Beetroot
Studies have looked at the effect of beetroot juice on blood pressure. Beetroot is a nitrate rich food which can aid blood flow. Beetroot is often cited as being a cure for erectile dysfunction as it increases nitric oxide levels in your blood, and that dilates blood vessels and increases blood flow to the penis.
Beetroot is packed with natural nitrates. These compounds convert to nitrites via the bacteria in your tongue, and eventually into nitric oxide in your gut. The salivary glands and oral bacteria play an essential role in the conversion process from nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) to nitric oxide (NO) in the human body. L-arginine is the main pathway to produce NO in the body, but ingesting nitrate rich foods also adds to the bodies NO reservoir. Antiseptic mouthwash stops the oral bacterial conversion of nitrates to nitrites. Studies show that such mouthwashes reduce NO levels and increase blood pressure! For a natural alternative to chlorhexidine mouthwash:
- Rinse your mouth with salt water
- Gargle with coconut oil (oil pulling)
- Use a Zylitol chewing gum, a zylitol toothpaste or a zylitol natural mouthwash.
Beetroot is high in the mineral boron. Boron is essential for testosterone production and raising levels of free testosterone. They also contain a natural amino acid called betaine which is a methylator that helps your liver remove estrogen out of the body. Betaine is a derivative of the nutrient choline; in other words, choline is a “precursor” to betaine and must be present for betaine to be synthesised in the body. Betaine is created by choline in combination with the incredible amino acid glycine.
Garlic + vitamin C
Garlic can significantly increase testosterone levels Your testosterone levels affect many things including libido and erectile quality. Another benefit of garlic is the reduction in inflammation, lowered blood pressure and increased nitric oxide production. Consuming garlic on a daily basis helps to lower cholesterol levels because of the anti-oxidant properties of Allicin. It is also immensely beneficial to regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Garlic also contains quercetin (a plant polyphenol) which has anti-inflammatory effects and vasodilating effects.
A study published in 2014 found that garlic has “the potential to lower blood pressure in hypertensive individuals similarly to standard blood pressure medications.
Garlic can increase your nitric oxide levels by 200% when taken in combination with vitamin C. It’s thought that this is due to a chemical in garlic known as diallyl sulfide (which causes the strong garlic smell). A Japanese animal study found that dietary supplementation with garlic increases testicular testosterone. A South African study showed that the wild garlic speeds up the conversion of cholesterol to testosterone.
Watermelon is the natural viagra!
Studies have found that watermelon increases the volume of semen. It also has a viagra like effect. That’s because the fruit is rich in an amino acid called citrulline, which relaxes and dilates blood vessels much like Viagra and other drugs meant to treat erectile dysfunction. L-Citrulline is one of the three dietary amino acids in the urea cycle, alongside L-arginine and L-Ornithine. L-Citrulline reduces fatigue and improves endurance for both aerobic and anaerobic prolonged exercise. Your kidneys change L-citrulline into another amino acid called L-arginine and nitric oxide (NO). L-citrulline boosts nitric oxide production in the body. Nitric oxide helps your arteries relax and work better, which improves blood flow throughout your body. This may be helpful for treating or preventing many diseases, and improve erections.
Nitric oxide triggers erections: NO in blood vessels in the penis diffuses into the vascular smooth muscle cells of the penis where it binds to and activates an enzyme called guanylate cyclase. This enzyme converts a molecule called guanosine triphosphate to another molecule called cGMP. This serves as a messenger for many important cellular functions, including smooth muscle relaxation. When cGMP instructs the smooth muscles to relax, a surge of blood flow is allowed to freely pass into these smooth muscles and the build-up of an erection starts.
Citrulline supplements have been used as a safe alternative to viagra. Red flesh watermelons have slightly less citrulline than the yellow or orange flesh watermelons:
- Red flesh (7.4mg/g dry weight): Watermelon flesh is 92% water. Citrulline content in 1/2 a watermelon (500g): 296mg
- Yellow flesh (28.5mg/g dry weight): Watermelon flesh is 92% water. Citrulline content in 1/2 a watermelon (500g): 1040mg
- Orange flesh (14.2mg/g dry weight) : Watermelon flesh is 92% water. Citrulline content in 1/2 a watermelon (500g): 568mg
A typical Citrulline erectile dysfuntion supplement dose is 1500mg (1.5g). So eating watermelon is a superb alternative. In the citrulline trial, all ED patients reported an erection hardness score improvement.
Citrulline has important roles in the body, but unlike some amino acids, it is not used to build proteins. It plays a necessary part in the urea cycle. The the urea cycle removes ammonia from the body, the final product is urea, which your body gets rid of in urine.
Oysters
Testosterone is vital for erectile quality. It gives you the desire and increases libido. Oysters don't have any valodilatory effects, but they do contains lots of zinc, magnesium, selenium, copper and vitamin D - all of which are critical to testosterone production.
A team of researchers analysed oysters and found they were rich in rare amino acids that trigger increased levels of sex hormones. Oysters also contain high quality protein, including some of the more rare amino acids such as the testosterone boosting D-aspartic acid.
Zinc and copper plays a big role in skin repair by helping create and boost collagen. Collagen is crucial for the structural support in skin and reduces sagging. It also helps maintain stronger nails, and keeps scalp and hair healthy. The RDA for zinc is 11mg/day and one oyster contains around 8mg.
Dark Berries
Blueberries are nutrient dense with the right blend of nutrients for improving erectile quality naturally. Berries contain high levels of antioxidants and some erection boosting flavonoids and phenols: Quercetin, resveratrol
proanthocyanidin (a flavanol) and good levels of vitamin C. Dark berries such as blueberries, blackberries and acai berries have always been super healthy. They contain resveratrol which has been found to raise testosterone levels, block estrogen synthesis and possibly activate androgen receptors.
Calcium D-glucarate is found in fruits and vegetables and is linked to regulating estrogen metabolism and as a lipid-lowering (fat lowering) agent. The anti-oxidant content of dark berries is extremely high, they make a perfect gout prevention food. Daily blueberry consumption has been associated with a decline in blood pressure and improves the health of vascular smooth muscle tissue.
Onions
In a study that was conducted on rodents by Iranian scientists, it was shown that onions significantly increased testosterone levels in rats.. It is believed that antioxidants neutralise free radicals in the testes. The researchers suspected that the antioxidants in question were probably selenium compounds found in onions, and phenols. Onions contain testosterone boosting substances such as apigenin (associated with a decrease in the steroidogenic acute regulatory, StAR protein) and quercetin (UGT2B17 is an enzyme that converts testosterone into a form that can be excreted out of the body through urine). This has the effect of lowering your circulating testosterone levels. Quercetin has been shown to inhibit this enzyme's activity).
Dark Chocolate
Cacao is essentially RAW version of the cocoa bean that maintains the antioxidants, enzymes and friendly gut bacteria. Cacao that is linked to increased cardiovascular health, lowered blood pressure and lowered blood glucose levels. Cacao is rich in minerals, such as magnesium, zinc, manganese, iron, and copper. Cacao also contains the perfect fat ratios for testosterone production. Very dark chocolate is good for you (look out for cocoa / cacao mixes), never go for the factory produced chocolates. Studies suggest a beneficial effect of dark chocolate on blood pressure, lipids and inflammation. Benefits include greater nitric oxide bioavailability (which helps men achieve an erection). Never go for the factory produced cheap chocolates. Dark chocolate contains L-Arginine which is an amino acid which is known to increase semen volume and is the precursor to NO in the body.
Capers
Capers contain huge amounts of quercetin (#1 vegetable source with 230mg in 100g, 100% RDA) which is a powerful anti-inflammatory phytochemical compound. Quercetin inhibits an liver enzyme called UGT2B17 which breaks down hormones. UGT2B17 metabolizes testosterone to a metabolite, which is then excreted in urine. So quercetin does a really good job in maintaining testosterone levels.
Red wine
Yes!!! One of the ways testosterone is eliminated from your body is through urine. An enzyme called UGT2B17 (expressed in the prostate) attaches specific molecules to testosterone, enabling your body to get rid of it. Researchers found that quercetin, a compound in red wine, blocks UGT2B17 in lab studies. That means potentially elevated testosterone levels in your bloodstream, and less in your urine. Red wine also inhibits the aromatase enzyme (which converts testosterone to estrogen) this is because red wine contains resveratrol, which has been shown to inhibit aromatase, decrease estrogen, and to increase testosterone levels. Resveratrol is present in grapes, berries and other plants, it has several beneficial effects including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing.
Parsley
Parsley has long been used as a diuretic that reduced water retention and helps in controlling various diseases such as kidney stones*, urinary tract infections and gallbladder stones.
Parsley is a great testosterone booster because it contains high amounts of a compound called apigenin. Apigenin is a flavonoid and is found mainly in some fruits and vegetables. Apigenin has been found to increase StAR gene expression and steroid creation.
The drop in testosterone in older men is linked to a decrease of a protein synthesised in the testes. This protein is called the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, or StAR. StAR has also been found in all tissues that can produce steroids, including the adrenal cortex and the brain. Recent findings suggest that StAR may also move cholesterol in the liver as an important first step in the production of bile acids by the liver.
Testosterone is mainly synthesized in testicular Leydig cells from cholesterol and then released into the circulation. It is known that the levels of blood testosterone are affected by multiple physiological and biochemical factors associated with aging. The rate-limiting step in testosterone production is the transfer of cholesterol from the outer to the inner mitochondrial membrane. The StAR protein, plays a critical function at this step by facilitating the mitochondrial cholesterol transfer. Alcohol also blocks the activity of StAR, which explains why drinking too much can lower testosterone levels in men.
Pomegranate
Pomegranates consumption is associated with a wide variety of cardiovascular benefits. For example, based on several research studies, it has been identified that antioxidants present in pomegranates can assist in lowering the blood pressure and getting rid of plaque that forms within the arteries as part of the physiological aging process. Pomegranate also stimulate the production and release of naturally occurring antioxidants within the body like catalase, glutathione and glutathione-peroxidase. Consuming the pomegranate juice also boosts the enzymatic process of eNOS which is responsible for the production of nitric oxide (NO). Therefore it lowers the blood pressure to normal levels and with its dilating properties it can also help in improving the quality of erection. Pomegranates contain polyphenols, tannins, ellagic acid and anthocyanins. These compounds are powerful antioxidants. The anthocyanidins (red pigment) also contribute to the antioxidant activity. Pomegranate juice has been shown to have superior bioactivity. Pomegranates also can curb overall inflammation, which would lower the risk of inflammatory conditions like stroke or heart attacks.
Try and eat the real fruit (lots of fibre). Second best is freshly squeezed. The worst is pomegranate juice in supermarkets that may contain lots of added sugar and HFCS.
Asparagus
Asparagus is rich in antioxidants that promote testosterone production. Various minerals contained in asparagus include vitamin E, potassium as well as folic acid, all of which help with production of testosterone. Asparagus is considered to be a natural aphrodisiac (Folic acid aids in the production of chemicals that enhance sex drive). Vitamin E stimulates the production of testosterone). Asparagus is one of the most nutritionally balanced plant-derived foods. Asparagus has vitamin A (essential for eye health) and vitamin K1 (which helps your blood clot and is the precursor to vitamin K2), magnesium, zinc and selenium, as well as fibre, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, iron, copper, and manganese. Asparagus is also a good food to increase sperm volume.
L Arginine Supplementation & foods
As an amino acid, arginine helps build proteins, stimulates the secretion of growth hormone, helps remove ammonia from your body and has a role in healing wounds. Your body uses arginine to produce nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels. ARGININE SUPPLEMENTS ARE CHEAP AND VERY EFFECTIVE.
L-Arginine is the precursor of endogenous nitric oxide (NO), which is a potent vasodilator For men, L-arginine will give you more Testosterone and stronger erections. L-Citrulline is a similar amino acid to L-Arginine. It is very effective at maintaining Arginine levels for a longer period of time. Citrulline (it’s name is derived from citrullus, the Latin word for watermelon) passes freely to the kidneys for a high 80% conversion rate to bio-effective Arginine.
L-arginine supplementation significantly reduces both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 2-5.mm Hg and 3mm Hg, respectively. L-arginine also increases the potency of PDE-5 inhibitors such as Viagra.
Foods that contain L-arginine:-
- Concentrated watermelon extract can increase levels of plasma arginine. A cup of fresh watermelon contain between 200–300mg of citrulline.
- Wild caught oily fish such as salmon is a great choice because of good levels of L-arginine, it also supplies anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids which combine we with L-arginine.
- Pasture fed eggs.
- Yogurt, kefir and organic cheeses.
- Poultry (including turkey and chicken). Turkey breasts have the highest concentration of arginine, about 2,000mg per 100g.
- Pork.
- Liver and organ meats.
The importance of Nitric Oxide (NO)
The concept of NO as a modulator of blood pressure relies in the fact that sufficient NO bioavailability is associated with normal vasodilation and hence, normal blood pressure. On the other hand, decreases in NO can lead to a failure in smooth muscle relaxation, erectile dysfunction and consequent hypertension. Most NO is produced by your bodies endothelial cells and adventitia cells of blood vessel layers. The small size and lipophilic (fat loving) nature of NO allow for rapid diffusion through cell membranes to reach its target cells, the smooth muscle cells.