Previous research has studied the use of ginseng in mice however scientists at the Yonsei University College of Medicine in Seoul, South Korea, looked at 119 men who had been diagnosed with mild to moderate erectile problems.

They were split into two groups with one half taking four tablets containing extracts of Korean ginseng berry, while the other half took placebo tablets.

After eight weeks, the researchers found those taking the ginseng tablets had a moderate but significant improvement in sexual function.

The root of the ginseng plant has been used in alternative medicine for thousands of years to improve overall health.

“Korean ginseng berry extract improved all domains of sexual function,” the researchers wrote.

“It can be used as an alternative to medicine to improve sexual life in men.”

Some past studies have found ginseng can help impotence, but a lot of the studies were done in mice.

Professor Rob McLachlan, director of Andrology Australia, told ninemsn the results were interesting but not powerful enough to take over from current treatments.

“There was a small but significant improvement, however Viagra would give you a bigger effect in this group,” he said.

“It does suggest an effect on the erectile function score. I imagine there will be some strength given to the natural therapy people with this.”

Professor McLachlan said ginseng may be of interest to men with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction who suffer side effects from drugs such as Viagra.

“Some people do get side effects like headache and facial flushing and feeling odd,” he said.

“Those who are unable to take doses of these other agents might like to explore this.”

Source: ninemsn.com.au

It’s been dubbed the “Viagra condom,” but that’s not entirely accurate. The new product is lined with a vasodilating gel, which increases blood flow to the penis and helps maintain erection. But unlike the pill, it’s not designed for men who have erectile dysfunction; rather, it’s meant for men who have trouble keeping erections specifically while using a condom.

CSD500 was developed by Futura Medical and licensed to the Durex brand, which is owned by consumer-products company Reckitt Benckiser. The product is close to regulatory approval in the U.K. and may be on the market within the year, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. If the manufacturer seeks FDA approval to market the condom in the U.S., it will have to provide more clinical trial data.

The CSD500 is certainly an innovative idea, not least because it targets male users. Most advances in birth control — like hormone patches or pills — are geared toward women. And many men would probably agree that the stalwart but lowly condom has been long overdue for an upgrade.

So how does Futura’s new invention work? The trick was getting the gel to stay put inside the condom, so that it would not affect the condom-wearer’s partner. According to the Journal:

Finding an active ingredient was straightforward — it’s a generic compound for the treatment of angina, a severe chest pain caused by lack of blood flow to the heart. However, “immobilizing” the gel in the condom, so the vasodilator only touches the wearer during sexual intercourse, was the clever part.

“The challenge is having a stable product in a condom — a gel that doesn’t do anything detrimental to the condom,” Futura Chief Executive James Barder said.

“Some products can degrade the latex very quickly,” said Mr. Barder, noting that adding the vasodilator to the lubricant is complicated. “It has to be immobilized in the condom.” Most of the patents protecting CSD500 are associated with this immobilization, Mr. Barder said.

Although CSD500 isn’t meant to compete with Viagra, despite its nickname, a check of online sales of the drug would suggest there’s no shortage of men who use it recreationally, which bodes well for future sales of an erection-encouraging condom.

But regulators are more interested in what the condom promises to do for rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI). A product that improves firmness and duration will surely encourage condom use, but the CSD500 also combats another common cause of STI transmission: condoms that slip off because of erectile problems.

Reckitt Benckiser plans to investigate the condom’s commercial viability in Europe if it is approved, and then expand to the U.S. market.

Source: healthland.time.com