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| | February 2007 Â | Â Â
Impotence: Natural options for men  
Impotence is defined as the inability of males to achieve erection, ejaculation, or both. This common disorder is also known as erectile dysfunction (ED). It's estimated that over 50% of men aged 40 to 70 have experienced ED - and this number increases with age. It was once thought that most cases were psychological. However, experts now believe that ED is most often a component of an underlying disorder, such as diabetes or other endrocrine system imbalances, kidney disease, and heart disease. Many remedies have been researched for benefits in ED; here are some of the most effective.
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Over 50% of men aged 40 to 70 have experienced erectile dysfunction - and this number increases with age.
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. Muira puma: Also known as potency wood, this herb native to Brazil has long been used as an aphrodisiac and nerve stimulant. In a 1990 study at the Institute of Sexology in Paris, France, a leading researcher on sexual function found muira puma safe and beneficial for improving both sexual desire and inability to attain or maintain an erection. In just two weeks of treatment on 262 patients, 62% reported claimed the herb had a "dynamic" effect on libido and 51% of ED patients reported benefits. Research suggests muira puma works on both psychological and physical aspects of sexual function.
. Ginkgo biloba: Extremely popular for its memory-enhancing properties, gingko is also beneficial for ED due to poor blood flow. In one study, 50% of men taking 60 mg per day of ginkgo regained potency after six months of therapy, even though they had not reacted to penile injections (papaverine). In another, 76% of men taking 200 mg per day of ginkgo reported a positive effect on sexual dysfunction due to medication side effects.
. Maca: While no research shows a direct effect on ED as such, maca is often called "nature's viagara" for its potent effect on sexual desire. In a recent study from Lima, Peru, men aged 21 to 56 years received maca in a dose of 1,500 mg, 3,000 mg or placebo. An improvement in sexual desire was observed with maca at 8 weeks of treatment. Other studies report increases in seminal volume and sperm motility with maca.
. L-arginine: This amino acid is necessary for the dilation of blood vessels that creates a normal erection. In a preliminary trial, 15 men with ED were given L-arginine for two weeks. Six of the men were helped, though none improved on placebo. In a larger trial,
L-arginine was found effective at improving ED in men with abnormal nitric oxide (NO) metabolism. NO is often depleted by stress.
Other nutrients and herbs considered beneficial for sexual and reproductive health in males include the mineral zinc and the herbs ashwaganda, Coleus forskohlii, pygeum, damiana and ginseng. Many of these may be found in combination products.
Vitamin D may prevent colds & flu Â
Could a lack of sunlight in the dim winter months be the reason we tend to be infected with more cold and flu viruses at this time of year? Some researchers think so. While the importance of vitamin D for calcium absorption and healthy bones is widely known, a new benefit is coming to light: the role of vitamin D in fighting common infections.
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Cod liver oil or vitamin D supplements can help reduce winter ills, say researchers.
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New research indicates that higher levels of vitamin D in the body trigger the production of anti-infective proteins, which can kill viruses, fungi and bacteria. Interestingly, vitamin D raises the levels of a specific anti-infective protein called LL37 in our skin and white blood cells, and the gene that codes for LL37 has vitamin D receptor sites.
Sunlight boosts the body's vitamin D production, and because our sun exposure during winter is greatly reduced, vitamin D deficiency at this time is common. Vitamin D deficiency predisposes children to respiratory infections; and researchers say cod liver oil, which contains vitamin D, reduces the incidence of such infections. So does ultraviolet radiation, whether from sunlight or artificial sources.
Apart from cod liver oil, vitamin D is included in many multivitamin formulations and is available alone in capsule, tablet and liquid forms.
Fatty acid protects from Alzheimer's Â
A fatty acid called DHA could reduce our risk of dementia including Alzheimer's disease.
DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, is found mostly in fatty fish and also available in supplement form. In our bodies, it is abundant in the brain but people with dementia have decreased brain and plasma DHA levels.
Researchers in the Framingham Heart Study wanted to find out if levels of DHA present in the body are associated with the risk of developing dementia. They studied 899 men and women who were dementia-free at the outset and had a median age of 76 years. During the follow-up period of about nine years, 99 new cases of dementia including 71 of Alzheimer's disease developed.
After analyzing the data, researchers found that those with the highest plasma levels of DHA had a significant 47% reduction in the risk of dementia from any cause, and a 39% reduction in risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
B vitamins drive physical performance Â
A deficiency of B vitamins may hamper athletic performance, recent research indicates. After analyzing the performance of athletes as well as less competitive individuals, researcher Melinda Manore of Oregon State University concluded that active individuals lacking in B vitamins may perform worse during high-intensity exercise than counterparts with nutrient-rich diets.
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Many athletes are not aware of the impact nutrition has on performance, says one researcher.
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The B vitamins, which include thiamin, riboflavin, vitamins B6, B12 and folate, are used in the body's conversion of proteins and sugars into energy, and in the production and repair of cells.
Athletes who restrict calories or limit food groups out of a desire to maintain a low body weight (eg, for sports such as gymnastics and wrestling) have an increased chance of deficiency, Manore said.
B vitamins are found in whole and enriched grains, dark green vegetables, nuts and many animal and dairy products, but Manore recommends that athletes and individuals with poor or restricted diets consider taking a multivitamin supplement.
"Many athletes, especially young athletes involved in highly competitive sports, do not realize the impact their diets have on their performance," Manore said. "By the time they reach adulthood they can have seriously jeopardized their abilities and their long-term health."
Improve heart health with green tea Â
Drinking green tea can help protect against cardiovascular disease by reducing cholesterol levels, new research suggests. In one study involving 29 subjects, participants drank 1 L of water daily for three weeks, then 1 L of green tea daily for four weeks. After drinking green tea each day, the subjects' blood cholesterol levels had dropped significantly, particularly LDL ("bad") cholesterol, while HDL ("good") cholesterol levels increased. The researchers concluded that "drinking green tea has a beneficial effect protecting against the risk for cardiovascular disease by improving blood lipid levels."
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Drinking green tea may protect against heart disease by improving cholesterol status.
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Japanese and Taiwanese researchers in another study found that drinking a cup of polyphenol-enriched oolong tea with a high fat meal may increase the amount of cholesterol excreted by the body by half. Oolong is a traditional Chinese tea, midway between green and black tea in terms of its oxidation levels.
The scientists randomly divided 12 healthy adults into two groups, one of which received 38 g of fat from potato chips (19 g within 30 minutes of eating lunch and dinner) and 750 ml of a placebo- or polyphenol-enriched oolong tea at three meals per day. A seven-day washout period separated the 10-day test periods.-BREAKAfter analyzing periodic blood and fecal samples, researchers found that the polyphenol-enriched oolong tea period was associated with a 50% increase in cholesterol excretion. Larger studies are needed, as is research into how polyphenols reduce fat absorption.
Ginkgo reduces ovarian cancer risk Â
Regular use of the herb ginkgo biloba may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by up to 67%, according to US researchers. They studied both human epidemiological and laboratory data. Among a group of 721 controls and 668 ovarian cancer patients, 4.2% of the controls compared to 1.6% of the cases regularly used ginkgo biloba. The researchers also found that regular use of ginkgo was associated with a 59% reduced risk of ovarian cancer , and in case of non-mucinous types of ovarian cancer, the risk reduction rose to 67%.
In the lab, the researchers tested ginkgo extract and its components (quercetin and ginkgolide A and B) against cancer cells and discovered "significant anti-proliferative effects (approximately 40%) in serous ovarian cancer cells."
They concluded that the data "provide supportive evidence for further studies of the chemopreventive or therapeutic effects of ginkgo and ginkgolides on ovarian cancer."
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