Over The Counter Viagra Substitute: L-Arginine
Is There A Natural Alternative For Viagra?
Arguably, ED remains one of the most pervasive male health challenges of the present day. And despite of a wide variety of therapies available for its treatment, many cases remain unreported and unattended – partly because sufferers’ unwillingness to expose their health to overtaxing side effects of chemical substances.
In this piece we will speak about a natural alternative to Viagra, an amino acid that is already present in the body – L-arginine. Chemically produced in form of dietary supplement, L-arginine is as harmless an agent as can possibly be, as it is an exact replica of a substance generated by human organism. My Canadian Pharmacy specialists remind you that self-administering any kind of therapy, be it pharmaceutical drugs, OTC medicines, herbal solutions or dietary supplements is fraught with potential health hazards. Ask your GP for guidance before proceeding with L-arginine therapy.
Meet An Under-Radar ED Superhero: L-Arginine Definition By Canadian Pharmacy
L-arginine is a semi-essential proteinogenic amino acid whose effectiveness has been thoroughly investigated. Arginine stands out among other amino acids, because it has the highest concentration of the important nitrogen molecule (“N”). The presence of nitrogen, amino acids differ from the two other energy providers, carbohydrates and fat, which does not contain nitrogen.
Arginine plays an important role in regulating vascular, immune system, the production of the body’s insulin, and the development of male spermine. The intake of L-arginine is especially important during growth phases or periods of illness. Therefore L-arginine is categorized as a necessary or essential amino acid.
The body converts L-arginine to ornithine quickly. It is therefore possible to replace L-arginine to ornithine. However, there are no proven benefits to taking ornithine instead of arginine. Additionally, ornithine has not been studied to the same extent as arginine.
The Role Of L-Arginine In The Body
Nitric oxide (NO) is formed from arginine. NO plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure and blood circulation. It has positive effects on high blood pressure and also increases the potency, which makes it a viable alternative to Viagra. Spermine and spermidine are formed from L-arginine. It is therefore important for the development of sperm.
The list of L-arginine functions in the body is not limited to sexual health benefits. It is easy to see in how many ways the supplement can be good for you in a roundabout way when you take it as a natural Viagra alternative:
Arginine is an important player in the immune system.
- It has an important role in the urea cycle: it detoxes the body.
- L-arginine is important for building of body protein and collagen.
- It is part of the body’s own hormone synthesis (including insulin and noradrenaline).
- Recommended dosage ranges from 3,000 mg to 8,000 mg. Athletes sometimes take L-arginine over a shorter period, but at a higher dose of 30,000 mg.
The addition of L-arginine in combination with herbal substances such as hawthorn, grape seed extract or green tea, supports the circulation of atherosclerosis, low blood pressure, and, of course, erectile dysfunction. In their turn, all these ingredients have in common is that procyanidins are known for their heart-strengthening properties and also to improve circulation. Supplements of extra B vitamins (B6, folic acid, B12) is also recommended. These vitamins help reduce homocysteine levels damaging blood vessels.
Read also: Vitamin B Supplements from My Canadian Pharmacy Help Battle Erectile Dysfunction
Side effects are rare, even at a dosage of 30 g per day. However, it takes some time to adapt to such amounts of pure L-arginine. Daily doses should start with a small amount and gradually increased.
In active herpes addition of L-arginine lead to a worsening of symptoms. In these cases, the L-arginine is used in combination with lysine. Inactive herpes is not activated when supplementation of L-arginine.
Supplements of L-arginine can significantly increase the effect of blood pressure lowering drugs or affect the metabolism of nitric oxide (such as PDE5 inhibitors that make part of oral ED pills Viagra, Levitra, or Cialis).
Walnuts, pine nuts and pumpkin seeds contain ca. 15% L-arginine. In comparison, the content of arginine in proteins from chicken, pork, or fish around 3-7%. Protein from peas contain significantly more L-arginine than milk protein.
Recommended Dose Of Natural Viagra L-Arginine
A balanced diet provides about 1000-5000 mg of bound arginine. In addition, the body can produce small amounts of the urea cycle. But for intense sports, disease (including atherosclerosis, erectile dysfunction, hypertension), or the healing of an injury, these amounts are insufficient. The body’s need for L-arginine increases as you age. This is because the amount of ADMA (asymmetric dimetylarginin), L-arginine physiological antagonist quadruple. ADMA neutralizing properties of L-arginine. Many nutritionists recommend, therefore, an extra supply of 3000-5000 mg of L-arginine daily.
Natural Viagra Foods
Many proteins contain only ca. 3-5% L-arginine. Nuts and seeds contain mostly L-arginine. Walnuts, pumpkin seeds and pine nuts have a content of 10-15% L-arginine. Milk proteins contain relatively low L-arginine. Supplements of extra pure arginine can thus improve the biological value of milk protein (whey protein, casein). The amount should be about 4-5 g of pure L-arginine per 100 grams whey protein or casein.
Erectile dysfunction in men is often related to circulation problems. The flexibility of blood vessels diminishes with age. This is because not enough of the necessary molecules that affect vasodilation reaches the inner cell walls. L-arginine may be the generation of NO, a key molecule in the control of vasodilation, improved.
Several studies where men only took the supplemental L-arginine (most of which L-arginine HCL, partly as L-arginine aspartate or L-arginine base – what form it was in seems to have no significant impact) gave no clear results. Generally had some improvement in erectile function registered. A dose of 5,000 mg achieved better results than a dose of only 3,000 mg or less. Several follow-up studies have found that the combination of L-arginine with pine bark extract yielded better results. The extract from the French coastal pine contain many proanthocyanidins and catechins that can significantly improve blood vessel dilation. Supplementation with a combination of L-arginine and pine bark extract resulted in improved erectile function in 90% of study participants. Supplements of L-arginine alone reached only success in 50% of participants.
Viagra Natural Supplement And Sperm Production
Sperm (spermine, spermidine) production requires large amounts of L-arginine. An American study found that additional supplements of 4000 mg of L-arginine daily results in a significant improvement in the number and concentration of motile sperm. These results were confirmed in an Italian study in which participants took a dose of 8,000 mg of L-arginine daily.
Several Austrian studies show that the combination of L-arginine, carnitine, acetyl-L-cysteine, and antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium) doubled both the number and the mobility of the sperm count in men with reduced fertility.
The two effects regarding the number and concentration of motile sperm based on each other. The end result is that the number of sperm unable to fertilize an egg can be increased by a factor of four by treatment with various antioxidants and arginine. In studies using combination products, given the micronutrients in small doses. For example, only 500 mg of L-arginine per day. Because of the low dose, also tolerated the combination well by the participants.
Lower blood sugar levels with arginine. Diabetics have reduced sensitivity to insulin, or in other words: their resistance to insulin has increased. This means that the cells no longer recognize the body’s own hormone, insulin, and insulin available is no longer absorbed correctly.
In higher doses, from 6,000 to 10,000 mg daily, it appears that L-arginine has a regulatory effect on insulin sensitivity. In a study conducted in 2001 increased insulin sensitivity by 30% through the addition of arginine.
Side Effects Of L-Arginine
Arginine is approved as a food supplement and is a safe amino acid consuming. Doses greater than 10,000 mg per day can cause minor irritation of the stomach and intestinal tract. These irritations usually disappear when the digestive tract has become accustomed to supplement the amount of L-arginine. In rare cases, sleep disturbances reported at doses of 10,000 mg.
In existing herpes infection, the addition of L-arginine lead to aggravation of symptoms. It is suspected that this is a result of L-arginine effects on the immune system. Combining L-arginine with lysine can significantly reduce the effects that activate the herpes when lysine can reduce the spread of herpes viruses. Very high levels of L-arginine, which exceeds 15,000 mg per day, can also have a drying effect. Therefore it is recommended that doses of 7,000 mg allocated to several times per day.
In animal experiments, L-arginine has been shown to be toxic at doses of 5-12 g per kg body weight. For humans this means about a half to one kilogram of L-arginine per day.
Drug Interactions
Because of its characteristics, L-arginine can be taken to increase the effectiveness of drugs in the treatment of high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction. If you are taking any of these drugs, you should contact your doctor or pharmacist before supplementation with L-arginine.
