Supplement Detective

Summary: Despite some of the claims, there is little evidence to support a so-called erectile dysfunction vitamin.  There is some evidence for certain vitamins having some beneficial effects but nothing that will likely ‘cure’ a mans sexual problems.

Q: I’ve read that certain vitamins can really benefit erectile dysfunction, but it seems kind of far-fetched to me.  Do you think it’s worth a shot?

A: I hate to be the bearer of bad news but erectile dysfunction can have numerous causes.  Many of which won’t be addressed by either Viagra or some vitamin.

Don’t get me wrong.  Viagra is relatively helpful (but as far as the stats go it isn’t the most effective thing for achieving and maintaining an erection) and there are vitamins that may help…but…

I think it would be unfair for me to come out and tell you that there is an erectile dysfunction vitamin.

Case in point: It’s now known that erectile dysfunction can have numerous causes like vascular, neurogenic, hormonal, drug-related, psychogenic, or a combination of all of them.  And often times the very nature of the disease makes it pretty difficult to treat men because they aren’t very forthcoming about the true underlying cause in patient interviews.

I mean, since the dawn of time this is what really brands you as a man.  And when men start having difficulty in this area they certainly don’t want to admit, or address, the problem.

Does this mean that vitamins can’t help?

No.

I think one of the most critical parts of erectile dysfunction is nutrition.  For example, erectile dysfunction is more common in diabetic men as they usually have chronic high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and that is usually associated with high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia) which can cause, if left untreated, vascular problems.

SIDENOTE: It’s interesting to note that in the men who tend to have the most problems (diabetics with high blood pressure and high cholesterol) is also where the wonderdrug Viagra had the most problems.  That is, these men run the highest risk of experiencing Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION)—a.k.a. a sudden partial blindness.  In fact, CBS News claims that there are concerns now that many of those men (over 100) actually experienced permanent blindness in at least one eye.  Kind of a high price to pay for a good time don’t you think?

And of course, when you have vascular problems that can eventually lead to loss of feeling in the extremities…all the extremities.

Nutrition, exercise and a good supplement can play an absolutely critical role in this process.  But to say that there is an erectile dysfunction vitamin to treat all these problems would be a bit of a stretch.

Some Vitamins That Might Help

Niacin

From the research I’ve done the closest thing I think a man will find to a true erectile dysfunction vitamin is vitamin B-6 or Niacin.  It could have a double whammy it the fact that it can lower cholesterol levels and acts as a vasodilator to the extremities (the “Niacin Flush”).

Regular Niacin has a side effect called the ‘Niacin Flush’ where a vasodilation occurs and the extremities experience a blood rush.  Of course, if you’re just trying to treat high cholesterol this is an unwanted side effect…which is why they normally use an extended-release formulation.

But, in erectile dysfunction this vitamin (the regular form anyways) could theoretically help because of its flushing effect and, if there are vascular problems caused by high cholesterol, it could help here too.

Vitamins C and E

Have been mentioned in erectile dysfunction.  But it is really nothing more than their action as antioxidants which could theoretically help down the line…but…there has been absolutely no scientific data to back this up to my knowledge.

So the old saying holds true:  Most erectile dysfunction problems come back to general lifestyle problems.  Too much stress, lack of sleep, psychological issues, poor nutrition or disease states like diabetes.

Of course, they can all be addressed…but…at the risk of sounding like a broken record: they shouldn’t be treated with a magic pill.  Which is what most people want in this country.

The only problem is that when you get the quick fix and things go wrong then you want to look at other options.

I guess this is why I’m shaking my head about this whole scenario.  We need to reverse it.  We need to look at underlying causes.  Maybe it means marital counseling.  More exercise.  Maybe it means more romance.  Maybe there is too much stress.  Whatever.

There are literally hundreds of possible causes of erectile dysfunction but men always want to turn to the quick fix.  And I can’t blame you.  With what Viagra could do for so many men why would you bother to look for the real cause of the problem?

Well, a lot of men are wanting to look for the real cause now…because they are afraid of going blind.

Looking for an erectile dysfunction vitamin or vitamins is just an extension of this quick fix mentality in my opinion.

Until we recognize that fact it doesn’t matter which little blue pill you take or if you find some supposed magic erectile dysfunction vitamin.  You’re not addressing the root cause of the problem.