(Written by frequent site contributor, David Jaynes)
I’ve talked before how you can use Ginkgo Biloba for erections due to its ability to act as a natural inhibitor of PDE5.
But since then, there have been lots of questions around ginkgo (also spelled gingko), specifically, how it can be used as a natural treatment for erectile dysfunction.
So here’s the definitive guide to how ginkgo can help you get it up.
Ginkgo Biloba Reduces Oxidative Stress
First, ginkgo biloba reduces oxidative stress
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals in your body and your body’s ability to deal with them.
A bit of background:
Free radicals are oxygen molecules that don’t have any electrons attached to them.
They go around and rip electrons from other stuff like DNA and protein molecules, which destabilizes those molecules, usually to their detriment.
For example, oxidative stress has been found to correlate with things like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Anyway, Ginkgo biloba has been found to reduce the free radicals found in cells, thus reducing oxidative stress.
And since oxidative stress has been linked to ED, by reducing it you’ll reduce penile oxidative stress (not to mention reducing your risk of some very unpleasant cognitive disorders).
Ginkgo Increases Smooth Muscle Cells
The more smooth muscle cells you have, the better your erections.
Ginkgo can help you with that.
A study was done where they looked at the effect of Ginkgo on rats with (lab induced) erectile dysfunction.
They divided 43 rats into four groups and gave them different levels of Ginkgo: none, low, medium, and high.
The researchers found that there was a significant improvement in erectile function for the high dose group compared to the group that didn’t get any Ginkgo.
The two in the middle responded in line with how much they were given.
Specifically, the study found that the rats that were given the most Ginkgo biloba had better smooth muscle development in the arteries leading to their penises, facilitating blood flow and trapping and thus making it easier for them to get hard.
The study also found that nitric oxide synthase improved with the high dose Ginkgo group, a finding reflected in other studies too…
Ginkgo Biloba Induces eNOS Expression
As I mentioned, Ginkgo has been found to improve your wood by promoting nitric oxide synthase.
This in turn increases your nitric oxide production and thus makes it easier to get an erection due to NO’s key role in the erection process.
Another study looked at 32 rats and dosed them with Ginkgo (plus a control group).
They found that the levels of NO and NO synthase both increased in line with the dosage of Ginkgo the rats were given.
They also found that this increase improved over time, with the highest levels of NO recorded on day 7 (which is why you should test Ginkgo for a week before you come to any conclusions).
Another study found that Ginkgo improved Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) activation.
KLF2 has vascular protective effects and further contributes to more NO synthase production and thus, better wood.
A positive spinoff that both these studies mention as well is that both KLF2 and NO production promote cardiovascular health, in general.
This means if you start taking Ginkgo you start a virtuous cycle: your NO production and synthase improves and your heart gets healthier, both of which make it easier for you to get hard.
Ginkgo May Improve SSRI Induced Sexual Dysfunction
Above I showed you just what Ginkgo can do for your erections.
But there is one more benefit of taking Ginkgo – it might help with the sexual dysfunction caused by SSRIs.
Last week I talked about SSRIs and Erectile Dysfunction, specifically about the problem of Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) and the fact that it can last for…quite a long while.
Ginkgo might be able to help.
A study from researchers at the University of California found that of 30 men studied, 74% reported that Ginkgo helped cure them of their PSSD.
What’s more, this number was even higher for women at 91%.
However, it’s not all good news.
Another study gave Ginkgo to six men and six women with PSSD and compared them to a placebo group and found no significant difference at 12 weeks for either sex.
And while these numbers are smaller, they were actually given more Ginkgo biloba then the people in the previous study (240mg vs up to 120mg).
That said, researchers did note:
There were some spectacular individual responses in both groups
So while it’s clear that Ginkgo is a superb supplement to help enhance erections, the jury is still out on whether it can cure SSRI-induced erectile dysfunction.
But if it were me and I was in a sexless relationship with post-SSRI, I’d definitely give it a try, at the 120mg dosage used in the successful study.
Ginkgo Biloba For Erections – Conclusion
I recommend Ginkgo biloba, because like most natural supplements, it doesn’t go into your body to fix one broken thing, like most drugs do.
Rather, it enhances several key biological functions required to achieve a proper erection.
With consistent use, you may end up with stronger erections, and a healthier cardiovascular system to boot, not to mention more frequent morning wood.
Seems like a win-win to me.
