Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium) and bone
What 3 graded rows on horny goat weed (epimedium) agree on for bone, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium) page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium) page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium) and bone
3 rows · 960 peopleThey agree: all 3 rows found an improvement.
- CGrade C× 2
- DGrade D× 1
- Rows
- 3
- Trials
- 11
- People
- 960
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
What the rows share
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade C, is a meta-analysis of 817 people (2025) and found an improvement.
The rows run from 58 to 817 people, published from 2007 to 2025: 1 pooled review and 2 single studies.
The rows
3 improved- CGrade CBone mineral density in primary osteoporosis · Improved
Meta-analysis, 9 studies · n 817 · 2025 · 9 RCTs with lumbar spine data (of 10 RCTs, 890 participants in all) in adults with primary osteoporosis, almost all in China; n from full text (GRADE table, lumbar BMD)
Not reported in the abstract; varied by preparation · 3–24 months of follow-up (full text)
Lumbar spine (SMD 1.15; 95% CI 0.61 to 1.70) and femoral neck bone density (SMD 1.11; 95% CI 0.58 to 1.65) were higher than in controls, and overall response was more frequent (OR 3.80). Adverse reactions were few, mainly mild stomach upset or skin allergy.
Row on the Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium) page · PubMed 41048931 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CSpine and hip bone mineral density in late postmenopausal women · Improved
RCT · n 85 · 2007 · Healthy late postmenopausal women with low bone density (T-score −2 to −2.5), Hong Kong
One daily dose of the flavonoid mix; all participants also received 300 mg calcium · 24 months
Bone density stayed stable with the flavonoids while the placebo group lost 2.4% at the lumbar spine and 1.8% at the femoral neck; between-group differences were significant at 24 months. A bone-breakdown marker fell 39–43%. Estradiol and endometrial thickness did not change.
Row on the Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium) page · PubMed 17419678 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DSafety and a bone-formation marker (BSAP) with an Epimedium prenylflavonoid extract · Improved
RCT · n 58 · 2021 · Healthy postmenopausal women aged about 58 (Singapore)
740 mg/day · 6 weeks
No significant adverse symptoms and no changes in liver, blood or kidney tests. Prenylflavonoid intake was associated with higher bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (p<0.05) and a non-significant trend toward lower TRAF6, an osteoclast marker.
Row on the Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium) page · PubMed 34352588 (opens PubMed)