Supplement Detective

By Curtis Alexander, Pharm.D.

Summary: Claims regarding so-called sexual vitamins are all over the internet and magazines.  The evidence for most of them is pretty shallow.  However, there are some vitamins that might help and have evidence to back up their use.

Q: It seems so harmless to try vitamins as a way to improve sexual function.  But I see the ads on the internet and on TV claiming that it’s a natural remedy.  I’m not naive but maybe they are worth a try?

A: Since the introduction of the ‘little blue pill’ everyone wants to capitalize on the lucrative sexual performance market.  But what if you don’t have the time to try and sit down and sift through all the hype and marketing gimmicks to find the truth?  What if you are one of those guys (or a concerned or curious) women who just wants to know…

Can vitamins really improve or enhance sex?

In this article I’m going to do the leg work for you and find out if there really are any true sexual vitamins.  I’ll do this by presenting scientific evidence, not marketing hype.  Which, by the way, is probably all you would find if you tried to search for sexual vitamins on your own.

Oh, by the way, this article is not based on personal experience.  Everything is just fine in our household as far as that is concerned.  But I thought I better clear that up before we get started.

Sexual vitamins are pretty rare…

First of all, most sexual vitamin formulations are not vitamins per say.  They are a mixture of various compounds.  Herbs, minerals, and vitamins.  You should pay attention to this because just like anything you can experience side effects from these compounds.  Granted, you are a lot better off taking these than some prescription medication, but always research other compounds before you get started.

Another thing, a lot of these formulations are like multivitamins and contain many compounds because one of the biggest complaints when it comes to sex, and particularly as people age, is lack of energy.

And, as we’ve discussed before, taking a good multivitamin along with an improved diet and exercise program can vastly improve your energy levels.  Which has an improved effect on sexual desire and performance.

But what about specific sexual vitamins?

In my research there are two viable sexual vitamins that not only show promise but have scientific evidence to back up their claims.

Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B-5).

This is one of those B-vitamins you don’t hear a whole lot about.  But it has several crucial functions in our body.  Not the least of which is it’s role in helping make the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine (Ach) <1>.  This neurotransmitter is a key component in energy production.

How does this make it a sexual vitamin?

We know that Ach is also involved in the build-up towards orgasms in both men and women.  It is also involved in the contractions that occur in the urethra and vagina during orgasm.<2>

So, it makes since that by giving Pantothenic Acid and increasing the amounts of Ach you can increase/improve orgasms or prolong energy.

One question unanswered…

Despite this, there are no proven studies to show that Pantothenic Acid actually does these things.  It’s basically a theory.  But there are many anecdotal reports of people using Pantothenic Acid with good results.  Not the least of which is increased sexual stamina and overall pleasure.  Besides that, it appears to be very safe to use.

That’s because Pantothenic Acid has been used in doses of 10,000mg/day (10grams) without any serious side effects.  The most likely side effect would be diarrhea.  And most formulations that contain Vitamin B-5 have amounts that would not even exceed 1000mg/day (1gram).

Niacin (Vitamin B-3)

Niacin has been around for a long time for use as a cholesterol-lowering agent.  However, some people cannot tolerate it’s side effect–a sunburn like redness and itching from the dilation of blood vessels.  This side effect has been cleverly called the “Niacin Flush”.

This side effect, is exactly where Niacin can come in quite handy as a sexual vitamin.

That is because for men and women a big part of the sexual experience is increased blood flow to the ‘pleasure centers’.  When you take Niacin the flushing (read: blood vessel dilation) starts at the trunk and then progresses to the extremities…all the extremities.

A couple of points to keep in mind:

1. Make sure you take the plain form of Niacin.  Don’t use niacinamide or inositol hexanicotinate.  That is because the plain form of Niacin is what really causes this flush.
2. Oh, and just in case you are a little concerned, this flushing is not permanent.  It only lasts for a little while.  Which is both good and bad.  So if you want to try to use Niacin as a sexual vitamin you probably should take it 15-20 minutes before sex and then don’t expect it to last much more than 20 minutes into the act.

So it does take the spontaneity out of it…but so does the little blue pill.

Most plain Niacin supplements come in a 100mg or more strength.  So, you may want to just start with ¼ to ½ tablet and see what kind of results you get.

Warning: Some people cannot tolerate the flushing side effect and you should always consult your physician before taking Niacin because it does effect other blood vessels in the body, including your heart.  So refer to the disclaimer at the bottom.

Conclusion

As people are becoming more aware of the side effects of prescription drugs and  are looking for safer, saner alternatives like vitamins the research is expanding.

But for the time being always remember the point we made above about sexual vitamins.  A lot of sexual problems just come down to either psychological or physical.  Both of these can be addressed in good part by an overall healthy lifestyle.  So start with the big three; improve your diet, start becoming active and take a good multivitamin.

Not only will this help your health but you will probably notice that you have much more energy than before.  Which usually equates to a better sex life.

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.