Ultimate Herbal Blog

Posts Tagged ‘medicinal plants’

The popular summer fruit and beach bum favorite, Citrullus lanatus (watermelon), is now under scrutiny because of rumors of its Viagra-like effects on the male body. (source).

Past and recent studies on herbal equivalents of Viagra have been conducted to search for possible alternatives, which can then be sold for cheaper than the synthetic drug. A cheap Viagra substitute will increase the likelihood of ridding the world of erection maladies.

Several pure compounds from nature, like yohimbine, citrulline, two pyrano-isoflavones, berberine, forskolin and other herbal extracts have either been re-examined or are new potential candidates for the development of herbal erection disorder treatment. (Phytochemistry, 2003, Vol. 62, No. 7, pp. 1019-1025)

Of these substances, citrulline can be obtained from the flesh and rinds of watermelon. Its function in the human body involves the production of compounds that can cause the relaxation of the body’s blood vessels. Viagra’s effect is also relaxation, and this could imply that citrulline from watermelon fruit could be a viable Viagra alternative.

Citrulline interacts with the body’s enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that has shown positive effects on the heart, and circulatory and immune systems.

Arginine can increase nitric oxide content, which relaxes the arteries and help alleviate angina, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems. This effect is again surprisingly similar to that of the popular erectile dysfunction medication. However, doubts abound on whether watermelon extracts will target the male sex organ and not other organs.

What is priapism? It is a rare condition in men that is characterized by an erection that will not go away, even when you don’t want it anymore. This is often painful and lasting. Although men who don’t have this condition might think of as something of an advantage, those who have had it in the past will remember a traumatic experience that they don’t want to re-live. It can be drug-induced or injury related. Arousal is the normal way to get erections, but with priapism, the erection is caused by a massive amount of blood accumulated in the penis.

Rare causes include sickle cell anemia, while the most common cause is erection lasting for more than four hours. Self injection of impotence drugs may cause this unnatural erection. Some synthetic erectile dysfunction drugs may prolong the blood stay in the penis to treat erection problems, without working on natural sexual stamina and promoting arousal.

In the past, some men have been advised to use aphrodisiacs to increase erection probability before love making starts, and then after. This is the safer way because erections are promoted by stimulating the brain first. Aphrodisiacs from nature include several drugs such as Siberian ginseng (a component of Herbal Viagra), a widely known herbal drug that acts as an aphrodisiac. These herbal aphrodisiacs, when combined with several other extracts of medicinal plants that show the same vasodilatory effects as sildenafil citrate are the drugs of choice of those who know and fear priapism. People buy viagra for a reason, and wanting a healthy sex life is reason enough.