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Erections

Erections refers to the ability to achieve and maintain and erection as well as its rigidity. Many supplements catering towards erectile dysfunction are said to possess these pro-erectile properties.

Kamal
Research analysis lead by Kamal Patel
All content reviewed by Examine.com Team. Published:
Last Updated:

Human Effect Matrix

The Human Effect Matrix looks at human studies (it excludes animal and in vitro studies) to tell you what supplements affect erections
Grade Level of Evidence
Robust research conducted with repeated double-blind clinical trials
Multiple studies where at least two are double-blind and placebo controlled
Single double-blind study or multiple cohort studies
Uncontrolled or observational studies only
Level of Evidence
? The amount of high quality evidence. The mo re evidence, the more we can trust the results.
Outcome Magnitude of effect
? The direction and size of the supplement's impact on each outcome. Some supplements can have an increasing effect, others have a decreasing effect, and others have no effect.
Consistency of research results
? Scientific research does not always agree. HIGH or VERY HIGH means that most of the scientific research agrees.
Notes
grade-b Panax ginseng Minor Very High See all 4 studies
An improvement in erectile dysfunction is seen with 3g of Korean Red Ginseng (fermented panax ginseng, regular panax ginseng not as well tested) which is thought to be secondary to anti-fatigue effects and improved blood flow
grade-b Yohimbine Minor - See study
Erections are increased following yohimbine ingestion which is thought to be a combination of alpha-2-adrenergic antagonism (enhancing relaxation of the penile tissue so engorgement of blood can ensure) and increasing blood pressure (which would increase the amount of force in an erection). However, may not be able to overcome organic erectile dysfunction associated with poor blood flow
grade-c Coenzyme Q10 Minor - See study
Increased erectile function has been noted with CoQ10, but this may be secondary to reductions in symptoms of Peyronie's Disease
grade-c Eurycoma Longifolia Jack Minor - See study
There appears to be a slight proerectile effect of eurycoma supplements as assessed by self-report survey
grade-c Maca  
grade-c Tribulus terrestris  
grade-c Ashwagandha  
grade-c Butea superba  
grade-c Dehydroepiandrosterone  
grade-c Saffron  
grade-d Citrulline  
grade-d L-Carnitine  
grade-d Pycnogenol  

All comparative evidence is now gathered in our ​A-to-Z Supplement Reference.

The evidence for each separate supplement is still freely available ​here.

This page is regularly updated, to include the most recently available clinical trial evidence.

Each member of our research team is required to have no conflicts of interest, including with supplement manufacturers, food companies, and industry funders. The team includes nutrition researchers, registered dietitians, physicians, and pharmacists. We have a strict editorial process.

This page features 0 references. All factual claims are followed by specifically-applicable references. Click here to see the full set of references for this page.

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