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Arginine Health Benefits
Arginine health benefits include improved blood flow, immune system support, better wound healing, protein production, healthy sperm count, and possibly anticancer properties. Among other potential arginine health benefits is help with erectile dysfunction. That’s because this amino acid has a positive impact on nitric oxide, which is necessary for healthy erectile function.
Arginine is an essential amino acid that is most concentrated in the connective tissues and skin. Under normal conditions, the body produces an adequate amount of arginine for maintenance. However, greater levels are needed when the body is under stress or subjected to illness, malnutrition, or injury.
In addition to the arginine health benefits already mentioned, the amino acid reportedly aids in liver detoxification, assists with kidney disorders, stimulates blood flow, promotes optimal growth, helps reduce cholesterol levels, and assists in collagen production.
Arginine and Erectile Dysfunction
Arginine health benefits include help with erectile dysfunction. A New York University School of Medicine study from 1994 reported on results of men who took 2,800 mg of arginine or placebo daily for two weeks. Six of the 15 men who took arginine reported an improvement in erectile function, but none of the men who took placebo noticed a change. (Zorgniotti 1994)
In a subsequent study, 46 men who had erectile dysfunction were randomly assigned to take either 5 grams of arginine or placebo daily for six weeks. Nine of the 29 men (31%) who took arginine and two of 17 who took placebo reported a significant improvement in sexual function by the end of the study. The nine men who experienced arginine health benefits had an improvement in nitric oxide levels (they were lower) after taking arginine and twice the levels at the end of the study. The authors concluded that high doses of arginine seem to result in significant improvement in sexual function in men with erectile dysfunction only if they have low nitric oxide production or excretion. (Chen 1999)
Arginine health benefits were not as promising in another study involving 1,500 mg of the amino acid taken daily for 17 days. Authors of the double-blind, crossover study, which involved 32 men, noted that the much lower dose and shorter course of treatment may explain the discrepancy between their study and the one by Chen. (Klotz 1999)
Another early study examined arginine health benefits and the amino acid’s ability to resolve erectile dysfunction by increasing the level of nitric oxide. The study included 40 men, aged 25 to 45 years, who had erectile dysfunction. During the three-month trial, the men received the equivalent of 1.7 grams of arginine. Beginning in the second month of the trial, the men added 40 mg Pycnogenol twice daily, and this was increased to three 40-mg Pycnogenol tablets during the third month. Each of the participants completed a sexual function questionnaire and sexual activity diary.
After the first month of the trial, only 2 (5%) of the men experienced a normal erection. The use of both arginine and Pycnogenol during the second month increased the number of men with restored sexual ability to 80 percent. After the third month of the trial, 92.5 percent of the men experienced a normal erection. The authors concluded that “oral administration of L-arginine in combination with Pycnogenol causes a significant improvement in sexual function in men with ED without any side effects.” (Stanislavov 2003)
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, a formulation of L-arginine aspartate and pine bark/Pycnogenol (Prelox®) or placebo was randomly given over six months to 124 men aged 30 to 50 who had moderate erectile dysfunction. Scores on the International Index of Erectile Function improved significantly in the men who took the supplement, reflecting an improvement in erectile function, along with some evidence that erectile function continues to improve the longer the therapy is used. (Ledda 2010)
In a previous study that used the same formulation, 50 men who had mild to moderate erectile dysfunction took either the Pycnogenol and arginine supplement or placebo for one month. At the end of the study, the men who had taken the supplement reported erectile function had returned to normal and that the frequency of intercourse had doubled. Arginine health benefits included a decline in both blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the men who took the supplement, and testosterone levels increased. (Stanislavov 2008)
How To Get Arginine
Food sources of arginine include most meats, oats, peanuts, brown rice, wheat, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, cod, almonds, and soy. Pistachio nuts are also a very good source of arginine. To enjoy arginine health benefits, men should consult a knowledgeable healthcare professional to determine the best dose.
References
Brittenden J, Park KGM, Heys SD et al. L-arginine stimulates host defenses in patients with breast cancer. Surgery 1994; 115:205-12
Chen J et al. Effect of oral administration of high-dose nitric oxide donor L-arginine in men with organic erectile dysfunction: results of a double-blind, randomized study. BJU Int 1999; 83:269–73.
Klotz T et al. Effectiveness of oral L-arginine in first-line treatment of erectile dysfunction in a controlled crossover study. Urol Int. 1999; 63:220-223.
Ledda A et al. Investigation of a complex plant extract for mild to moderate erectile dysfunction in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-arm study. BJU Int 2010 Oct; 106(7): 1030-33
Ma Q, Wang Z, Zhang M, Hu H, Li J, Zhang D, Guo K, Sha H. Targeting the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway for cancer treatment. Curr Pharm Des 2010; 16(4): 392-410.
Park KGM. The immunological and metabolic effects of L-arginine in human cancer. Proc Nutr Soc 1993; 52:387-401.
Stanislavov, R et al. Improvement of seminal parameters with Prelox®: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Phytotherapy Research 2009; 23: 297–302.
Stanislavov R et al. Improvement of erectile function with Prelox: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Int J Impot Res 2008 Mar-Apr; 20(2): 173-80
Stanislavov, R et al. Improvement of seminal parameters with Prelox®: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Phytotherapy Research 2009; 23: 297–302.
Takeda Y, Tominga T, Tei N, et al. Inhibitory effect of L-arginine on growth of rat mammary tumors induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracine. Cancer Res 1975; 35:2390-93.
Zorgniotti AW, Lizza EF. Effect of large doses of the nitric oxide precursor, L-arginine, on erectile dysfunction. Int J Impot Res 1994;6:33–6.
