A single-episode podcast (host: Dr. Anne Truong MD) describing five over-the-counter supplement alternatives people try for erectile dysfunction (DHEA, L-Arginine, Korean red ginseng/Panax, Yohimbine, L-carnitine). Dr. Truong emphasizes first identifying the cause of ED (six-system framework: brain, emotion, hormones, nerves, blood vessels, muscle), prefers lifestyle changes (Mediterranean diet, sleep, stress reduction, HIIT exercise) before supplements, and repeatedly cautions that supplements are not FDA-approved, may contain hidden ingredients, can interact with prescription drugs, and have specific side effects. The episode mentions specific dosing guidance and safety thresholds (e.g., DHEA 10–25 mg; L-arginine ~200–1,000 mg; advice not to lower cholesterol 'much lower than 140'; alcohol and smoking limits) and directs listeners to show notes and the host's website for references and resources.
Questions this episode answers
June 16, 2022
About 10–25 milligrams
About 200–1,000 milligrams
She advises not to lower cholesterol much lower than 140 (mg/dL implied)
More than 2 ounces of hard liquor a day or two glasses of wine a day
Chapters
This podcast is for you. The modern man. I'm Dr. Anne Truong, your host. I'm an intimate health medical doctor and best selling author of the book Erectile Dysfunction Fix. I'll do a deep dive into sexual health and performance and how it affects men of all ages and backgrounds. So let's get started and be sure to visit my website@sexualhealthfulmenpodcast.com for more information and resources from the show. See you on the inside. Well, hello there modern man. In this episode I am gonna talk about some over the counter ED pills alternative that you can try out. So you know that you can't get Viagra over the counter and it has to be a prescription. But there are other alternatives that you may consider doing. And again, these are not FDA approved but there are some studies that may show that it does help. So we're going to go over those five supplements today. So stay tuned. I love for you to subscribe to my channel, leave a review and comment. I'd love to hear from you. So my suggestion first is that if you find that you have ed, first find out the cause first. Don't try to take the pill. In my previous episode I talk about the sixth system that is involved with a sexual arousal and erection is that starts in the brain and the emotion and the hormone, the nerve, the blood vessels and the muscle. So evaluate those six systems and determine, you know, whether the brain emotions involved or the hormones involved. You find that you have ed. Now people say, well I'm older, therefore I have ed. That's a natural progression. Well, that's not true. It's just that older men have a higher propensity to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, being overweight and stressed and not sleeping well. All those factors compound to affect the 6 system that I talk about and therefore they're more common in older men and they contribute to ed. But doesn't necessarily when you get older that you cannot get an erection. So please keep that in mind. So let's talk about the first one. Now I want to stress again, these are not FDA approved. FDA do not evaluate supplements. Another disclosure, this is for educational purposes only. And if you're getting supplement there are hidden ingredients that are in there and that some of these supplements can react with your prescription medication. And of course always talk to your doctor first before you start taking these alternative and always find out the cause of why you have ED rather than trying to take a pill and start with your diet and first change your diet to a Mediterranean diet. And also evaluate your exercise regime. So the first one is DHC ea, and that's a long name for that, but it's essentially the father of testosterone. It is the metabolite, the first ingredient that testosterone need in order for it to become testosterone in your body. But DHEA actually come from cholesterol. So it's important to know that you know you want to lower your cholesterol, but you don't want to lower much lower than 140, because you need that to make your sex hormone. And DHEA is the father of testosterone. DHEA naturally decreases with age, but if you take a supplement of maybe 10 milligrams to 25 milligrams, it can help with making more testosterone. Therefore, can help with ed. But be really careful because it can also elevate estrogen or estradiol as well, too. Number two is L Arginine. Again, all of this I will put in the show note for reference for you to refer to. So number two is L Arginine. L arginine actually, it help with increasing blood flow by making nitrous oxide more available, and that's why it's been widely used. And L arginine is something that you can take as a supplement as well and ranges from about 200 milligrams to 1,000 milligrams. You got to be really careful because taking too much will cause cramping and nausea. Number three is Korean red ginseng or Panap ginseng. It actually help increase blood flow. We talked about blood flow in the previous episode where you need to have increasing blood flow to get an erection and the blood flow depended upon the arteries. You need to have the blood vessel be able to expand. And if you have the narrowing of the arteries, then you know you'll have decreased blood flow to the penis and the Panax. Ginseng or Korean red ginseng help with increasing blood flow. However, the side effects is that it can interfere with blood clotting and it can also cause trouble sleeping. Number four, yohimbi. Yohimbi increases norepinephrine, which is neurotransmitter release that will help with an erection. And norepinephrine is also responsible for orgasm and ejaculation. However, norepinephrine or yohembi, which affect the norepinephrine pathway, also have multiple side effects, such as increasing blood pressure, increasing your heart rate. It can cause dizziness, nausea and insomnia, as well as anxiety. So be very careful when you take yohimbi. It should not be taken lightly. Number five is L Carnitine. L Carnitine. It increases blood flow and again blood flow help with erection. However, it has side effects of nausea, vomiting and pain in the stomach as well as chest pain. It has the fishy odor. Once you take a fishy odor in your breath and in your urine, I will put this in the show Note and again, these supplements are not FDA approved. If you get the supplement, make sure you get it from a provider that is able to get it from an FDA approved facility with a good pure component. Because sometimes when you buy the supplements over the counter or on the Internet you don't know what the hidden ingredients are, whether they're pure or is full with filler and that. Keep in mind that these supplements can interfere and react with your prescription medication and it does have side effects so it's not to be taken lightly. Again, if you have ed, find out the cause of your ED first and work upon that and start with just sleep de stress. Improve your diet. I advocate a Mediterranean diet and also exercise with high intensity and training HIIT exercise of 3:30 minutes three times a week. Just doing those four things will actually goes a long way with initiating that. And stop eating simple carbohydrates and stop drinking sodas and also you know stop smoking because smoking will definitely interfere with your blood flow capacity. You smoke is the number one risk factor for ED as well as a lot of alcohol. How much is a lot but more than 2 ounces of hard liquor a day or two glasses of wine a day. And also always talk with your doctor first before you initiate the ED pill alternative and make sure that it doesn't interfere with the medication. Make sure it's safe. Check your blood pressure. Again, this is only for educational purposes only and it's something to consider because you know that Viagra or Tadalafil you cannot take over the counter and that those have very serious side effects. Again, if you have chest pain, if you take nitrate then you should not take these supplements and they're actually not indicated for taking Sudenafil or Tadalafil. So having said that, I just want to briefly just show you some of these five alternative and for you to consider and Modern Man. I will see you in the next episode. Thanks for listening to the Sexual Health for Men podcast. If you love this episode then please take a screenshot on your phone and post it on Facebook, Instagram or wherever you post and be sure to tag me and let me know why you like this episode and what you like to hear in the future that will help me know what's on Going great for you and I would love to give you the most incredible free gift design to help you improve performance quickly. Go to my website@sexualhealthformenpodcast.com to get the book the Five Common Costly Mistakes Men Make When Facing Ed. I would appreciate if you subscribe, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen and just know that you can have sexual vitality for life. I always appreciate you. Until next time.
