The ZEST of Life

Ever since Viagra® hit the market five years ago this spring and immediately became one of the best-selling prescription drugs ever, sex researchers have been searching for a treatment that will work as well for women.

But something that was obvious to begin with - that sex mechanics for women are different from those for men - has proved to be a bigger obstacle than scientists expected. Researchers have found that women's sex organs are not as readily affected as men's by Viagra. Viagra works by blocking an enzyme that normally inhibits blood flow and, in doing so, causes engorgement of erectile tissue. So, if blocking the same enzyme in women does not increase circulation to genital tissue then what is a girl to do?

Back at the drawing board, we find Martin Crosby, Pharmaceutical Scientist of QualiLife Pharmaceuticals and his product, Zestra®. Martin is charismatic and charming. You can almost see him blushing when he speaks of his creation.

However, his pharmaceutical research makes us women smile. Smile a whole lot. Per Crosby, "Zestra® is the botanical equivalent of a product that is used in severe erectile dysfunction in men. It is a topical oil that is actually termed female arousal oil. Within 3-5 minutes of application it begins arousing sexual pleasure and reaches a peak of activity in about 10 minutes and duration of activity which lasts about 40 minutes."

Zestra® seems to be gaining in popularity. "We are very pleased that Zestra® is the only women's topical consumer product that has been published in a major peerreviewed medical journal. No other non-prescription topical product for women is supported by a well-designed clinical trial," says Crosby.

The 100% all-natural botanical ingredients of Zestra® for Women, on the market since June 2002, are a proprietary blend of borage seed oil, evening primrose oil, Angelica root extract, Coleus forskohlii extract, ascorbyl palmitate, dl-alpha tocopherol and natural fragrances. Each of Zestra's botanical ingredients play highly complementary roles and work together naturally to safely and effectively enhance female sexual pleasure, sensation, sensitivity and satisfaction.

Crosby makes it clear that he genuinely cares about his mission. "Our intent at Zestra® for Women is to care for the women who place their trust in us to safely enhance their most intimate pleasures. At Zestra® for Women, we have established the leadership example of professional and responsible product development by using only 100% all natural botanical ingredients.

Only Zestra's science-based formulation is Clinically-Proven to increase female sexual pleasure and thus the sex lives of women. No other company can make that statement. Our goal is to have a positive and meaningful impact on women's sex lives and their "quality of life." You may have seen those late night commercials, (especially in between segments of that great show, Talk Sex with Sue!) of many other consumer products which claim arousal intensification.

What you probably are not aware of is this: many of those products moisturize your skin with propylene glycol. Yes, that is a principal constituent of radiator anti-freeze. Would you enjoy the smell and skin irritation of menthol (even if you knew it is classified as a chemical irritant)? Would you apply synthetic chemicals, irritants, solvents or preservatives to your most intimate and tender tissues?

Would you apply L-Arginine (an amino acid) if you knew that it really did not cross cell membranes? Knowledge is power.

So how does Zestra® work? Although it does work to increase blood flow, the specific pathway that Zestra® works on, and the reason it is so effective is that it increases genital nerve conduction velocity. As a result of that, there is a lot of heightened sensation. The increase of the nerve conduction velocity is coming from very specific components which are in the botanical extracts found in Zestra®. It does create a tingling and warmth sensation in the genital area, which is part of the experience.

A small study, reported in the January issue of the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, found the botanical massage oil Zestra® to be much more effective than placebo oil for enhancing sexual arousal when applied to the genitalia. The manufacturer-funded research included just 20 women, but one of the nation’s top sex therapists says she is impressed by it.

The study assessed Zestra'’s effectiveness in 10 women with female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD) and 10 women without the disorder by surveying them about their sexual satisfaction before and after its use. The researchers looked at changes perceived in the level of arousal, desire, satisfaction with arousal, genital sensation, and ability to have an orgasm. Each woman used Zestra® five times and the placebo oil five times, but neither they nor the research team knew which oil they were using until the test was completed.

Women with FSAD reported satisfaction with sexual arousal less than one-third of the time while using the placebo oil, but 85 % of the time with Zestra®. Women without FSAD reported satisfaction with arousal 73% of the time with the placebo oil and 95% of the time while using Zestra®.

At the moment, Zestra® is available via their website at www.zestraforwomen.com or their toll free number at 1-877-4-ZESTRA. However, it is expected to hit major drug store chains in about 6 months. It soon should also be made available through physicians. So, what is QualiLife’s next coming? Libido assistance. We are considering inducting Martin into the FEM Hall of Fame.

Viagra® is a registered trademark of Pfizer, Inc.

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