Tribulus terrestris is the scientific name for a weed-like plant whose extract is used as a food supplement. The plant is more commonly known as Puncture Vine, Caltrop, Yellow Vine, or Goathead. As a food supplement, the purported effect is a rise in the body's testosterone production and an increased sex drive. It is popular among athletes and is particularly used by bodybuilders in combination with steroid hormone food supplements to boost strength and muscle mass. In Chinese and Indian traditional medicine, the extract or the dried form is mixed in tonics and used as an aphrodisiac as well as a liver, kidney, urinary and cardiovascular remedy. The plant is called Bai Ji Li in Chinese, and in Sanskrit, it is called gokshura.
Active Chemical
Tribulus terrestris food supplement products contain extracts from the plant. These extracts have a 40 to 45 percent concentration of chemical compounds called furostanol saponins, which are simply a classification of steroids that are naturally occurring in plants. The most active and dominant of these chemical compounds is protodioscin. The increase in testosterone production and other aphrodisiac effects of tribulus terrestris are largely attributed to the presence of protodioscin.
Action
The chemical compounds extracted from the tribulus terrestris plant stimulate the release of the Luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary gland. LH is the essential hormone for reproduction. In men, LH acts on the Leydig cells in the testes, which produce testosterone. One effect of increased levels of testosterone is increased sperm cell generation and sperm motility. Protodioscin also affects the production of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). DHEA is the most abundant steroid in the human body and comes from the adrenal glands. The body converts DHEA to estrogen and testosterone hormones. Another activity that is connected to protodioscin is the release of nitric oxide from the nerve endings in the corpus cavernosum penis, which is the male erectile tissue. Tribulus terrestris is, thus, also known for its proerectile effects.
Availability
Tribulus terrestris food supplement products are offered as soluble powder, which are usually packaged as pure tribulus supplements. Other products may also come in tablet, capsule, liquid extract and tincture form. Variations of these products combine the extract with other nutritional supplements. Tribulus food supplement products are not artificially synthesized drugs.
Nature of Effects
The effects are not immediate and will only begin to appear after a certain period of consistent intake--normally from two to three weeks. The recommended daily dosage of tribulus products is 750 to 1,250 milligrams. It is suggested that the total daily amount be divided and taken in separate times of the day such as during meal times.
Side Effects
Initial testing of tribulus terrestris extract was conducted on animals. A constant high dosage supply of the extract showed the opposite effect of reduced strength and coordination in the test animals. In humans, around 1 out of 10 experienced an upset stomach. There was also a reported rare case of gynaecomastia, which is the abnormal enlargement of mammary glands in men. However, most studies show no significant adverse or toxic effects. The extract increases testosterone levels by around 40 percent. The average testosterone level in human males is 600 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL), but with tribulus use this level may increase to 850 ng/dL, which is still within the normal range of 300 to 1,000 ng/dL.
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