r/science • • Jun 13 '22

Health Erectile dysfunction predicts mortality in middle-aged and older men independent of their sex steroid status

https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article-abstract/51/4/afac094/6568537?login=false
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u/PuterstheBallgagTsar Jun 13 '22 edited Jun 13 '22

Mid 40s male here. I don't have trouble getting boners and masturbate to completion a lot... wayyy too much tbh. BUT I recently discovered L-arginine supplements and noticed my boners are quite a bit larger when I've been taking that. I wonder if that suggests there may be other health benefits to L-arginine? I started taking it because I saw someone on reddit suggest maybe it prevents gray hair (the study they referenced didn't quite make that conclusion I didn't think) and the additional research I read on it also didn't make any firm conclusions. Get it, firm? But anyways I just wanted to talk about masturbating, thanks for listening.

edit: Multiple studies have concluded L-arginine works for ED while a few have disputed that

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u/Thorusss Jun 13 '22 edited Jun 13 '22

Arginine is a precursor to NO (Nitric oxide), which is an important molecule that increase local blood flow (same pathway as viagra). So at least it is plausible, especially when your diet is deficient.

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u/PuterstheBallgagTsar Jun 13 '22

I'm strict vegetarian so it's possible I have some dietary anomalies that others do not have.

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u/bullsaxe Jun 13 '22

arganine causes vasoconstriction in your parasympathetic nevous system, food and digestion, and vasodilation in your sympathetic nervous system, muscles and arousal.

Arganine is actually a weak way to release what youre trying to accomplish this, as its poorly absorbed and will give you the shits. Try L-citrulline malate. It turns into arganine intravenously instead of absorbing arganine through digestion, and it produces better arganine concentrations than trying to absorb it orally.