Erectile dysfunction is a condition that causes much distress to many men. As a result, mankind has been on a continued search for a panacea to definitively fix the problem. Unfortunately, as we have detailed in our previous articles, there is no quick fix to Erectile Dysfunction (ED).
Recently, supplements have become an increasingly popular way for men to experiment with a variety of ingredients from natural products like plants and herbs in order to achieve better erections.
While not all of them are bad, not all of them are good either.
The main concern behind supplements is that they may not have been tested as rigorously as prescription medications. Therefore, prescription medications for erectile dysfunction such as Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (Cialis/ Viagra) can claim to work in the majority of patients because there have been clinical trials done that test these medications on cells, animals and then humans. The testing standards for supplements however are not as stringent with some of them being based on the only animal studies.
For example, many studies on herbal supplements do not standardise the active ingredient from the herb while for prescription medications the active ingredient is fixed and the doses systematically adjusted on different study participants.
In this article, we will explore 5 common herbal supplements for ED, explain the science/ idea of how they should work and how much standardised testing has been done and the drawbacks to use of the medication.
Ginseng
Theory
Ginseng is a root herb common in many parts of Asia and contains 2 active ingredients ginsenoside and ginseng saponins. Both have been reported to have aphrodisiac effects and enhancement of erectile function. The theory is that both of these compounds increase nitric oxide activity which in turn leads to increased blood flow to the penis resulting in better erections.
Standardised Testing
Ginseng is currently the most extensively studied herbal supplement for ED.
There are many animal and human studies looking at the effects of the herb. Most of them are able to demonstrate an improvement in erection quality.
Drawbacks
Although there are human studies on Ginseng, these studies are not consistent in the formulation of ginseng used in the testing. Therefore, while many of these studies will say it does work, it is unclear how much of each compound works best.
L Arginine
Theory
L arginine is a protein that is naturally occurring in the body and is part of the molecular mechanism that drives the erections. Therefore, many have tried to increase the concentration of L-Arginine in the body in order to boost the mechanism that leads to an erection.
Standardised Testing
It is important to note that much of what is understood about L-Arginine is from testing done on animals, therefore the results seen may not be representative of how it may work in humans. There are a few human studies with small study populations of 50 that show a 5g dose of L-arginine for 2 weeks does improve erections.
Drawbacks
Besides the small number of people that L-Arginine has been tested on, the results are also not very convincing. This is because the improvement of erections was calculated with a survey as opposed to blood tests or scans. Therefore, the reported effects can be quite vague as it is based on the subjective “feelings” of the participants in the study after consuming L-Arginine.
Tongkat Ali
Theory
A very popular herb in Asia and has been used by many traditional folk medications to treat erectile dysfunction. It is derived from the Eurycoma longifolia plant that contains several natural chemicals that are thought to increase testosterone and consequently improve the quality of erections.
Standardised Testing
Like L-Arginine, studies on Tongkat Ali focus primarily on animal studies. The few human studies done show modest response, with many of the participants in these studies reporting a 10% improvement in erection quality.
Drawbacks
The key plus about Tongkat Ali is that in the few human studies done, there were no side effects reported. However, this must be interpreted with caution as these studies did not clearly specify the doses used.
Horny Goat Weed
Theory
Another common compound found in many Men’s Health supplements, its name is derived from the effects it has on goats after consuming this herb. The active ingredient in this herb is Icariin. The main source of evidence that Icariin is able to improve erections are historic records from China where it has been used as an aphrodisiac for many years.
Standardised Testing
When tested in the laboratory on cells, Icariin was found to mimic the activity of PDE 5 inhibitors (active ingredient of Cialis and Viagra). When tested on rats, there was an increase in blood flow to the penises when the rats were given Icariin.
Drawbacks
There are no clinical trials of Icariin on humans, so much of the effects reported on the label is primarily derived from Icariin’s effects on cells in a petri dish and laboratory rats.
Maca
Theory
Sometimes referred to as the “Peruvian Ginseng”, Maca is a root that is common in South America. Interestingly, unlike the other herbal remedies, there is no specific compound isolated from this plant that is thought to be the sole driver leading to better erections. Much of the evidence is from historic records with a variety of preparations.
Standardised Testing
Probably because it is a relatively newer herbal ED remedy to come to the mass market, there are no animal studies done on Maca’s effect on erections. There are a handful of studies done on humans, where the entire plant is used and ground into a capsule. The recommended doses in these studies are 2400 mg of maca, which after 12 weeks showed some improvement in erection as reported in surveys by the study participants.
Drawbacks
There is little data on the best way to prepare Maca or how to isolate the active ingredient in the root. Therefore, without knowing which component in the plant is creating the reported effects, it can be difficult to determine how effective Maca truly is.
In summary
There is much interest in using supplements to create better erections. However, because there is no standardised way of processing and testing the active ingredients in these supplements, it is difficult to determine if these supplements are as effective or safe as prescription medications or other medical treatments for ED such as ESWT and PRP.
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