Can Supplements Help Your Sex Life?

Supplements often target erection problems, which can happen for many medical reasons, including some medications for high blood pressure or depression.

“The solution is probably a discussion with your physician about whether there are alternatives to your medication that will help,” says Josephine Briggs, MD, director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

Your doctor can also let you know if it would help to work on your diet, exercise, and weight. 

If you want to give supplements a try, ask your doctor if these would be OK for you.

L-arginine is an amino acid, which are the building blocks of protein. In your body, it turns into nitric oxide. In one study, about one-third of men who took 5 grams of it per day for 6 weeks had improved erections.

“Erectile dysfunction is caused in part by [poor] penile circulation. Nitric oxide causes blood vessels to dilate [widen], so there’s some rationale for L-arginine perhaps having some effect,” Briggs says.

The supplement can cause belly pain, bloating, diarrhea, and other side effects.

Propionyl-L-carnitine: Your body makes this amino acid. It’s important for metabolism.  As a supplement, it might help make sildenafil (Viagra) more effective for men with diabetes and erectile dysfunction. One study tested that idea in men who had tried sildenafil at least eight times with no luck. When they added 2 grams of propionyl-L-carnitine per day to their plan, they got results. 

“Carnitine does improve blood flow,” Fugh-Berman says. “It’s also been tested in men with Peyronie’s disease, which is a bent penis disease. L-carnitine reduced pain and seemed to make the disease progress more slowly.”

Side effects can include chest pain, nausea, vomiting, and stomach upset. It can also make your sweat and urine smell fishy.

Niacin is a B vitamin that raises your "good" cholesterol level. In one study, men with high cholesterol and moderate to severe ED who took 1,500 milligrams of niacin for 12 weeks saw improvements.

Be careful, though. High doses -- 3 grams per day or more -- can harm your liver and cause heart, blood pressure, and urinary problems.

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/prevention-15/vitamins/sex-drive-supplements?page=2

What Is L-Arginine?

L-arginine is an amino acid that helps make proteins. It also becomes the gas nitric oxide (NO) in the body. NO is important to erectile function because this gas helps blood vessels relax so more oxygen-rich blood can circulate through your arteries. Healthy blood flow to the arteries of the penis is essential for normal erectile function.

Part 3 of 5: Effectiveness

Effectiveness of L-Arginine

L-arginine has been studied extensively as a possible treatment for ED and many other conditions. The results suggest that the supplement, though generally safe and well-tolerated by most men, won’t help restore healthy erectile function. The Mayo Clinic gives L-arginine a C grade when it comes to scientific evidence of successful ED treatment. However, L-arginine is often combined with other supplements, which have different results.

L-arginine and Yohimbine Hydrochloride

Yohimbine hydrochloride is an approved treatment for ED. The combination of L-arginine and yohimbine hydrochloride has shown some promise. However, the study showed that the treatment is only for mild to moderate ED.

Did You Know?

Because it can help blood vessels relax, L-arginine seems to be helpful as part of a broader treatment for heart disease.

L-arginine and Pycnogenol

While L-arginine alone may not treat your ED, the combination of L-arginine and an herbal supplement called pycnogenol may help. A study in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy found that the use of L-arginine and pycnogenol supplements helped a significant number of men ages 25 to 45 with ED achieve normal erections without side effects.

Pycnogenol is a trademark name for a supplement taken from the pine bark of a tree called the Pinus pinaster. Other ingredients may include extracts from peanut skin, grape seed, and witch hazel bark.

Part 4 of 5: Side Effects

Side Effects

Like any medication or supplement, L-arginine has several potential side effects. They include:

• increase bleeding risk
• unhealthy imbalance of potassium in the body
• affect blood sugar levels

You should be careful about taking L-arginine if you’re also taking established prescription ED drugs, such as sildenafil (Viagra) or tadalafil (Cialis). L-arginine may cause your blood pressure to drop, so if you have low blood pressure or take medications to control your blood pressure, you should avoid L-arginine or at least consult a physician before trying it.

Part 5 of 5: Speak with Your Doctor

Speak with Your Doctor

You should talk to your doctor if you’re experiencing symptoms of ED. In many cases, ED has an underlying medical cause. And for many men, stress and relationship woes are also a factor.

Before taking medications or supplements consider trying home remedies to improve erectile function. If you’re overweight or obese, losing weight through regular exercise and a healthy diet may help. If you smoke, quit. Smoking damages blood vessels, so quit as soon as you can. Your doctor can recommend products and programs that are proven to help people quit smoking and avoid relapses.

Erectile Dysfunction: Can Foods and Diet Help?

ED is treatable with prescription medications that are taken by millions of men with few if any side effects. Have an open conversation with your doctor or a urologist about ED in order to get help and to see if your ED could be a symptom of another condition that needs your attention.

http://www.healthline.com/health/erectile-dysfunction/l-arginine#SpeakwithYourDoctor5

L-Arginine, the Prosexual Nutrient with Numerous Health Benefits

It's the disorder no one wants to talk about, yet according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, 43% of women and 31% of men suffer from sexual dysfunction.1 Sexual dysfunction is broadly defined as the inability to fully enjoy sexual intercourse. Women generally experience it as a loss of libido (sexual drive) and/or the inability or difficulty in achieving an orgasm. Men experience it as impotence, known technically as erectile dysfunction.

Based on hundreds of studies, L-arginine, an essential amino acid and one of the building blocks of proteins in the body, has become known as a safe and effective prosexual nutrient for men and women.

Here's why

L-Arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide (NO) in the human body. In the 1990s, scientists discovered that not only is NO an essential compound that helps blood circulation, but it is important to normal sexual function in both men and women. Without arginine there would be no NO, and without NO, men would not be able to have erections.

How L-Arginine works

Insufficient blood flow is a major cause of incomplete erection in men.

L-Arginine has been shown to improve blood flow to the genital area by dilating blood vessels and helping the penis to enlarge to its full capacity, thus increasing the size, hardness, and frequency of erections.

Nutritional expert, Dr. Jonathan Wright, explains the mechanism in men: "Molecules of NO are generated when an enzyme called NO synthase (NOS)—which is abundant in the nerve and muscle cells in and around the penis—strips away a nitrogen atom (N) from a passing molecule of the amino acid L-Arginine … and combines it with an atom of oxygen (O)." 2 

In other words, in order to produce nitric oxide in the body, a nitrogen atom must combine with an oxygen molecule in the blood. The enzyme called nitric oxide synthase controls this reaction.

L-Arginine has a similar effect in women

Higher blood flow makes clitoral and vaginal tissues more sensitive and responsive to sexual stimulation and helps increase the possibility of reaching orgasm. Although there haven't been nearly as many studies done on arginine supplementation in women as in men, one study found that postmenopausal women who took a supplement including L-Arginine experienced heightened sexual response.3 

Another study involving 77 women of all ages found that after four weeks, 73.5% of the women who took a supplement including L-Arginine experienced greater sexual satisfaction, including heightened desire and clitoral sensation, frequency of intercourse and orgasm, and less vaginal dryness.4

Stronger libido ... greater endurance

Both men and women report that L-Arginine seems to increase their libido or desire for sex, and some also report that L-Arginine gives them greater endurance and stronger, more powerful orgasms. Reports also suggest that L-Arginine supplements can improve fertility in men who have low sperm counts or poor sperm motility (activity).

Scientific studies

The powerful effect of L-Arginine was illustrated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the British Journal of Urology International in which researchers evaluated the nitric oxide levels of 50 men with erectile dysfunction. The men were given either L-Arginine or a placebo for six weeks. Nine of the 29 men (31%) given L-Arginine reported a significant improvement in their sexual performance. These nine men had low nitric oxide levels at the start of the trial, but their levels doubled by the end of the study.5

It is important to note, however, that erectile dysfunction can be caused by a variety of factors, including aging, diabetes and other endocrine disorders. L-Arginine may be effective only in those men whose erectile dysfunction is due to low levels of nitric oxide. In fact, in one study in which the participants suffered from impotence for a variety of reasons, L-Arginine was found to be effective in only 17% of the patients.6 However, optimal nitric oxide production will ensure optimum erectile function, and for many people with sexual dysfunction not related to an underlying disease, arginine supplements will ensure adequate nitric oxide levels.

Animal studies

Studies done on animals provide some evidence for effectiveness as well. In a laboratory study, two groups of rats were given free access to L-Arginine which was dissolved in their drinking water. Both groups had greater serum and penile concentrations of arginine, and exhibited a significant increase in intra-penile pressure or "hardness."

Serum and penile tissue levels of L-Arginine in the treated rats were increased by 64 - 148% compared to control animals. The penile nitric oxide levels also increased nearly 100% in the L-Arginine treated groups compared to the control groups. The researchers concluded that these data support the use of dietary supplements for treatment of erectile dysfunction.7

The positive benefits of arginine go beyond sexual enhancement

This remarkable amino acid helps build muscle mass, enhance immune function, improve blood pressure, increase memory, and speed wound healing.8910 Arginine-derived nitric oxide has also been found to play a supporting role in the cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems and has been validated by hundreds of studies.

L-Arginine is essential to several systems in the body. Among its many roles, L-Arginine:

Is a precursor of nitric oxide (NO)

Promotes circulation resulting in improved blood flow

Stimulates the release of growth hormone

Improves immune function

Reduces healing time of injuries

Plays a role in the formation of bone and tendons

Increases muscle mass, while reducing body fat

Supports male fertility, improving sperm production and motility

Reduces risk of blood clots and stroke1112

Supports normal blood pressure13

Improves vascular function for patients with angina14

Helps recovery after heart attack15

Helps prevent and treat cardiovascular disease16

Helps reduce growth of cancerous tumors17

Timing and contraindications

L-Arginine users say they can achieve a prosexual effect by taking it 45 minutes before sex. There are few reported side effects. The most notable is:

People with herpes - L-Arginine may increase the severity of outbreaks, but some reports indicate that it may also enhance your immune function enough so you are less likely to get herpes outbreaks.

L-Arginine is an excellent supplement for anyone wanting to increase his or her sexual arousal, improve performance, and overall health. The huge advantage this natural and safe supplement has over Viagra is that both men and women can take it, it's considerably less expensive (Viagra costs as much as $10 a pill!), and it's been proven to work in numerous double-blind studies.

 http://www.smart-publications.com/articles/l-arginine-the-prosexual-nutrient-with-numerous-health-benefits

VESTIGE L-ARGININE

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