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Do Male Enhancement Pills Work? What Studies Show
The studies we read cover single ingredients, and they are mostly small or pilot-level. We found no trial proving that a branded male enhancement pill works. FDA notices also show that some pills sold for sexual enhancement hid sildenafil and tadalafil, which makes results hard to judge. A real effect from a hidden drug is not an effect from the herbs.
Written by the Stallion Power label deskUpdated · 4 min read
What the research looks like
It is mostly small studies of single ingredients, not of finished pills.
A review of ten common ingredients in ED supplements used PubMed literature and judged each ingredient separately (Srivatsav 2020, Aphrodisiac ingredients review). A review of 14 l-arginine trials calls them pilot research, not full evidence of efficacy (Koolwal 2019, L-arginine and ED). The evidence for tribulus is weaker still, since a review of 11 studies called it ineffective for raising testosterone in humans (Qureshi 2014, Tribulus review).
Drugs.com says robust clinical studies of muira puama are lacking (Drugs.com, Muira puama) and that clinical trial data for horny goat weed's traditional aphrodisiac use are lacking (Drugs.com, Horny goat weed). So the honest summary for testosterone booster pills and ED pills is this: some ingredients have hints, none has proof, and the finished products are untested as far as we found.
Why tainted products muddy the picture
The FDA has published notices for sexual enhancement products where lab analysis found sildenafil and tadalafil not listed on the label (FDA, X10 hidden-drug notice) (FDA, Wild Sexx hidden-drug notice). These are the active ingredients in Viagra and Cialis. If a pill has one of them, a man may feel an effect. That effect would come from the hidden drug, and it says nothing about the herbs on the label.
| What you took | What you may think | What may be true |
|---|---|---|
| A pill with a hidden drug | The herbs work | The undeclared drug acted (FDA, X10 hidden-drug notice) |
| A pill with a low dose | It does nothing | The dose may sit far below studied amounts |
| A pill taken with a lifestyle change | The pill worked | Exercise, weight and smoking changes can help (Harvard Health, ED) |
Hidden drugs also carry danger. They can interact with nitrates and lower blood pressure to dangerous levels (FDA, Wild Sexx hidden-drug notice). See tainted enhancement products.
Pills, capsules and gummies
The form changes how much a product can hold, not whether it has been tested. A capsule has more room than a gummy, so a capsule can in theory carry a studied dose. A gummy is limited by size and by sugar. Our comparison of forms sets them side by side.
For Stallion Power, the label prints an 82 mg proprietary blend over nine ingredients. By the descending-order rule (21 CFR 101.36, Supplement Facts), the ingredient in place k weighs at most 82/k mg. Most lines sit far below studied amounts. This is arithmetic on a label, not a lab result, and a real gummy can hold less. We have no lab report either way.
Stallion Power: from $49 a bottle30 gummies a bottle · 2, 3 or 6 bottles · free shipping on 3 or 6 · 60-day guarantee
See packsWhat doctors point to instead
The AUA guideline tells clinicians to counsel that diet changes and more physical activity may improve erectile function, and to inform men about oral PDE5 inhibitors that the FDA has approved, unless contraindicated (AUA, Erectile Dysfunction Guideline). NIDDK says to talk with your health care professional before using dietary supplements (NIDDK, ED treatment).
Keep taking prescribed medicine. Do not combine any sexual enhancement product with nitrates before a doctor or pharmacist says it is safe (MedlinePlus, Sildenafil). Seek emergency care for chest pain, fainting, an erection lasting longer than four hours, or sudden vision or hearing loss.
Next step
If pills worry you for these reasons, talk to a doctor about the cause of your concern. If you still want to look at a supplement, read the whole label and the warning first.
Who wrote this01
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, FTC, NIDDK, AHA and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . See our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by Gostallionpower, a Stallion Power U.S. merchant desk, not by the manufacturer or the distributor named on the label. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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