| Perhaps no other drug in the entire | | | | enlargement, premature ejaculation, etc. |
| history of humankind has achieved as | | | | The important herbal constituents used |
| much fame (and at the same time, | | | | in herbal Viagras are Panax ginseng |
| notoriety) as Viagra. Targeted at curing | | | | (Indian Ginseng), Rosemarinus |
| impotency, this drug - developed by the | | | | officinalis (Rosemary), Avena sativa |
| pharmaceutical giant Pfizer - has | | | | (Oats), Muira puama (Potency Wood), |
| achieved almost cult status, with sales | | | | Lepidium meyenii (Maca), Ginkgo biloba |
| of over hundreds of thousands of pills | | | | (Ginkgo), Tribulus terrestris (Caltrop) |
| everyday around the globe. The success | | | | along with scores of other herbs. The |
| of Viagra itself speaks volumes about | | | | first thing that these herbs do is to |
| how prevalent impotency is among men all | | | | improve the circulation of blood in the |
| over the world. | | | | region of the penis, which causes harder |
| However, ancient sciences like Ayurveda | | | | and more permanent erections. One more |
| and Unani have been known and practiced | | | | important function is to improve the |
| several natural medicines for treating | | | | male sexual hormone, testosterone, which |
| impotence since centuries, and that too | | | | helps in increasing the male libido and |
| with positive results. These therapies | | | | also to make the man perform the sexual |
| are herbal, and most of them have been | | | | act better. Some of these herbs can have |
| proven for their efficacies in the | | | | antidepressant properties, which are |
| western world too. | | | | very much beneficial in the treatment of |
| But before going into details of the | | | | men who are suffering from problems |
| natural treatment options available for | | | | pertaining to weak erections. |
| impotence, let us see what the real | | | | In the Indian Ayurvedic tradition, there |
| Viagra does. Viagra is the trade name | | | | is a whole list of more herbs which are |
| for the drug sildenafil citrate. When it | | | | used in the preparation of herbal |
| is consumed, it helps the blood flow to | | | | Viagras. These are different from the |
| focus better on the corpus cavernosa of | | | | above herbs, in the sense that they are |
| the penis. The corpus cavernosa is | | | | used almost exclusively for the |
| composed of several spongy tissues. When | | | | treatment of impotence. Some of these |
| these spongy tissues are engorged with | | | | herbs are the dong quai, kava, blessed |
| blood, the penis becomes hard, which is | | | | thistle, black cohosh, golden seal, etc. |
| the state of erection. Thus, Viagra | | | | These are the same herbs that are used |
| brings about a temporary erection by | | | | in the enhancement of breasts in |
| filling the corpus cavernosa with blood. | | | | females. |
| There are some disadvantages when a | | | | In recent times, a particular substance |
| person consumes Viagra. One of the most | | | | called as yohimbine has gained a lot of |
| important ones is that Viagra needs to | | | | popularity in the treatment of male |
| be continuously used to obtain an | | | | sexual problems. Yohimbine is extracted |
| erection. No Viagra, no erection. And | | | | in its hydrochloride form from the tree |
| those who use Viagra know how expensive | | | | Pausinystalia yohimbe, indigenous to |
| the little blue pill is! Health-wise, | | | | West Africa. Yohimbine hydrochloride has |
| Viagra can produce explained common | | | | been proved to generate better and more |
| colds, headaches and dyspepsia. | | | | sustained erections in men. It is being |
| Sometimes, Viagra can produce | | | | widely used nowadays in alternatives to |
| embarrassing prolonged erections. | | | | Viagra. Some Ayurvedic supplements are |
| Prolonged use of Viagra can cause loss | | | | using yohimbine in their preparations. |
| of peripheral vision and also total | | | | Herbal Viagras are made by carefully |
| blindness. There have also been cases | | | | mixing specific herbs like those |
| known of men suffering from heart | | | | mentioned above in the proper |
| attacks when having sexual intercourse | | | | proportion. They might be mixed in some |
| under the effect of Viagra. Hence, the | | | | oils, or burnt into ash, or molten into |
| medical fraternity has always maintained | | | | a semi-liquid semi-solid kind of |
| that Viagra is a potentially harmful | | | | preparation, or prepared in some other |
| drug. | | | | way. The basic intention is to make the |
| This has led both medical experts as | | | | best use of the chemicals present in the |
| well as users to keep seeking for | | | | herbs. The herbal Viagras are generally |
| alternatives to Viagra. This has made | | | | to be taken with milk. |
| the herbal supplements ever more | | | | Since the herbal Viagras contain more |
| popular. The sudden interest of the | | | | than one herb in them, one major plus |
| western world in the Ayurvedic herbs and | | | | point becomes that a single preparation |
| supplements for the treatment of | | | | can be used to treat several male sexual |
| impotence is due to the success of the | | | | problems at once. Also, since they are |
| Viagra. Before that most men were | | | | made of natural herbs, they do not have |
| learning to cope up with their | | | | major side effects like the real Viagra |
| conditions of impotence. | | | | does. |
| However, now that we know that several | | | | But some precautions need to be taken. |
| herbal supplements exist for the | | | | First and foremost, if you are suffering |
| treatment of Viagra, let us see how they | | | | from hypotension, you need to ask an |
| affect the male penis. All these are | | | | Ayurvedic doctor whether you can have |
| carefully made preparations by mixing | | | | the herbal Viagra. Some people claim |
| just the right amounts of several herbs | | | | that since herbal Viagras alter the |
| and then carrying out several intricate | | | | hormonal balance of the body, they are |
| processes for blending them. Since the | | | | potentially harmful. This is true indeed |
| name Viagra has become so common, these | | | | if the herbal Viagras are taken for a |
| preparations are called as herbal | | | | long time. There may be interference |
| Viagras in slang, though they have | | | | with other hormone-driven activities of |
| nothing to do with Viagra. Viagra is a | | | | the body. Some components of the herbal |
| chemical drug, herbal Viagras are made | | | | Viagras can also cause depression, |
| of herbal constituents. | | | | dyspepsia, headaches, common colds, etc. |
| But just like the original Viagra, the | | | | when used separately. However, whether |
| herbal Viagras work in two ways: | | | | they can cause the same effects in their |
| (i) they improve the circulation of | | | | mixture form or not is yet to be studied |
| blood to the penis and (ii) they alter | | | | properly. |
| the hormones so that the male has better | | | | For these reasons, the use of herbal |
| libido. | | | | Viagras are also considered skeptically |
| Herbal supplements are used for the | | | | by medical experts. However, the general |
| treatment of not just impotence, but | | | | idea is that they are much safer than |
| several other male sexual problems such | | | | the natural Viagras and more usable for |
| as weak libidos, penis curves, penis | | | | a wide number of people. |