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The libido ingredient I personally use as a doctor — here’s why
Hey there, it’s Dr. Magill here, and you may have heard of so-called “solutions” for men suffering from low libido and performance issues…
And you may have noticed that almost all of these “solutions” contain the same 9 ingredients that claim to have big benefits for men.
However, I’ve studied these ingredients and I’ve found them to be more harmful than helpful…
In fact, I don’t feel comfortable recommending any of these ingredients to my patients, and I won’t even use them myself.
Here’s why:
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Horny goat weed has a big reputation in the supplement world, probably because of its name…yet a man would have to consume huge amounts of the normal concentrations to get any benefit from it, which could not only be dangerous, but give a man stomach pains, nose bleeds, even heart problems. It also interferes with a lot of treatments men commonly take, so most doctors don’t recommend it.
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Maca root is another ingredient that’s in a lot of other so-called “libido enhancers” for men, but I have my doubts…For instance, one study I found showed maca root acting like estrogen in the body, and I don’t want any more estrogen if I can help it. Estrogen can act like prolactin and cortisol and drain a man of his sexual energy. Not to mention that there are many different kinds of maca that can be used with many possible side effects, so I steer clea
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Saw palmetto is known as a phyto-estrogen which means it can act like estrogen in the body and possibly lower a man’s natural T… definitely not ideal for a man if he wants the libido and sexual prowess of a 20-year-old…So if you ask me, saw palmetto may do more harm than good…
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Polypodium vulgare is a type of fern that’s often included in male supplements, but ferns can contain carcinogens (toxins that cause cancer) along with an enzyme called thiaminase that can rob the body of important B vitamins. And since I believe B vitamins to be incredibly important for sex drive, I avoid polypodium vulgare…
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Muira puama is a bush that grows in the Amazon region that some claim to be an aphrodisiac. However, studies show it may inhibit the activity of an enzyme called cholinesterase and increase your risk of loss of muscle coordination. In general, there just aren’t enough studies proving muira puama safe for use long-term and its effectiveness is still largely unknown…
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L-Arginine is considered the bee’s knees among supplement ingredients because it promotes nitric oxide — but nitric oxide is associated with heart disease, stroke, even cancer. And since I believe men should have low levels of nitric oxide, I never recommend supplements with L-Arginine or other nitric oxide-promoting ingredients such as citrulline. We get more than enough from food and the last thing we need is more nitric oxide if you ask me.
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Panax Ginseng is rumored to raise testosterone in men, but there isn’t a lot of studies to support it. Ginseng certainly gives men a jolt since it’s a stimulant, but it can also make men shaky or jittery. Some men even suffer from insomnia after taking supplements with ginseng. And I don’t find that it does anything significant for my testosterone or libido, so I avoid it in my supplements.
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Tribulus terrestris is a plant that’s included in a lot of male supplements because of claims that it raises testosterone…but in fact, the research says the opposite. After analyzing the results from 12 major tribulus studies, researchers found that this herb does NOT raise testosterone in humans. Tribulus may increase testosterone in animals, but it has failed to do so in all the human studies and is therefore not an ingredient I want in my supplements…
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Yohimbe is an African tree bark that’s thought to be an aphrodisiac, but I’m wary of it because of the studies I’ve seen…There have been cases where yohimbe caused renal failure, kidney failure, depression, hallucinations, and painful boners in men, just to name a few. So yohimbe is NOT an herb that I feel safe using or recommending to other men…
So I think now you can see why I would never recommend ANY of these libido “solutions” to a man.
Instead, here is what I recommend to naturally boost libido and sexual prowess in men…
Warmly,
–Dr. Ari Magill, MD
Board Certified Physician
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