There’s no shortage of “natural” penis pills for sale. How much is snake oil and how much is actual snake? Much of what is advertised is misleading and some is even dangerous. Instead of stretching your schlong, these products are often just pulling your leg. Many dick pills are neither all of what they claim to be nor natural. In fact, about 8 of 10 erection supplements that claim to be “natural” formulas have pharmaceutical grade drugs in them like Viagra or Cialis, but often from a counterfeit source which may be produced in in unsanitary conditions and may be contaminated with other prescription meds, heavy metals and other toxins. When scientifically tested, less than 50% are found to contain the primary ingredient they are touting, and over half have ingredients that aren’t even listed on the bottle. About a third are made of just fillers and, many have ingredients that cannot be chemically identified. Less than 10% of brands tested use completely authentic ingredients.
Some supplements do increase blood flow and enhance erections. After all many medications we get from the pharmacy originated from some natural source. The following is a review of the most commonly used supplements that do seem to have some “snake” in them after all.
- Ginseng: Red Korean Ginseng has been studied the most. It seems to work by increasing NO in the penis. NO is the molecule that gets released into the penis during an erection. This molecule causes the blood vessels in the penis to open up wide allowing the penis to fill up and become erect. Prescription medications like Viagra work simply by making the effects of the NO last longer.
- Horny Goat Weed: Legend has it that a goat herder noticed his goats getting more sexually aroused. The active ingredient is icariin and the way it works is similar to prescription penis pills, enhancing the effects of NO. Unfortunately, very little of the active ingredient gets absorbed into the blood stream.
- Yohimbine: This substance increases NO in the blood vessels and also blocks nerve signals that can shut down an erection. There is also some activity in the brain that is not fully understood but may cause an increase in libido. It may interact negatively with some blood pressure medications and some antidepressants. People with kidney problems should avoid yohimbine.
- Maca Root: The active ingredients include polyphenols which are a class of plant molecules known to increase NO in the blood vessels of the penis. I also may mildly increase sexual desire, but it does not bump up testosterone, so the increase in libido is due to some other cause.
- L-Citrulline: This amino acid is converted to L-Arginine in the kidney. L-Arginine is the key molecule that gets converted into NO. Simply swallowing L-Arginine is not very effective because it gets blocked from being absorbed by normal bacteria in the intestine and it is broken down by the liver.
- Revactin: Ginger has been shown to increase NO production up to 20 times more potently than other leading nutritional supplements. A variety of plants from the Amazon are touted to improve sexual function and energy potentially through some mechanism that boosts NO as well. Two of the more renowned are Gurana and Muira Puima. Research on rats and human penis tissue demonstrated that combining ginger, Guarana and Muira Puama with L-Citrulline, an amino acid that ultimately provides the “N” in “NO”, boosts NO production in the blood vessels of the penis as much as Cialis. Not only is NO “pro boner” but it’s also “anti-aging”, protecting the mitochondria of the cells of the blood vessels. Experiments show that Revactin also prevents and even reverses aging of the rat penis. Preclinical studies revealed it to statistically improve erections for men who take it for at least 1 month.
If you are not sure what pill may be right for you, discuss your doctor or choose supplements that have science behind them. Look for products that have been proven to boost NO and that have been studied for safety.
Photo by Charles Deluvio 🇵🇭🇨🇦 on Unsplash
Aaron Spitz, MD, is a leading expert in male sexual health and fertility. He is the director of male reproductive and sexual medicine at Orange County Urology Associates and is the author of The Penis Book (Rodale,2018), an unflinching comprehensive guide to everything from normal penis size to sex-change surgery and everything in between. Spitz also serves as the lead delegate representing all of America’s urologists to the American Medical Association, and he has served as the president of the California Urological Association.
