Basic body care

Alternatives to Medication for Erectile Dysfunction

Medication for aiding erectile dysfunction is a benefit and a blessing for many men and their partners, but there are alternative methods that work naturally especially if ED is due to restricted blood flow to the penis. As most people know chronic smoking of tobacco, marijuana and using recreational drugs over a period of years can lead to health problems. One of the first alarming signs for a man may be maintaining an erection or impotence during sex. This is because smoking and using the substances mentioned could damage a person’s blood vessels and restricts blood flow to the penis, causing ED.

Consulting a medical doctor is essential to rule out other underlining medical causes for ED, but before filling that prescription for Viagra, Cialis or Levitra, there are a few ideas below to consider.

• The first solution for blood restricted ED is to stop the recreational substance use. ‘Stopping’ will help your entire body beyond ED. Smoking in particular plays a large role in causing ED in men with arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis is several diseases in which the arterial wall thickens and loses its elasticity. Also the bright side to not smoking routinely is you’ll regain a delicious sense of taste and smell that adds to good sex.

• Tests from a medical doctor will show problems that can cause ED, for instance: injury, diabetes, kidney disease, neurological (nerve and brain) diseases, just to name a few. Also discuss testing hormones for imbalance is important. Sexual desire and hormones are closely interwoven in both men and women of all ages.

• Finding a Holistic Medical Physician would be optimal, as many regular medical physicians practice the “quick-fix” cure versus approaching disease prevention and wellness through diet, supplementation and correcting core imbalances by addressing contributing factors. The American Holistic Medical Association has listing of Holistic Medical Physicians that may practice in your area:

http://www.holisticmedicine.org

• Eating a low fat diet of whole, fresh, unrefined, and unprocessed foods will support vascular assurance. Include fruits, especially dark colored berries, vegetables, whole grains, beans, seeds, nuts, omega oils in olive oil and cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, halibut, and mackerel, hormone free dairy products and meats. Limit refined sugar, refined foods, fried foods, junk foods, if possible.

• If you have tested low for the sex hormones testosterone or high levels of prolactin, limit foods that are high in phytoestrogens until your hormone levels normalize, these food are: soy products such as soy beans, soy milk, soy yogurt and tofu, sesame seed and flax seeds or bread. Scientific studies have shown that, ‘chronic exposure of phytoestrogen (for men) may cause receptor-mediated pathophysiologic changes in erectile function, leading to erectile dysfunction.’ 1 On another note, drinking excessive alcohol can hinder or even damage the liver therefore creating hormone imbalances. The liver is the largest filter in the body for processing all hormones and toxins.

Helpful daily supplements to take with the oversight of a medical physician:

Amino acid, L-Arginine - Take 1.7 gram daily, best used in a powder form mixed in juice or water. It reduces blood vessel stiffness promoting its function. L-Arginine helps the body to make nitric oxide. Nitric oxide relaxes muscles surrounding blood vessels whilst increasing blood flow; this improves and maintains the erection process within the penis. L-Arginine should not be used following a heart attack and the side effects may be that it can activate the herpes simplex virus. If this is a problem one should add the amino acid, L-Lysine taken 1000 mg daily, this does the opposite by suppressing the virus. A good quality supplement company for amino acids is International Supplements:

The L-Arginine powder found in their HGH Package or AAKG (L-Arginine) is adequate.

Vitamin C with Bioflavonoid - Take 500 mg 3 - 4 times daily. Bioflavonoid helps Vitamin C to assimilate.

Zinc - Take 30 mg daily.

Selenium - Take 200 mcg daily.

Vitamin E - Take 400 IUs gel capsules daily. Take with meals or milk for assimilation.

Inositol hexaniacinate - Take 1000-3000 mg daily to improve circulation and lower cholesterol (Diabetics should not take this supplement).

Pycnogenol – Take 80 mg daily, it’s an extract from pine bark. This antioxidant stimulates synthesis of nitric oxide from L-Arginine.

-Once satisfactory erections are achieved during sex, you can back off taking the daily L-Arginine supplementation and use it solely when needed.