Erectile dysfunction is often defined as the inability of men to sustain an erection during intercourse. While age is one common cause for erectile dysfunction, there are a lot of other causes like diabetes, hypertension, obesity and stress. While these are the primary causes of erectile dysfunction, there is one emerging cause of ED, which is folic acid deficiency.
What is folic acid?
Folic acid is an essential vitamin, belonging to the Vitamin B family. The vitamin is important for maintaining cells within the human body, and it also prevents cancer. Folic acid works well with nitric oxide, and the absence of this acid is commonly being considered as the increasing reason for erectile dysfunction in men these days.
Neurotransmitter nitric oxide, most often known as NO, is produced within the nerve tissues and it helps the penis jolt up to its rightful position. As an aftermath, the human male body releases a series of chemicals, including NO, to help the penis stay strong and hard, allowing a good sexual performance.
However, when the body is unable to produce enough NO, the penis is unable to maintain an erection for longer periods of time. In other words, it might not be able to “rise up to the occasion”, as should be the case normally. While Viagra, the magical little blue pill, along with other types of herbs, vitamins and amino acids can fix the situation temporarily, it is not the most permanent solution for erectile dysfunction.
How does folic acid affect erections?
The truth is that folic acid does not cause erectile dysfunction. However, a lack of folic acid can often be the real reason behind this manly issue. Whenever a human body has little or no folic acid, it leads to hyperhomocysteinemia, which is often caused by high levels of amino acid homocysteine. Excess of hyperhomocysteinemia, in turn leads to erectile dysfunction in men.
Folic acid, being the synthetic supplement of Vitamin B9, is necessary for many forms of energy producing reactions in the body. It plays a pivotal role in producing DNA and RNA repair, along with brain development. Men with low levels of folic acid were found to have high levels of homocysteine, which is a clear indicator for heart diseases and other cardiovascular issues.
Apart from causing erectile dysfunction, folic acid also plays a role in determining the sperm quality and male fertility. By combining folic acid and zinc, men can improve their sperm count by as much as 74 percent. However, people suffering from low sperm count, more often than not, will not benefit from the intake of folic acid. For people with extremely low sperm count, it’s advisable to reach out to your General Physicist for the best suited medications.
Some other medications which can be used to treat erectile dysfunction include but are not limited to, Vitamin B3, Vitamin D, L-Arginine, amongst many others. Vitamin B3 is known to help people suffering from high cholesterol, get rid of the problems with their willy.
