Black Ginger, K. parviflora is native to Southeast Asia. It’s been used to promote male sexual health for years, but only now has K. parviflora been studied in the west. And the results are impressive: two clinical studies show promise for male sexual function, response, performance and satisfaction with results seen after 30 days.1,2

K. parviflora works by promoting nitric oxide synthesis, which relaxes blood vessels and enables healthy blood flow, the key to healthy male sexual response.3,4 It also encourages a healthy brain response to sexual stimuli and helps to inhibit an enzyme that can affect male sexual response.1,5 And it does both of these things independently of hormone levels.
In an eight-week randomized, double-blind clinical study, K. parviflora extract promoted a healthy male sexual response as compared to placebo.2 Impressed by these results, formulators at Life Extension® set out to confirm the study’s findings. In our own clinical study, subjects taking KaempfMax™ K. parviflora extract standardized to 5% of the active compound 5, 7-dimethoxyflavone, for 30 days reported healthy sexual function and satisfaction.1

K. parviflora did not significantly affect hormone levels in either clinical study, making it an excellent complement to testosterone-supportive health regimens.1,2
The vascular benefits of Kaempferia were identified not only in arteries supplying the penis and testes, but also in the heart, contributing to overall cardiovascular health.
In isolated portions of rat aorta, the active component of Kaempferia, 5,7-DMF triggered significant relaxation, which would produce a larger space for blood to flow through. These shifts were also traced to higher levels of muscle-relaxing nitric oxide and cGMP, as well as beneficial shifts in calcium ion movements.7
Kaempferia extract was shown to share an important mechanism of action with drugs sold for erectile dysfunction, i.e. inhibition of the enzyme PDE5.6 Again, however, vascular effects mediated through inhibition of this enzyme are far more potent with PDE5 inhibitor drugs, though safety risks are also linked to this drug class’s potency.

This enzyme (PDE5) normally sends a signal to reduce blood flow through arteries in the penis, which causes penile vascular pressure to drop and the erection to wilt. Inhibiting the PDE5 enzyme helps sustain the erection effectively.8

Taken together, these findings on Kaempferia extract show it can benefit male sexual health for the very reasons it favorably affects systemic vascular health. By allowing arteries to relax and offer minimum resistance to blood flow, this ginger-like root extract offers intriguing potential systemic benefits.

1. J Integr Med. 2018;16(4):249-254.
2. Online J Biol Sci. 2012;12(4):149-155.
3. Reproduction. 2008;136(4):515-522.
4. Phytother Res. 2010;24(10):1520-1525.
5. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011;137(3):1437-1441.