Does it work? If yes, how much and why? And what is the best way to take advantage of its qualities, to have better erections, which last longer and a better sex life.
We'll take a look at the research behind grape seed extract.
Grape seed extract increases nitric oxide
Vasodilation is one of the most important mechanisms for getting and keeping your erections.
It means the widening (dilation) of your blood vessels, in this case, to add bulk and stiffness to the tissues of your penis.
No vasodilation, no erection.
Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the main chemical compounds that stimulates vasodilation in your penis and elsewhere, and many studies have linked reduced NO production with erectile dysfunction.
In 2010, a study was carried out at the PLA Chinese General Hospital in Beijing, where subjects were given grape seed extract and then NO production was examined at regular intervals.
It was found that grape seed extract treatment not only increased nitric oxide production, but higher doses caused higher production without any ceiling within the limits of this study.
The implications are very clear: grape seed extract directly affects the production of NO, which means that any erectile dysfunction caused by NO deficiency can be corrected using grape seed extract.
In addition, improved vasodilation has other heart health benefits.
A study by Indika Edirisinghe of UC Davis linked grape seed extract to reduced blood pressure in patients who required treatment with antihypertensive medications.
The mechanics behind this are easy to understand.
Blood flow at large vessels moves at a lower pressure, so more nitric oxide (which increases vasodilation) means lower blood pressure.
As regular readers of this blog already know, better cardiovascular health means better erectile and sexual health, since your erections depend on the presence of good blood circulation. The risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease also decreases with better blood pressure, so you can enjoy healthy erections longer than you otherwise would.
Grapeseed prevents hardening of the arteries
Hardening of the arteries occurs when calcium, cholesterol and other materials build up inside the arterial walls.
This patchwork of materials is less elastic than the tissues of your blood vessels, which makes the expansion and contraction of your arteries slower, more difficult and more dangerous.
In the worst cases, hardened arteries can cause strokes and heart attacks, as the compromised vessels prevent proper blood flow.
Even in the early and moderate stages, this lack of elasticity in the blood vessels around your penis can delay getting an erection, make it softer in the middle, and faster to lose.
In 2005, Israeli researchers presented the results of their study at an experimental biology conference.
They had administered powders and juices containing grape seed extract to mice, which led to the reduction of arterial damage in these rodents by 41 percent compared to a control group.
Other researchers in the same presentation presented similar evidence.
Nine years later, American researchers gave 200 mg per day of grape seed extract to 13 male smokers, finding that an eight-week cure with such dosage helped reduce the accumulation of cholesterol plaque on the arterial walls and prevents additional cholesterol from adhering to blood vessels.
As with the findings related to nitric oxide, which we just discussed, this is a dual health problem for many people with erectile dysfunction.
The increased elasticity in your blood vessels will make it easier to get and keep erections. The better heart health resulting from less cholesterol plaque will keep you alive to enjoy those erections for longer.
Grape seed extract is an aromatase inhibitor
Aromatase is an important agent in your body chemistry that converts testosterone to estrogen, in humans and other mammals.
Although a balanced level of estrogen is vital for your health, too much estrogen can cause many sexual and gender-related problems, including…
Gynecomastia, feminine weight distribution, lack of energy, low motivation and you guessed it… erectile dysfunction.
In 2006, Dr. Kijima of the Beckman Research Institute in Duarte, California, found that grape seed extract inhibited aromatase uptake in breast cancer patients.
Although this research was intended to discover more effective treatments for breast cancer (aromatase is more present in breast cancer patients), the effects on other health issues center around aromatase were clarified.
This was confirmed in earlier research in 2003 by Dr Eng, also of Beckman Research Institute, which came to exactly the same conclusions.
Further research revealed that two molecules found in grape seed extract were the agents responsible for their aromatase blocking action.
Both proanthocyanidin and procyanidin block aromatase uptake, directly preventing your body from processing and responding to information, which results in a decreased conversion of testosterone to estrogen.
More testosterone and less estrogen means better sexual health, in men who don't have estrogen deficiency in the first place, which is very rare.
Grape Seed Extract and Erectile Dysfunction – Conclusion
Unlike other erectile dysfunction supplements we have discussed on this blog, grape seed extract is not a “one stop shop” option for solving your erectile problems.
However, if your erectile dysfunction stems from circulatory issues, it may help resolve the mechanical issues involved. Similarly, Erectile Dysfunction caused by low testosterone or increased estrogen can also be treated with the help of good old grape seed extract.
You can get it in the form of various pills and powders.
Try it for a month and see what happens, if necessary increase your dose. Since it comes from grapes, you have to take a lot of it before you see any real effects, so it's okay to do some trial and error with this supplement.