Specialty Nutrition for Men's Health (Saving Men's Health)

Micronutrients also weigh in, as selenium intake has been linked to reduced risk of prostate cancer,²⁵ in addition to promoting apoptosis in prostate cancer cells and decreasing cancer-causing DNA damage.²⁶ In fact, the NCI-sponsored Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT), the largest ever prostate cancer trial, is investigating the effects of L-selenomethionine (as Selenium SeLECT®, from Sabinsa Corp.) on cancer prevention in more than 35,000 men from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.

Men have many other health concerns below the belt, including ED and fertility problems. As previously mentioned, ED can be a consequence of hypertension and other areas of vascular health. A study reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association concluded men experiencing silent, or symptom-less, coronary artery disease (CAD) and type II diabetes were nine times as likely to have erectile dysfunction (ED) as were diabetic men with more noticeable CAD symptoms.²⁷ On the other hand, a JAMA trial found men diagnosed with incident ED have a 25-percent higher risk of CAD than do men with no ED, while risk in men with prevalent ED rose by 45 percent.²⁸

As an erection requires blood to fill the caverns of the penis, improving blood flow is a crucial aspect of counteracting ED. Nitric oxide-mediated vasodilation is one targeted method of improving blood flow in ED. In fact, an Italian study discovered a direct relationship between copulatory performance and NO synthase activity in the hypothalamus region of the male brain.²⁹Arginine is a well known mediator of NO-dependent vasodilation and has shown the ability to boost sexual activity, including ED.³⁰ Combined with yohimbine, arginine has effectively improved erections in males with mild to moderate ED.³¹ Arginine and yohimbine, as well as panax ginseng, maca and the vasodilator ginkgo, have displayed some degree of benefit in men with ED, possibly due to improvements in penile endothelial L-arginine-NO activity.³² South Korean scientists found 900 mg of panax ginseng given three times daily to patients with clinical ED significantly improved erectile function scores.³³

L-arginine aspirate combined with pine bark extract (as Pycnogenol) has proven an effective ED remedy. A 2008 study revealed intake of the Pycnogenol combination for one month in patients with mild to moderate ED restored erectile function to normal.³⁴ Researchers noted intercourse frequency doubled; e-NOS in spermatozoa and testosterone levels in blood increased significantly; and both cholesterol levels and blood pressure were lowered in those taking Pycnogenol and arginine. This echoed earlier research from Slovakia, which reported Pycnogenol reduced ED from severe to mild in 21 patients, while also increasing plasma antioxidant activity and reducing in total cholesterol.³⁵

One of the newest ingredients to the ED arsenal is pomegranate, which has turned in positive early results in improving erections in ED patients. A 2007 study from UCLA involved 53 males assigned either pomegranate juice (as POM Wonderful, from POM) or placebo for four weeks.³⁶ Measures of erectile performance were obtained using International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and Global Assessment Questionnaires (GAQ). At the trial end, 47 percent of men in the pomegranate group reported improved erections, compared to just 32 percent in the placebo group. Researchers suggested the positive effects may be due to pomegranate’s potent antioxidant properties.

Pomegranate, which has additional benefits to heart and prostate health, might also help areas of sexual health beyond ED. A Turkish animal study revealed a set of benefits to sperm antioxidant activities.³⁷ In animals consuming concentrated pomegranate juice, major oxidation end products decreased, while activities of various antioxidant compounds in sperm increased. Researchers reported epididymal sperm concentration and sperm motility were significantly higher in animals consuming pomegranate juice, although only a high dose of juice significantly decreased total abnormality of sperms, when compared to the control.