The famous blue pills, marketed since 1998, were (and are) a ray of hope; nevertheless, its possible side effects, its high price and, why not say it, the embarrassment that it means for some to go to buy them, make that sometimes the solution is sought away from pharmacology. And here comes the good news: yes, there are natural remedies to forget about persistent sagging. These are the recommendations of the experts.
1. Consume (much) olive oil
Increase the consumption of "liquid gold", fruits, vegetables, pasta ... and everything that encompasses the applauded Mediterranean diet. It is good for the heart and, precisely, cardiovascular disorders are behind many episodes of ED, in which impotence is not the disease but the symptom. "80% of cases of erectile dysfunction are caused by vascular problems," said Greek doctor Athanasios Angelis at a congress of the European Society of Cardiology, held on December 2014 in Austria. Keeping blood pressure and cholesterol at bay will improve your sexual activity. "The testosterone in fat will become female hormones, and cholesterol decreases the blood flow that reaches the penis," warns Dr. Natalio Cruz, national coordinator of the Andrology Group of the Spanish Association of Urology (AEU).
2. Turn off the cigarette
Men who smoke have a higher risk of being affected by ED, and the more cigarettes they smoke, the greater the risk. That supports a 2007 study from the University of Tulane (Louisiana, USA). The analysis, based on a survey of more than 7,000 men in China between 2000 and 2001, added that 22.7% of cases of dysfunction in that country were attributable to tobacco use.
3. Move (but not by bike)
If you have an erection problem, do not lie on the couch. The sport will improve your blood circulation and, therefore, your performance. "With exercise, we will get our vascular tree to be prepared to bring blood to all organs, including the penis," explains Dr. Cruz. Any discipline is good, except cycling. “Saddles traumatize the perineum, and arteries that carry blood to the penis are damaged. They even create that feeling of numbness in the glans that some cyclists have, ”he emphasizes.
4. Give the herbalist a chance
Arginine is an amino acid that increases the blood flow necessary for sexual intercourse. This is stated by medical writer Victoria Dolby Toews in her book Sexual Power (Ed. Nowtilus). Arginine is found in protein-rich foods such as soybeans, brown rice, chicken, nuts and dairy products; and, of course, in a lot of herbal jars. This specialist recommends taking two to five grams of arginine at night or an hour before sexual intercourse.
The same author states that some plants have aphrodisiac powers: they increase desire and potency. He cites half a dozen, among which the Yohimbe, the ginkgo and, of course, ginseng; extracts that activate blood flow in general (some are not recommended for hypertensive patients). "Ginseng," says Victoria Dolby Toews in her book, "drives the production of sex-related hormones, such as testosterone."
5. Relax: meditate
Stress is responsible for many health disorders, also of ED. And not only that: impotence can generate stress to the sufferer, so it is a vicious circle. “Stress involves an adrenaline rush and it closes the arteries that reach the penis; in a state of stress nobody can have an erection, ”says Dr. Natalio Cruz.
Try to get away from anxiety: relax, practice breathing exercises regularly, try to disconnect from work and relativize problems. Check how your mood is lifted.
6. Make love a lot
It is clear that this is a preventive measure: if you cannot do it, how on earth will you repeat? However, scientists from Tampere University Hospital (Finland) showed in 2008 that men who have more frequent relationships are less likely to suffer from this problem. In other words, the more sex, the less erectile dysfunction. Going into detail, they discovered that the problem had an incidence of 7.9% in men who had sex less than once a week, 3.2% in those who did it once a week and 1.6% among those athletes sexually practiced three or more times every seven days.
In short, it is about taking care of your lifestyle, as a study from the University of Adelaide (Australia) shone last year, which with this amazing headline drew attention: "Erectile dysfunction can be cured without medication." "How?" Millions of desperate men around the world wondered. What the experts proposed was not so difficult to fulfill (or yes, as you look): improve our weight and take care of nutrition, do more sports, drink less alcohol, sleep better at night and identify risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension or cholesterol 29% of the men analyzed managed to overcome impotence with healthier habits.
