "Viagra" is a household name that everyone recognizes. This also means, however, that anything can pass up as a "Viagra," and it has become a marketing gimmick to entice potential customers.

One of such products is the so-called herbal Viagra. As the name implies, herbal Viagra is anything that refers to any herbal products that were said to heal erectile dysfunction. As with anything that has the label of "herbal," herbal Viagra products are natural, made from herbal medicines that supposedly has the same effect as its namesake. The popularity of these herbal Viagra products is undeniable, especially in countries that have a striving industry in herbal medicine. These products vary in ingredients, depending on its origin, although most of them are said to have existed long before Viagra and the other medicinal remedies for erectile dysfunction arrived in the worldwide market. Perhaps the biggest draw of these herbal Viagra products is its price. After all, they are being sold at a fraction of the price of Pfizer's Viagra. Herbal Viagra is cheaper because the products are not widely distributed and not patented. A fraction of the cost of the medicine -- and this goes for all medicines, not just Viagra -- is made up of research and patent expenses. To create a medicine like Viagra, a pharmaceutical company has to spend millions of dollars on research that takes years. When they have already created and discovered the medicine for a certain condition, the price of the medicine covers the research expense -- a commonplace and fair practice. With herbal Viagra, however, there is no research needed. Most of these herbal products were already in existence years before it was marketed as the herbal version of Viagra, the knowledge regarding the herbal medicine passed down from generation to generation. And because it is herbal, the production cost is minimal -- they simply have to harvest it from its source if the supply is abundant, or they simply have to plant the product themselves. Another advantage they say herbal Viagra has against its counterpart is its lack of side effects. Herbal Viagra do not have the side effects Viagra and similar products have. And because they are herbal, they are said to promote other positive effects as well.

However, there is no guarantee that herbal Viagra is safe. Herbal Viagra is not approved by the proper authorities and its effects and benefits are not backed up by years of research. Also, if one experiences bad effects from the herbal Viagra, the merchant cannot guarantee a money back guarantee and just compensation for the damage. Buying herbal Viagra is like buying an untested product, no matter what other people say. It is up to the buyer to choose if he would buy herbal Viagra or the real thing. Clearly, both products have advantages and disadvantages. With Viagra, one is assured that the product is effective and safe based on actual scientific research. No savings and secondary positive effects can replace the guarantee that Viagra has to offer. In the end, the buyer should be responsible and see which really is the better choice.