Erectile dysfunction (ED) occurs when a man is unable to keep his penis engorged long enough to complete sexual intercourse with his partner. According to Mayo Clinic staff, the most common cause of ED is vascular disease often brought about by poor food choices over a long time. Lifestyle causes for vascular disease could also be tobacco use, recreational drug use and chronic alcohol use. Vascular disease limits blood flow to the penis needed for proper erection. For those who prefer not using prescription drugs to overcome their difficulty with ED, there are some alternative remedies.
Lifestyle Changes
Because poor lifestyle habits likely contribute to a man's ED, changing those habits could help repair the vascular disease over time. Mayo Clinic staff recommend stopping tobacco use, recreational drug use and limiting alcohol consumption.
Nutrition
Improved nutrition with better dietary choices, such as raw fruits and vegetables, helps blood flow. Cutting back on red meat and starches also helps, as well as consuming more whole-grain choices along the guidelines of the United States Department of Agriculture Food Pyramid.
Hydration
Urology Channel online recommends increasing water intake. It says a good rule of thumb is to drink half the number of pounds in your body weight in ounces of water. If you weight 200 lbs., try to drink 100 oz. of water daily.
Herbs
Though drugs such as Viagra, Levitra and Cialis have been proven through scientific trials and studies, herbal remedies tend to be more anecdotal in their effectiveness. Mayo Clinic staff list possibilities for DHEA (a part of the makeup for sex hormones), gingko (which may help with blood flow to the penis), ginseng (which has shown some promise in studies of ED treatment), Yohimbe (prescribed by some doctors, but may increase blood pressure) and Epimedium (which may increase testosterone levels).
Herbal Viagra Warning
The United States Food and Drug Administration has given warnings against advertised "herbal Viagra" medications that contain dangerous drugs not listed in the ingredients. They may interact with other prescription drugs, especially those containing nitrates.
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