Five Fun Penis Facts

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You've grown up together and shared many experiences, but how well do you really know your penis? Here are five penis facts you probably didn't know.

You can break your penis

If the penis is violently twisted when erect, it can break. There are no bones in the penis, but the tubes that fill with blood during an erection can burst. Blood pours out of them inside the penis and causes a very painful swelling. Reported cases of penile fracture are rare, but it's thought that some men are too embarrassed to report it to their doctor. Damage during sex, where a partner is on top, is responsible for about one-third of all cases. The breakage usually occurs when a man's penis slips out of his partner and is violently bent.

Spots on your penis?

Get answers to this and other common questions about the penis in Boys' bodies Q&A

Men have several night-time erections

On average, a healthy man has three to five erections during a full night's sleep, with each erection lasting 25-35 minutes. It's common for men to wake up with an erection, informally called a "morning glory". This is in fact the last in the series of night-time erections. The cause of night-time erections isn't fully understood. However, studies suggest they are closely associated with the phase of sleep known as REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. This is when dreaming is most common. Whatever their cause, most doctors agree that night-time erections are a sign that everything is in working order.

Penis length is not linked to foot size

The idea that the size of your penis is in proportion to your shoe size is a myth, according to a study published in the British Journal of Urology International. Researchers at University College London measured the penises of 104 men, including teenagers and pensioners. The average penis length in this group was 13cm (5.1 inches) when soft and gently stretched, and the average British shoe size was nine (43 European size). However, researchers found no link between shoe size and penis length.

Small penises make big erections

Shorter penises increase more in length than longer ones when they become erect. Research based on the penis measurements of 2,770 men found that shorter penises increased by 86% when erect, nearly twice that of longer penises (47%). In the 1988 study published in the Journal of Sex Research, researchers also found that the difference in length between a short penis and a longer one was a lot less obvious when erect than when flaccid. For example, the flaccid penises varied in length by 3.1cm (1.2 inches), whereas the average erect lengths differed by only 1.7cm (0.67 inches).

The penis is not a muscle

Contrary to popular belief, the so-called love muscle doesn't contain any muscles. That's why you can't move it very much when it's erect. The penis is a kind of sponge that fills with blood when a man is sexually excited. Blood builds up inside two cylinder-shaped chambers, causing the penis to swell and stiffen. The swelling blocks off the veins that normally take blood away from the penis. As an erection disappears, the arteries in the two chambers narrow again, allowing blood to drain away from the penis.

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Masturbation Questions and Answers

There are many bizarre claims about masturbation, for example that it causes blindness, insanity, acne and even hair growth.

We sort fact from myth and answer your questions on what is arguably one of the most commonly practiced sexual activities on the planet.

What is masturbation?

Masturbation involves sexually arousing yourself by touching your genitals. Both men and women can masturbate, and you can masturbate yourself or someone else.

Is masturbation normal?

Yes. Apart from the pleasure it gives, masturbating can help you learn what you like and don't like sexually. Men can also use masturbation to learn how to control their orgasms, while women can find out what helps them to achieve an orgasm. Many couples masturbate together and find it a very enjoyable part of their relationship. Other people don't and that's fine: it's a personal choice.

How do you masturbate?

There's no right or wrong way to masturbate. Men usually do it by rubbing their penis. Women usually touch and stroke their clitoris and the area around the vagina. The clitoris is a small soft bump in front of the entrance to the vagina. It's very sensitive, and touching and stimulating it can give strong feelings of sexual pleasure. Most women need the clitoris to be stimulated in order to have an orgasm during sex or masturbation.

What is ejaculation?

Ejaculation occurs when semen shoots out from the penis when a man has an orgasm. There is usually about 5ml of liquid, but there may be more, especially if a man hasn't ejaculated for some time. Women can also ejaculate fluid, but this is far less common than for men. Watch a video on female ejaculation.

Is masturbation safe?

Yes. For the record, masturbating doesn't cause blindness, insanity, or acne and won't make hair grow on your palms. Joking aside, there's no risk of pregnancy or catching a sexually transmitted infection (STI) from masturbating, although there is a risk of infection if you touch someone else's genitals and then touch your own. This is because STIs can be passed on through infected semen or vaginal fluid.

There is a risk of infection if you use sex toys during masturbation and someone else with an STI has used them before you. Any object used in sex can be called a sex toy, whether it's designed for this use or not. It's important to keep sex toys clean. If you're sharing sex toys, wash them between each use and, where possible, put a new condom on them each time. Find out more about cleaning sex toys.

Can you injure yourself when masturbating?

You're unlikely to do yourself any harm, although there is a risk of soreness, cuts or bruising if you masturbate too roughly or too hard, or use an object that could hurt you or cause damage. Men sometimes worry about whether they could break the penis. This is rare and only happens when an erect penis is violently twisted, usually by somebody else. Find out more in Five penis facts.

Does masturbation affect sperm count?

Masturbating will not affect a man's ability to produce sperm. Men will not run out of sperm, as they produce it continuously. After a man has ejaculated, it will take some time before he can ejaculate again. This is normal and doesn't mean there is anything wrong with his sperm.

Can you masturbate too much?

Masturbation is harmless, but if you do it a lot your genitals may feel sore. If men do it a lot in a short space of time, they can get a slightly alarming looking swelling of the penis, called oedema, caused by fluid in the tissues. However, the swelling disappears within a day or two..

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How to Quickly Boost Your Testosterone for Increased Performance

Wow... I'm getting old.

It's a disturbing thought, one that usually hits after an unexpected physical challenge. Maybe you've been unable to maintain your usual workout levels, or recovery is taking a lot longer than it used to. Perhaps fixes to the house are just a bit more difficult, or you find yourself feeling tired more often.

What's most startling about this realization is that you don't normally "feel old" but, nevertheless, you know you're not the man you used to be.

And the issue? It could be a decrease in your testosterone.

Most people don't realize that testosterone is a vital hormone for maintaining overall good health. An article from Livestrong.com noted that when testosterone levels start to decline, men experience a gradual reduction in muscle density, size and strength. Testosterone stimulates the use of stored body fat for energy and keeps you looking lean, but when your levels decrease fatigue can set in from the breakdown of muscle tissue and poor energy production.

"You also see an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and other age-related illness that occur as testosterone levels slowly decline with age," the article adds. "Lower testosterone levels are associated with increased obesity, diabetes, fatigue, lower cognitive abilities, depression and heart disease."

Testosterone replacement therapy is one possible way of handling the situation, but it must be done through a doctor and research is mixed on whether or not it actually works. The real trick is getting the body to safely start producing more testosterone on its own, and one of the most exciting approaches has been the recent development of a safe and effective supplement which actually triggers the body to raise free testosterone levels naturally.

It’s called Testoril and it’s now available to the public. Natural-T relies on well-researched natural testosterone boosting ingredients such asTestofen, Tribulus Alatus, Basella Alba, Brassinosteroids, Safed Musli, White Button Mushroom, Ursolic Acid, Bioperine®, and Astravar™ which can significantly pump up a person’s free testosterone levels.

The product has no harmful side effects and has been shown to deliver improvements in strength and endurance in just days. In fact, the company states that results of Testoril include enhanced physical performance and stamina.

What kind of a difference can a testosterone boosting supplement like this make? 

According to users of the product, it’s nothing short of spectacular. From increased muscle definition and quicker recovery times, to increased feelings of alertness and greater endurance, these users are reporting virtual transformations as a result of safely boosting their free testosterone with Testoril.

Testoril is manufactured under the strictest quality standards and is available at GNC online and at select stores across the nation. 

Best of all, right now, the company that manufacturers Testoril is giving away samples of the products to qualifying customers who request them online.

Click here to learn more and find out how to get your sample.

Your Free Testosterone

Healthy Living for Men

How to Boost Your Free Testosterone

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As we grow older it can be tougher and tougher to keep up. Maybe you're struggling to add muscle? Perhaps you feel sluggish and slow. Are you seeing progress in the mirror or is your body going downhill?

Your libido and performance may not be as intense as it once was and you—and your partner—want the 'youthful you' to return to the bedroom.

But, how can you improve even as you grow older?

For men, the solution is found in free testosterone.

what's free testosterone?

Your bloodstream contains two types of testosterone: bonded testosterone and free testosterone.

Bonded testosterone attaches to molecules in the body and is mostly ineffective. However, the 'free' testosterone can enter your cells easily and plays a vital role in libido, strength, stamina, and vitality.

In short, free testosterone helps a man…well…be a man!

High free testosterone levels are linked to increased sex drive, a higher libido, and heightened desire. Maintaining an optimal free testosterone level is absolutely vital for men who want to get the most out of their bodies.

High free testosterone levels can help with:
- Maximizing your gains in the gym
- Boosting libido and increasing desire
- Revitalising drive and performance

But how do men raise their free testosterone levels?

This is where it gets a little complicated. Over the years, any number of pills, potions, and gels have claimed to work wonders for men's free testosterone. In reality, few of these options do any good.

It's only been more recently that free testosterone has slipped from being a "dirty word" into something that many men are discussing. As our knowledge of free testosterone has grown, so has the selection of ingredients, products, and compounds available.

One of the most exciting developments in this field has been made by a team of dietary supplement researchers based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After extensive research, this team has developed a supplement with natural key ingredients, Testoril, which triggers your body into increasing its levels of free testosterone.

Had low energy for the past year just turned forty. Wife woke up happy and wanted to know what drug I was on. Not working out but see my six pack again. I weight less than I did in high school. Been taking it for 3 months. Used to take the large vitality packs but this stuff really works and replaces all. This is the real deal. As for the price I don't mind at all because it works.

Customer from Burbank, California

how does Testoril work?

The key ingredient is Testofen® which is made from the rare Fenugreek plant. Testofen® has been shown in clinical trials to boost free testosterone levels, increase sex drive, and improve libido.

The proprietary testoril Testosterone Complex includes five additional ingredients to complement and augment the effectiveness of Testofen®. Testoril is safe, effective, and can deliver stamina, strength, and libido improvements in as little as a few days. Although most users report seeing the best results after at least one to two weeks of usage.

Studies from Irvine, California and Queensland, Australia have shown strong and even spectacular results with the key ingredient in Testoril, Testofen®. Benefits include increased sex drive, improved libido, and enhanced muscle mass. These benefits primarily come from safely boosting free testosterone levels.

Testoril is manufactured in the United States under FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). 

Bill Gates wants to build a giant condom for his penis

Gates wants geeks to build a better condom

By Lennart Bourin, CNN

updated 9:34 AM EDT, Tue March 26, 2013

Microsoft co-founder turned global philanthropist Bill Gates is offering a grant to design a better condom to combat AIDS.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation issues $100,000 challenge
• Condoms widely available; goal is to create one that people will actually want to use
• AIDS continues to grow in Africa and in U.S. minority communities
• New design would not need extensive clinical testing, foundation says

(CNN) -- Bill Gates is putting out a call to inventors, but he's not looking for software, or the latest high-tech gadget. This time he's in search of a better condom.

On its Grand Challenges website, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is offering a $100,000 startup grant to the person who designs "the next generation condom that significantly preserves or enhances pleasure" and promotes "regular use."

It may sound like the setup for a joke, but the goal is deadly serious. While researchers call condoms one of the best ways to stop the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, getting people to use them is another story.

The foundation wants to see something that will lead men and women outside of a committed relationship to stop and think twice before having unprotected sex. The startup grant could lead to $1 million in further funding.

"Male condoms are cheap, easy to manufacture, easy to distribute, and available globally, including in resource-poor settings, through numerous well-developed distribution channels," the foundation says. Nevertheless, many people are reluctant to use them because they complain that prophylactics interfere with pleasure and intimacy. This creates "a trade-off that many men find unacceptable," the foundation notes.

Contraception, by the numbers

Does condom use ad promote adultery?

Gates: More kids should learn to program

In some places and cultures, condom use is often seen as a sign that a man has AIDS, and many women won't sleep with such men. Female condoms are even more difficult to use and women are often afraid to suggest using them.

"Any advance or new design that gets people to use condoms would be a big plus," Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the world's leading AIDS researchers, said in an interview with CNN. He says great strides have been made in treating HIV infection in Africa, but for every person who is treated two more become newly infected.

The numbers are indeed startling: 34 million people in the world are living with HIV, according the 2012 UNAIDS World AIDS Day Report. About half of them don't know they're infected, according to Fauci.

That problem exists in the U.S. as well, particularly in minority communities.

"Although African-Americans comprise 12% of the population, they account for 45% of all new HIV infections nationwide and 65% of all new infections among women," Fauci said previously. "A substantial portion of newly infected African-Americans are bisexual and homosexual men."

The Gates Foundation hopes that "new concept designs with new materials can be prototyped and tested quickly."

"Large-scale human clinical trials are not required," it adds. "Manufacturing capacity, marketing, and distribution channels are already in place."

But building a better condom may not be as easy as it seems. Some sources say the first recorded use of a condom-like sheath was in Egypt in 1350 B.C., and people have been complaining about it -- and trying to improve on it -- ever since.

www.vydox.com

Smallest Penis In Brooklyn Contest Inspired By Close Encounters

 With "Shockingly Tiny" Penises  www.vydox.com

This week, micro penis owners all over Brooklyn were given a jolt when Kings County Bar announced their first annual Smallest Penis in Brooklyn pageant—the ultimate wet t-shirt contest for infinitesimal penises. We asked bar manager Aimee Arciuolo about what inspired them to start such a tradition, and it turned out to be based in some very personal experiences: "The discussion came about after I had an exceptionally fun and amazing romp with a man who was less than endowed—it was actually shockingly tiny, like the size of an acorn," she told us.

"He came right out and said, 'Yes, I know, I've got a little pecker. But don't you worry, we are going to have fun.' And it was great! That guy seriously smashed it UP in the bedroom," she said. Arciuolo discovered afterwards that many of her girlfriends had had similar experiences; they agreed that "guys like that deserve a prize, and we should hold a goddamn pageant for them! It should be celebrated, rather than a source of shame!"

"The Contest" will be held on Saturday, July 20th starting at 5 p.m. at the bar, located at 286 Siegel Street near the Morgan Avenue L train. You don't have to worry about going completely nude if you participate, even if you are totally proud of your lilliputian penis: "While nudity is not required, contestants should expect to wear wet underwear (which will be provided)." Aimee gave us more details about the size requirements:

There will be no maximum size requirement to enter, but obvious show-offs will be heckled. I do expect there will be a few giant dicks that come to show off, but if they are over eight inches they will be disqualified and forced to buy a round for the judges. We will provide the gentlemen with a pair of white tighty whitey's with the SPB logo, and the wetting process will involve water pistols.

There will be two rounds in the contest ("swimwear and eveningwear"), as well as a question-and-answer section in which contestants can share "stories from below the belt. We feel that discussing the issue of teeny peenies will turn embarrassing stories into empowerment."

As for the reactions so far, they have been pretty mixed: "Our straight male friends and regulars have told me this is the worst idea ever, eyes rolling, huffy puffy and insulted," Arciuolo told us. "Our female friends and regulars are so excited and have all volunteered their time and energy in construction of the sets, sashes, crowns and scepters."

"We hope all kinds of men will apply—we have a few brave contestants already—this is obviously a pageant for confident people with a sense of humor!" If you don't bat an eyelash in the face of shrinkage,sponsored by Vydox.com

Weird signs you're vitamin-deficient

5 weird signs you're vitamin-deficient

By Q by Equinox

Published May 09, 2013

Details

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When your body is trying to tell you something—for example, that you're skimping on critical vitamins—it may go to some strange lengths. 

"With today's diet of processed foods, it's easy to become vitamin-deficient, either by not eating enough of the right foods or not absorbing them properly due to digestive issues," says Dr. Susan Blum, the founder of the Blum Center for Health and the author of the new book The Immune System Recovery Plan. "You may not get a disease, but you can end up with impaired functioning, because vitamins are cofactors for all the biochemical reactions in the body. We need them in order to function properly." 

That impaired functioning can sometimes manifest in mysterious ways.

Top 15 Health Myths

Here are five unusual warning signs that you may be vitamin-deficient. The good news: Most are fixable with dietary tweaks—all the more reason to make nutrition a top priority. But if food cures don't work, be sure to check in with your doctor.

Body Cue No. 1: Cracks at the corners of your mouth.

The Deficiency: Iron, zinc, and B vitamins like niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2), and B12. "It's common if you're a vegetarian to not get enough iron, zinc, and B12," Blum says. Ditto if you're skimping on essential immunity-building protein due to dieting.

The Fix: Eat more poultry, salmon, tuna, eggs, oysters, clams, sun-dried tomatoes, Swiss chard, tahini, peanuts, and legumes like lentils. Iron absorption is enhanced by vitamin C, which also helps fight infection, so combine these foods with veggies like broccoli, red bell peppers, kale, and cauliflower.

• • •
Body Cue No. 2: A red, scaly rash on your face (and sometimes elsewhere) and hair loss.

The Deficiency: Biotin (B7), known as the hair vitamin. While your body stores fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), it doesn't store most B vitamins, which are water-soluble. Body builders take note: Eating raw eggs makes you vulnerable, because a protein in raw eggs called avidin inhibits the body's ability to absorb biotin.

The Fix: Reach for more cooked eggs (cooking deactivates avidin), salmon, avocados, mushrooms, cauliflower, soybeans, nuts, raspberries, and bananas.

Is Your Favorite Beer Making You Fat?

• • •
Body Cue No. 3: Red or white acne-like bumps, typically on the cheeks, arms, thighs, and butt.

The Deficiency: Essential fatty acids and vitamins A and D.

The Fix: Skimp on saturated fat and trans fats, which you should be doing anyway, and increase healthy fats. Focus on adding more salmon and sardines, nuts like walnuts and almonds, and seeds like ground flax, hemp, and chia. For vitamin A, pile on leafy greens and colorful veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, and red bell peppers. 

"This provides beta carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, which your body will use to make vitamin A," Blum says. "For vitamin D, though, I recommend a supplement—2,000 IU a day in one that also contains vitamins A and K, which help with D absorption."

• • •
Body Cue No. 4: Tingling, prickling, and numbness in hands, feet, or elsewhere.

The Deficiency: B vitamins like folate (B9), B6, and B12. "It's a problem directly related to the peripheral nerves and where they end in the skin," says Blum, noting that these symptoms can be combined with anxiety, depression, anemia, fatigue, and hormone imbalances.

The Fix: Seek out spinach, asparagus, beets, beans (pinto, black, kidney, lima), eggs, octopus, mussels, clams, oysters, and poultry.

Foods That Will Make You Look Younger

• • •
Body Cue No. 5: Crazy muscle cramps in the form of stabbing pains in toes, calves, arches of feet, and backs of legs.

The Deficiency: Magnesium, calcium, and potassium. "If it's happening frequently, it's a tip-off that you're lacking in these," Blum says. And if you're training hard, you can lose more minerals (and water-soluble B vitamins) through heavy sweating.

The Fix: Eat more bananas, almonds, hazelnuts, squash, cherries, apples, grapefruit, broccoli, bok choy, and dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, and dandelion.

Read more: www.vydox.com

How Brain Training Can Make You Significantly Smarter

Explanation: 

As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory and mental clarity are not what they used to be.  We suddenly can't remember where we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old acquaintance's name, or the name of an old band we used to love.  As the brain fades, we euphemistically refer to these occurrences as "senior moments."

While seemingly innocent, this loss of mental focus can potentially have a detrimental impact on our professional, social, and personal well-being. 

It happens to most of us, but is it inevitable? 

Neuroscientists are increasingly showing that there's actually a lot that can be done.  It turns that the brain needs exercise in much the same way our muscles do, and the right mental workouts can significantly improve our basic cognitive functions.  Thinking is essentially a process of making neural connections in the brain.  To a certain extent, our ability to excel in making the neural connections that drive intelligence is inherited.  However, because these connections are made through effort and practice, scientists believe that intelligence can expand and fluctuate according to mental effort.

Now, a new San Francisco Web-based company has taken it a step further and developed the first "brain training program" designed to actually help people improve and regain their mental sharpness.  Called Lumosity, it was designed by some of the leading experts in neuroscience and cognitive psychology from Stanford University.

Lumosity, is far more than an online place to exercise your mental skills.  That's because they have integrated these exercises into a Web-based program that allows you to systematically improve your memory and attention skills.  The program keeps track of your progress and provides detailed feedback on your performance and improvement.  Most importantly, it constantly modifies and enhances the games you play to build on the strengths you are developing--much like an effective exercise routine requires you to increase resistance and vary your muscle use.

Does it work?

Apparently it does. In randomized, controlled clinical trials, Lumosity was shown to significantly improve basic cognitive functions. One study showed students improved their scores on math tests by 34 percent after using Lumosity for six weeks, significantly greater gains than those made by other students in the same class, who were not training with the Lumosity program.

The company says its users have reported clearer and quicker thinking, improved memory for names, numbers, directions, increased alertness and awareness, elevated mood, and better concentration at work or while driving.

While many of the games at Lumosity are free, a modest subscription fee is required to use the full program over the long term.

However, Lumosity is currently offering a free trial of their program to new users so that you can see how well it works before you decide to subscribe.  The trial is completely free (no credit card required) and the company believes the results will speak for themselves.

Click here to try for yourself.      www.vydox.com

What to Cut: As Congress treats crises with new programs, government grows

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  What to Cut: As Congress treats crises with new programs, government grows
  
  www.vydox.com
  
  
  

Almost every president of the last 40 years has called for shrinking or streamlining the federal  bureaucracy. Think of President Reagan saying at his first inauguration, "Government is not the solution, government is the problem," or President Clinton vowing in 1996, "The era of big government is over."

Even more recently, President Obama said in January 2012, "I'm calling on Congress to streamline and reform the executive branch."

Many have tried. None has succeeded.

"The government is far larger than it ever has been. The debt is growing at record rates," Thomas Schatz, president of  Citizens Against Government Waste, said.

Adjusted for inflation, federal spending has gone up from an average of $882 billion every year in the 1980s to $1.48 trillion a year in the '90s to $2.44 trillion a year in the first decade of the 21st century. It's estimated that the government will have spent as much in the first four years of the new decade as it did in all of the 1990s.

Two crises -- the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the so-called "great recession" -- further propelled the growth of government in certain areas but without the commensurate cuts in other areas that earlier generations imposed in times of crisis.

"In the past when there were various crisis like World War II or the Korean War, non-defense spending was dramatically cut by 20 to 30 percent," Schatz said. "That didn't happen after 9/11, and it certainly didn't happen after the financial crisis."

Nothing typifies the expansion of government like the growing wealth of the Washington, D.C., area. The region has few natural resources and little manufacturing base to produce wealth, yet seven of the nation's 10 richest counties surround Washington. The average government worker's compensation now stands at over $126,000 a year. And the fact that Washington's traffic congestion now ranks as the nation's worst stands as more evidence of the region's growth.

As the rest of the country suffered through the recession with layoffs and foreclosures, Washington's work force and its home prices remained mostly stable.

"The congressional system is to spend money and not save money. The incentive for many members of Congress to solve a problem is to create a program," Schatz said.

And with the creation of almost any government program comes a food chain of contractors, lobbyists, lawyers and special interests  -- all feeding from a government trough that Congress seldom lets run dry.

"You have to balance the family budget, you have to make sure the business is solvent. Government doesn't really look at it that way," said Evan Bayh, a former Democratic senator from Indiana.

So even expenditures that some call grossly wasteful -- say, $385,000 for a Yale University study on the plasticity of duck penises during mating, or $60,000 for a "Star Trek" spoof for a 2010 IRS training session -- may not raise red flags until after the money is spent.

"They don't want to know where the waste is, because if they actually know where the waste is they're going have to do something about it," Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/25/what-to-cut-as-congress-treats-crises-with-new-programs-government-grows/#ixzz2TCgGf0vm

Erectile dysfunction: Four non-prescription treatment options

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Thursday, April 25, 2013 - Healthy Tips and Scripts by Jacqueline Marshall

Jacqueline Marshall

Ask me a question.

CHICAGO, April 25, 2013 — Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects 30 to 50 percent of males, most of them 40 to 70 years of age. In case there is someone who does not know, ED occurs when a man cannot acheive or maintain an erection that is firm enough for sexual intercourse. It can be accompanied by diminished sexual desire. 

Age, smoking and obesity are factors in developing ED. For approximately 20 percent of men, ED has a psychological cause such as stress or depression. Conventional ED treatments include oral and injected medications, hormonal therapy, suppositories, and prosthesis implantation.  

There are several alternative treatments for ED available such as the herb, red ginseng, the supplements DHEA and L-arginine, as well as traditional treatments such as acupuncture. All alternative methods require additional research to determine whether they are scientifically safe and effective for ED, but they each have firm supporters and anecdotal backing.  

It is important to see your physician about ED no matter what treatment options you are considering. ED can be a symptom of more serious health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or nerve disorders. Another cause of impotence requiring a doctor’s diagnosis is Peyronie’s disease, a bend in the penis that inhibits erection.  

Red Ginseng  

Ginseng is called red ginseng (Korean red ginseng, or panax ginseng) when it is harvested after six years of growth. It is traditionally considered an adaptogenic substance meaning it restores balance to the body, enhancing our well-being. 

This herb may help with ED because it has hormonal effects similar to those of testosterone. Or, red ginseng might assist with lift by relaxing the smooth muscles of the corpus cavernosum, columns of erectile tissue in the penis. 

A research analysis of randomized clinical studies that used red ginseng to treat ED suggests that the herb is helpful in relieving this problem. However, the low number of studies available, plus the small size and methodological quality variations of the studies leaves plenty of room for further inquiry. 

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) 

Research has discovered a link between low DHEA levels in men and ED. 

DHEA, dehydroepiandrosterone, is a basic ingredient of male hormones. It is manufactured by the human body in the testes and adrenal glands. Although it can also be made in laboratories from chemicals found in wild yams and soy, our body cannot produce DHEA from these chemicals by eating yams or soy products. 

Studies such as the Massachusetts Male Aging Study show that DHEA supplements help alleviate ED, particularly in men who have generally good health and whose other sex hormones are in good supply. DHEA is much less effective for those with impotence resulting from nerve disorders or diabetes.  

L-arginine 

L-arginine is an amino acid necessary in the manufacture of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is an important factor in vascular health and the regulation of blood flow. It triggers the relaxation of smooth muscles throughout the body including the essential erectile region of the corpus cavernosum. 

Much research, but not all, supports the claim that taking L-arginine supplements is aces at increasing the body’s level of endothelial (cells lining blood vessels) nitric oxide. Sometimes L-arginine is paired with another substance such as Pycnogenol to maximize its nitric oxide producing effects. 

You should definitely consult with your doctor before using L-arginine supplementation. It can affect blood glucose and potassium levels and possibly increase the production of stomach acid. However, much of the research and patient reports are very encouraging.   www.vydox.com

Acupuncture 

Your first thought about about acupuncture for ED might be, “Where exactly to they put the needles?” Fortunately, acupuncture does not treat ED locally. 

Acupuncture energy meridians or pathways run along the entire body. Very fine needles are inserted at specific points on the abdomen, back, and extremities to eliminate the energy imbalance causing impotence. This procedure can also alleviate ailments that contribute to, or underly, the problem. Depending on the patient’s diagnosis, acupuncture is sometimes combined with the use of herbal medicines. 

A small study at the Lainz Hospital, Vienna, Austria (2003) showed that acupuncture is a viable treatment option for psychologically based ED. After treatment, two-thirds of the participants reported things were looking up.  www.vydox.com

Read more: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/healthy-tips-and-scripts/2013/apr/25/erectile-dysfunction-treatments/#ixzz2SXkguvzF
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