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Zallouh - Syrian Sex Plant |
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by Chris Kilham
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| Zallouh is a small shrub with thin leaves and
tiny white or yellow flowers. |
Almost every week we are made aware
of yet another herb which reputedly
enhances sexual function. One such
plant is zallouh (Ferulis harmonis), a small
shrub which grows in a small region in the
Middle East. Like a number of plants, zallouh
has been proclaimed an “herbal Viagra.” But
like only a small handful of herbs from around
the world, zallouh actually lives up to the
description.
The Plant and Its Use
Zallouh is a small shrub with thin leaves and
tiny white or yellow flowers. Also known as
“shirsh Zallouh,” the plant grows between
6000 and 10,000 feet elevation around massive
Mount Haramoun, which straddles the
borders of Syria, Lebanon and Israel. In that
region the plant is profuse, with many thousands
of tons of zallouh growing on Mount
Haramoun.
Zallouh has a long tradition of use by men
with erectile problems and for men and
women with low libido. But the root has also
enjoyed even broader use for sexual enhancement
among healthy men and women, to
increase sexual frequency and to increase pleasure.
Thus zallouh has been used as a true
aphrodisiac, an agent for boosting lustful
urges in healthy individuals and adding extra
excitement to lovemaking.
Zallouh’s Champion
In the Jal Eldib area of Beirut, Dr. Pierre
Malychef operates a pharmacy near
Aboujhoudi Hospital. Inside the store is practically
a shrine to Lebanon’s most famous
plant, zallouh. Dr. Malychef can take credit for
that fame, which has resulted from his own
tireless promotion of what he considers a
supreme elixir of life and vitality. A pharmacist
for over 50 years, Malychef is a specialist in
phytotherapy, pharmacology and toxicology.
More than any other person in the Middle
East, he has championed the health benefits of
zallouh. He has been interviewed on CNN and
TV crews and reporters regularly show up at his
doorstep, eager to know about zallouh.
“Shirsh Zallouh is more than a sex plant,” Malychef declares.
“Yes, it is very good for that purpose and I have given it to many, many people who have been satisfied. It will rebuild sexual health. But the plant is also rich in antioxidants and it helps to retard the aging process. If you will take zallouh every day, it will help to keep you strong and youthful.”
The 77-year-old
pharmacist attributes
much of his vitality
and fitness to zallouh. In a small lab in the pharmacy, Malychef
makes his own extracts of zallouh root. His son
Alexi travels to remote villages on Mount
Haramoun, where he collects zallouh for
extraction. Back in the lab, Pierre produces the
elixirs which have made his pharmacy a celebrated
stop in Beirut.
In Malychef’s pharmacy several zallouh
preparations are displayed, including a scalp
rub which he insists renews hair growth. But
far and away the most popular zallouh product
is the liquid extract for sexual enhancement.
“We go through a lot of this,” Malychef boasts.
“Once somebody tries zallouh extract for
sexual vigor, they come back for more, because
it is very, very effective.” Even as we chat, a
couple of men purchase bottles of the sex
tonic.
Human Clinical Studies
While Dr. Pierre Malychef is zallouh’s most
outspoken champion, the plant has also
undergone scientific clinical study. The
Lebanese government is keenly supportive of
what it considers a national treasure. In Beirut
the Lebanese Urological Society has sponsored
clinical trials which have carried this traditional
root of antiquity into the medical present.
To date over 7000 men have participated in
this research.
In the various clinical studies on zallouh,
men selected as candidates for trials have
experienced some measure of erectile dysfunction.
In one six-month study of 315 men with
a mean age of 55, among the 159 who took
either 500 or 1000 milligrams of freeze-dried
zallouh root, 80 percent experienced improvement.
On a scale of 1 to 5, the men went from
an average score of 1.26 (virtually no erection)
to an average of 3.11 (a firm erection). To complete
the data collection on the study, the
researchers surveyed the sexual partners of
the male subjects. Approximately 80 percent
commented that their partners were significantly
improved.
In the largest zallouh study, 4,274 patients
ages 18 to 87 participated. Of these, 2,722 took
zallouh root, between 2–8 grams daily in the
form of tea. At the end of the year, 2,199
patients on zallouh had completed the study,
with an efficacy rate nearing 86 percent for
improved erectile function. These results show
promise for large doses of zallouh taken over
an extended period. Not all the studies were
quite as impressive, depending on the dosage
of zallouh given and the duration of the study.
The lowest efficacy rates in clinical trials
hovered around 60 percent, which is still very good, compared with placebo groups at about
10 percent.
Phytochemical Constituents
Among its many compounds, zallouh root contains
ferulic acid and feruloside, which dilate
blood vessels and stimulate circulation. When
zallouh is taken, an erection occurs as a result of
increased blood flow to the fine vessels of the
penis. Of course, as with any substance, zallouh is not a totally free ride. Those with hypertension,
significant heart disease or diabetic neuropathy
should not take zallouh root without
the approval of a physician. Some individuals
who take zallouh experience flushing and
headaches as a result of the circulatory effects of
the root. For the most part, however, zallouh
root and its various preparations appear safe and
effective for a majority of users.
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| Chris Kilham at Palmyra. |
The Syrian Source
On the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, the government’s
Productive Projects Administration
(PPA) manufactures herbal products in tea bags
and capsules. While PPA imports many herbs
such as ginseng, echinacea and valerian, they are
most proud of their major domestic herb, zallouh.
PPA is run by the Syrian military. When I
arrived, hundreds of young soldiers in clean
army uniforms were eager and proud to show
off their work with beneficial herbs.
My hosts at PPA include Lt. Elias Faraoun,
who is head of export, and Colonel Nabil Khlaf,
who runs the facility. “In antiquity, zallouh was
used as a tonic by many people,” explains
Colonel Nabil. “Today we have manufactured
zallouh in a way which preserves its unique
composition so it can be used by people everywhere.”
Elias describes the process by which Syrian
zallouh is prepared for use. “We harvest zallouh
roots on Mount Haramoun,
which we will show you. We
have divided the area up into
five sectors. Each year we pick
zallouh root from only one
sector. And we only pick the
tops of the roots. Then we
leave that sector alone for four
years. This gives the zallouh
ample time to fully regenerate.
In this way, the zallouh crop is
sustained.”
Colonel Nabil tells me that
zallouh, once harvested, is
rushed to a freezer at PPA,
where it is stored at -40
degrees Celsius. When the
root is ready for further processing,
it is shipped frozen to a freeze-drying
facility.
The resulting 3:1 concentration of zallouh
root retains all of its natural chemical constituents
and contains no additives or preservatives
of any kind.
Roua’s Sheik Hassan, chief chemist at PPA,
describes quality control procedures for zallouh.
“We test every batch of zallouh, before freezing,
after freezing and after freeze-drying. We make
sure that the root is free of heavy metals and bacterial
contamination. And we also make sure that
the root contains all of its important constituents
and that nothing is lost in processing. We have
found that of all methods, freeze-drying results in
the most potent zallouh product.”
To the Mountain
Every field research trip comes down to the
plant at hand. In a black Range Rover, Elias
Faraoun sets a course for Mount Haramoun.
From many spots in Syria you can see the
snow-capped peak of the giant mountain, an
imposing presence on the horizon. From
Damascus we head south, toward the northern
end of the mountain. Elias navigates increasingly
steep, difficult roads as we leave the desert and
head into the hills. The landscape is sandy, arid
and stark, and along the way we pass many
cherry orchards and olive groves. Birds sing
cheerfully and the roadside is abloom with
brilliant orange poppies.
Past the hill town of Bloudan, we climb ever
more steeply, until we arrive at an altitude where
the houses are fewer and the hillsides are more
rugged. As we hit 2200 meters, the hillsides are
suddenly dotted with millions of green plants.
They are everywhere, in all directions, for as far
as the eye can see. “That is zallouh,” explains
Elias. “Now you see why we are not worried
about supply.”
Once outside the Range Rover, we climb up
the steep mountainside. I am happy to be surrounded
on all sides by the fabled plant. The
green tops look like a cross between parsley and
fennel. Elias explains the zallouh harvest to me.
“From August to a little past December, the soldiers
come up here to harvest zallouh. By that
time, the tops, which flower in June and July, are
dried out and dying. The active ingredients in
the tops go back down into the roots. We harvest
about twenty tons or so every year, and we
have the capacity to take much more without
endangering the zallouh, if it becomes more
popular.”
We spend much of the afternoon wandering
through the zallouh. I take plenty of photographs
and Elias muses about how zallouh has
become increasingly well-known. “The plant
has this special power,” he tells me. “From a long
time ago it was used by many people. And now,
maybe the whole world will know about
zallouh.” I tell Elias that in the age of communication,
where knowledge spreads rapidly around
the world, he is probably correct.
Chris Kilham is a medicine hunter, and the
author of Tales From The Medicine Trail, published
by Rodale Press. He teaches ethnobotany
at University of Massachusetts.
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