McKay Douglas
Thorne Research, PO Box 25, Dover, ID 83825.
Altern Med Rev. 2004 Mar;9(1):4-16.
Erectile dysfunction affects 50 percent of men ages 40-70 in the United States and is considered an important public health problem by the National Institutes of Health. Consumers are exposed to a plethora of natural products claiming to restore erection and sexual vitality. A review of the available empirical evidence reveals most naturally occurring compounds lack adequate clinical trials to support efficacy. However, arginine, yohimbine, Panax ginseng, Maca, and Ginkgo biloba all have some degree of evidence they may be helpful for erectile dysfunction. Improvements in penile endothelial L-arginine-nitric oxide activity appear to be a unifying explanation for the actions of these naturally occurring agents.
在美国，勃起功能障碍影响着50%年龄在40至70岁之间的男性，美国国立卫生研究院认为这是一个重要的公共卫生问题。消费者接触到大量声称能恢复勃起功能和性活力的天然产品。对现有实证证据的回顾表明，大多数天然存在的化合物缺乏足够的临床试验来支持其疗效。然而，精氨酸、育亨宾、人参、玛咖和银杏都有一定程度的证据表明它们可能对勃起功能障碍有帮助。阴茎内皮细胞中L-精氨酸-一氧化氮活性的改善似乎是这些天然物质作用的一个统一解释。
