For men who are suffering from erectile dysfunction and looking for a natural treatment: your search may be over. Furthermore, your journey to recovery could be about to begin. It all starts with a little thing called folic acid, which has been scientifically proven to alleviate symptoms of ED.
What Is Folic Acid?
Folic acid is derived from folate. In fact, it’s a synthetic form of the latter, and it’s often used in supplements and medication. Folate itself is a B vitamin that occurs naturally in nature – but not in the human body, which is why we must get it through external sources such as food and supplements.
Folate is extremely important to the human body. It helps the body manufacture new red blood cells, as well aids DNA and other genetic material in synthesizing, repairing, and dividing.
Folic acid may be beneficial for people who are extremely deficient in it as a result of an unhealthy diet. Eventually, by eating the right foods (which we list further down in this article) and compensating for the deficiency with folic acid, an individual may be able to keep healthy stores of folate in his body without the use of a separate supplement.
Does Folic Acid Help With Erectile Dysfunction?
Men who have taken folic acid for erectile dysfunction have shown significant improvement in their condition, per one 2020 study. In the study, researchers found that folic acid reduced men’s levels of homocysteine, which is a naturally occurring amino acid.
The problem with homocysteine is that if it reaches too high of a level, it can actually cause blood flow problems, including too much clotting. Healthy blood circulation is vital for healthy erections.
Thus, when the folic acid reduces a man’s homocysteine levels, blood flow increases to the penis, enabling easier erections.
Is Folic Acid A Better Alternative To Prescription Drugs?
Considering that medication such as Viagra and Cialis improve ED by improving blood circulation, folic acid, which is derived from a B vitamin, is a far more enticing natural route. It’s also less expensive, and doesn’t require a prescription. You can just go to your local grocery or health food store and pick up some capsules to add to your daily vitamin lineup.
It’s important to note that when you take prescription drugs for erectile dysfunction, you will likely be on that medication for the rest of your life (or however long you choose to be sexually active). If low folate levels in your body are the root cause of your ED, however, supplementation combined with a better diet of folate-rich foods will help correct that issue. Eventually, you may be able to stop taking supplements altogether.
How Much Should I Take For ED?
According to the National Institutes of Health in the United States, the recommended daily intake (RDA) of folate for adult males is 400 mcg, which will give your body a sufficient amount of folic acid. 1 mcg of folate is equal to 0.6 mcg of folic acid.
What Foods Contain Folate?
If you’re not certain about taking folic acid supplements every day, or if you simply want to boost your body’s overall health through diet, there are lots of foods that naturally contain folate. Most of them are green vegetables, such as broccoli, boiled spinach, kale, asparagus, lettuce, green peas, and mustard greens.
Fruits you can easily add to your diet as a breakfast item, snack, or dessert, include orange, grapefruit, papaya, banana, and cantaloupe.
For a protein that’s rich in folate, you should try beef liver, Dungeness crab, black-eyed peas, dry-roasted peanuts, or hard boiled eggs.
With so many ingredient options, you can easily make a delicious meal that will increase your folate levels, as well as possibly improve your erectile dysfunction.
Verdict: Folic Acid May Be A Natural Alternative To Viagra
Natural supplements, just like prescription drugs, don’t always work for everyone. But in the Viking Man team’s humble opinion, folic acid works just as well as Viagra at improving your erectile dysfunction. It’s certainly healthier, and doesn’t come with all of the sketchy potential side effects of medication.
As an added bonus, its natural counterpart, folate, can be obtained through fruits, vegetables, meat, and legumes. It’s not a man made product that’s subject to man made fallacies.
Folic acid and food-derived folate: the perfect combination for the man who’s concerned about choosing the healthiest, most natural route for his sexual health.
As always, talk with your doctor before going off any prescription drug, and stick to the recommended daily allowance for folate. To learn more about alternative methods for treating ed, check out our other blogs here on Viking Man.
