Introduction
Erectile dysfunction, commonly referred to as "ED", is an issue that has been a plague on mankind for hundreds of years. Erectile dysfunction is defined by difficulty getting and keeping an erection, and has been reported that more than half of men between 40 and 70 have experienced ED in some way before. When I first heard of this affliction years ago I thought it sounded like absolute hell, and boy was I right. With this affecting such a large demographic, it's not surprising that people have turned to alternative treatments in hopes to restore their virility. Early attempts to reverse erectile dysfunction started with the 8th century Roman and Greek men, who would wear talismans of rooster and goat genitalia around their necks as an aphrodisiac. Luckily for us men nowadays, we have much more discreet and effective alternative treatments, such as asian red ginseng, epimedium leaf extract, and saw palmetto berry. In the following blog we'll go over what causes ED in men, alternative treatments for ED, along with going over what ingredients to look out for and how they'll benefit your journey to increased virility.
Understanding Erectile Dysfunction
As previously stated, Erectile Dysfunction is a type of sexual dysfunction which affects the ability to become or stay erect. ED is a complex issue, and can have many different causes both physical and physiological. Common physical causes of ED can be heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, tobacco and alcohol use, low testosterone, and even some prescribed medications may affect the ability to maintain an erection. In most of these cases, simply leading a healthier, more active lifestyle can have a huge effect in helping treat ED. On the other hand, there are certain psychological conditions that can cause ED, such as depression and anxiety, stress, or even relationship problems. There are various risk factors to be on the lookout for that may make you more susceptible to ED, these include:
- Cardiovascular medical conditions: heart disease, high cholesterol or blood pressure, and clogged blood vessels to name a few
- Diabetes: improving blood sugar levels helps prevent damage that could lead to erectile dysfunction
- Tobacco use: regular tobacco use restricts blood flow to veins and arteries, which could eventually cause chronic issues that lead to ED
- Obesity: obesity can be a significant factor in perpetuating ED by causing damage to blood vessels, a decrease in testosterone, and causing generalized inflammation of the body
These are just a few of the many physical risk factors that can be a root cause of ED. As a general rule of thumb, any condition that affects the flow of blood has a chance to cause ED. As previously stated, ED can be just as much a mental problem as a physical one. Some psychological risk factors are as follows:
Stress: high stress levels can very easily lead to ED, which in turn can lead to even higher levels of stress creating a nasty negative feedback loop
Anxiety: described best as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, can lead to issues performing in the bedroom. Similar to high stress levels, this not only can be a cause ED, but potentially make it even worse
Depression: Triggers imbalanced brain chemicals, affecting the ability to remain erect, or even diminishes the desire to partake in sexual activities completely
A very important concept to keep in mind, is how erectile dysfunction affects a man's mental psyche. Impotence can very easily lead to a myriad of other mental health and relationship issues. One critical thing to note about the relation between psychological risk factors and ED, is that many of them are interrelated. Mental health conditions and erectile dysfunction go hand in hand, compounding on one another. For example, depression can cause ED which in turn can lead to sexual frustration, that sexual frustration causes even greater depression and so on. A vicious cycle, plaguing men everywhere.
Alternative Methods to Treat Erectile Dysfunction
In the annals of history there are countless mentions of erectile dysfunction (often referred to as impotence) and their alternative methods to get rid of it. A few examples are the aforementioned Romans and their talismans, or the 13th century treatment of ingesting roasted wolf penis suggested by Albertus Magnus. Nowadays, humanity has found less obscene ways to treat ED, but it's still worth taking a look at the history briefly to see how far we've come.
We'll start in the late 16th century in France, where male impotence was considered a crime. As well as not only being a criminal matter, it was also legal grounds for a divorce! Fast forward to the 1800s where Vincent Marie Mondat invents the world's very first vacuum penis pump, a device that is still in use today by some folks. Closer to the modern age, in the 1920s and 1930s John R. Brinkley had radio commercials suggesting men to obtain expensive goat gland implants to restore male virility. It wasn't until 1983 that ED treatment made a considerable advancement due in huge part to Giles Brindley. Fun fact, to show how effective Brindley's drug was for curing impotence, he dropped his trousers in front of the Urodynamics Society audience with his erect member on full display. He had injected papaverine into his penis, and his research helped in great part to develop a safe and orally effective ED treatment.
Now that we have a rudimental understanding of the history of impotence, we can go into further detail about what really matters: modern day alternative treatments. Due to the continued research and development, nowadays it's very easy and affordable to treat erectile dysfunction. One brand that has been a huge advocate for ED treatment is VigRX Plus, who claim to be "The World's Leading Male Enhancement Product", a claim backed up by an impressive list of credentials. This product contains many naturally occurring ingredients and has even had a clinical study completed; impressive in the alternative treatment world! The results of said clinical study are arguably even more impressive than the study itself, showcasing an increase in sex drive, ability to maintain an erection, and even an increase in overall sex desire among other things. In the next section, we will be going over how VigRX Plus' ingredients support a natural boost to libido.
Beneficial Herbs and Supplements to Treat Erectile Dysfunction
Treating erectile dysfunction is easier when you know what kind of herbs and supplements to look out for, and which to avoid. When looking for a treatment for ED, seek the following ingredients:
- Damiana: A plant with bright yellow flowers, it has been used as a medicine since the Mayans walked the Earth. Used for centuries as an aphrodisiac, Damiana promotes oxygen supply and increases blood flow to the penis
- Epimedium Leaf Extract: Commonly known as "horny goat weed", is said to contain flavonoids which have antioxidant properties. Epimedium also reportedly helps increase testosterone through the transport of nitric oxide
- Asian Red Ginseng: Another ingredient that has been used by our ancestors, ginseng has been shown in studies to potentially promote blood flow
- Muira Pauma Bark Extract: Native to the Amazon rainforest, this plant's name roughly translates to "potency wood". A fitting name for an alternative treatment to ED.
- Hawthorn Berry: Beneficial to cardiovascular health, these bright red berries contain antioxidants and bioflavonoids, stimulating blood flow to your penis to hopefully maintain and prolong your erection
- Catuaba Bark Extract: Indigenous to South America, many men have used this bark extract to increase sexual desire and appetite. This is achieved by three alkoloids (catuabine A, B, and C) that enable better sexual function through good sleep, less fatigue, and eliminate nervousness
- Saw Palmetto: A North America native, saw palmetto has been used for hundreds of years to positively impact the testosterone pathways.
- Ginkgo Biloba: Containing strong antioxidant properties, gingko biloba is an ancient Chinese herb which increases blood flow to the brain and nervous system, potentially increasing the quality of your erection
- Bioperine: Though bioperine isn't inherently beneficial, it does allow your body to better absorb vital nutrients and minerals in a more efficient manner.
Looking at that list, even I'm intimidated by all those options. Fortunately for you, the previously mentioned VigRX Plus contains all of those ingredients in an easy to swallow pill format. No need to shop around and place a bunch of different orders, all the best alternative treatments for erectile dysfunction can be found in one place. You might be asking yourself, "How effective is that stuff really?". I'll use the previously mentioned VigRX Plus to demonstrate. According to a clinical study performed in 2010 for VigRX Plus, participants saw the following increases:
- 97% increase in the ability to penetrate their partner
- 43% increase in sexual and intercourse satisfaction
- 47% increase in overall sex drive and desire
- 82% increase in the ability to maintain an erection
- 49% increase in frequency and quality of orgasms
- 61% increase in overall sexual desire
Those are some impressive numbers, and I hope it's opened your eyes to the wonderful world of alternative treatments for ED. But wait, there's more! To get the most out of VigRX Plus, there are some changes to your diet that will enable the supplements to be even more effective. In the following section I will be going over how you can modify your diet to benefit the most from alternative treatments like VigRX Plus.
Foods That Harm the Effectiveness of Alternative Treatments
I, like most people, love food. Unfortunately not everything we're putting into our bodies on a daily basis is good for us, and can be the host of a lot of health problems. It's no different with erectile dysfunction, what we choose to cut out of our diet is just as important as what we choose to put in. The following is a list of foods that you should be looking to remove from your diet, as they can hinder the effectiveness of alternative treatments for erectile dysfunction:
Fried Food: High in saturated fat, leading to high cholesterol and heart disease which can both be root causes of ED
Red meat: Similar to fried food, red meat is high in saturated fat which can be a precursor to high cholesterol
High sodium food: Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, which is linked to ED
Alcohol: Not only does alcohol make it harder to maintain an erection while drunk, commonly referred to as "whiskey dick", but long-term alcohol use can lead to damaged nerves and blood vessels
It's important to note that along with cutting these foods and substances out of your diet, maintaining a healthy weight is imperative to a healthy heart, and therefore a healthy functioning penis.
Foods That Aid the Effectiveness of Alternative Treatments
On the flip side, there are plenty of good foods to add to your diet that will assist the efficacy of alternative treatments. Essentially, any diet that is deemed "healthy" would at the very least not cause your ED to get worse. Throughout my research, I noticed one diet kept getting mentioned constantly: the Mediterranean diet. This diet is characterized by an intake of mainly fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and seeds. This diet supplies plenty of health benefits alongside aiding the recovery of ED.
Conclusion About Alternative Treatments for E.D.
As you can see, erectile dysfunction doesn't mark the end of your sex life. Over the course of this blog, I briefly went over the history of erectile dysfunction and it's treatments, modern day alternative treatments for ED, and how making changes to your diet may aid the effectiveness of alternative treatments. Alternative treatments for ED might be the one thing you've been looking for, and you've come this far on your journey, why stop now. If you're experiencing erectile dysfunction, I recommend you head on over to VigRXPlus.com where you can find the world's leading natural male enhancement product, along with testimonials from satisfied customers, and their 56 page clinical study.
