It's a Guy Thing

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Considering the statistics, it’s no wonder we’re bombarded by advertisements and electronic junk mail promising help with erectile dysfunction. One in four American men older than 50 experiences some form of impotence. That’s around 20 million men, and because their plumbing problems affect their partners as well, the scope of the problem is significant. As tonics and treatments, herbs can be effective collaborators in the quest for solutions.

Facts about Erectile Dysfunction

Impotence, or erectile dysfunction (ED), is the inability of a man to achieve or maintain an erection long enough to engage in sexual intercourse. Medical science tells us ED can occur from at least 15 possible underlying causes: Diabetes, pituitary tumors, drug side effects, hormonal imbalances and psychological issues all can contribute. Impotence can come from harm to the nerves of the penis, from Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis. But in men older than 60, the main cause is atherosclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries.

Diabetic men are particularly at risk because of their high rate of atherosclerosis and diabetic neuropathy. Experts used to think impotence was mainly psychological, but they have now decided that, at least in elderly men, physical causes probably play a primary role in more than 60 percent (some authorities say 80 to 90 percent) of all cases. Ultimately, most impotence is caused by deadly serious vascular disease — another reason to keep heart disease at bay.

Turn to Herbs for Help

Men tend to be reluctant to seek and receive health care. Around the world, though, men use safe herbal medicines as a first resort for maintaining good health. If you want to stay healthy, start with these herbal gems.

• Asian ginseng root (Panax ginseng). This men’s herb is well-known, yet shrouded in myth. Asian ginseng is used to treat a host of conditions and, when it is taken daily, to maintain general good health. White ginseng is the dried, unprocessed root, while the steamed root is called red ginseng (considered “hotter”) and is used for sexual dysfunction.

Asian populations use ginseng to support sexual energy in older people, but so far the scientific evidence for this use is scanty. From what we know about ginseng, it’s reasonable that long-term use would augment all the body’s functions, and a healthier body is likely to work better sexually. Clinicians report that ginseng increases sexual desire, and they  generally promote the herb’s purported longevity effects.

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