Best Natural Treatments For Erectile Dysfunction (2024)

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to achieve or maintain an erection for satisfactory sexual performance, according to the National Health Service (NHS). While not typically a serious medical condition in and of itself, ED can have a significant impact on the quality of life of a person and their partners.

It’s estimated that by 2025, ED will affect almost 322 million people, according to a review published in Materials Today Bio^[1]Ren Y, Yuan J, Xue Y, et al. Advanced hydrogels: New expectation for the repair of organic erectile dysfunction. Mater Today Bio. 2023;20:19:100588. .

Symptoms of Erectile Dysfunction

The main symptoms of ED include:

• An inability to get an erection
• An inability to keep an erection for long enough to have intercourse

In some cases, ED is also associated with low sex drive (low libido).

Common Erectile Dysfunction Causes

ED is caused by either psychological or organic (physical) factors but is most often due to a combination of the two. Some common risk factors for ED include:

• Age (it’s estimated that by the time a man reaches his 40s, he has about a 40% chance of having some form of ED. This prevalence increases about 10% for each additional decade)^[2]Ferrini MG, Gonzalez-Cadavid NF, Rajfer J. Aging related erectile dysfunction-potential mechanism to halt or delay its onset. Transl Androl Urol. 2017;6(1):20-27.
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes
• Lack of exercise
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Major pelvic surgery
• Degenerative disorders (such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease)
• Spinal cord trauma
• Central nervous system tumors
• Certain medications
• Depression
• Anxiety

People experiencing ED who don’t want to try prescription medication just yet have several alternative options. ED can often be successfully treated by making certain lifestyle changes, says David Samadi, M.D., a prostate cancer surgeon and urologist in New York.

According to Dr. Samadi, some of the most effective natural treatments and remedies for ED include:

• Losing weight
• Quitting smoking
• Reducing alcohol consumption
• Ceasing illegal drug use
• Exercising regularly
• Reducing stress

Lose Weight

A 2022 meta-analysis in Andrologia combined the results of five studies including a total of 619 participants to investigate the effects of weight loss on ED. The analysis found that weight loss could improve erectile function symptoms in men with overweight and obesity^[3]Li H, Xu W, Wang T, Wang S, Liu J, Jiang H. Effect of weight loss on erectile function in men with overweight or obesity: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Andrologia. 2022;54(1):e14250. .

While losing weight can be challenging, a registered dietitian nutritionist or obesity medicine physician can provide valuable insight into a person’s eating habits and help them make sustainable changes.

Quit Smoking

According to a 2023 review in Sexual Medicine Reviews, cigarette smoking is heavily associated with ED. The review found the more a person smoked, the more likely they were to experience ED. Cigarette smoke contains several harmful compounds, including nicotine, carbon monoxide and heavy metals, that can damage the inner layer of blood vessels and disrupt the erection process. Furthermore, the review found smoking cessation programs to be effective treatments for ED in active smokers^[4]Allen MS, Tostes RC. Cigarette smoking and erectile dysfunction: an updated review with a focus on pathophysiology, e-cigarettes, and smoking cessation. Sexual Medicine Reviews. 2023;11(1):61-73. .

There are many resources available online to help kick the cigarette habit, including these expert-backed tips.

FEATURED PARTNER OFFER

Partner Offers feature brands who paid Forbes Health to appear at the top of our list. While this may influence where their products or services appear on our site, it in no way affects our ratings, which are based on thorough research, solid methodologies and expert advice. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services

Enjoy $15 Off When completing checkout

Ro E.D. Treatments

See Also

BlueChew hiring Marketing Coordinator in Austin, TX | LinkedIn

• Genuine, FDA-approved treatments
• Generic options available that are up to 90% cheaper than branded with the same active ingredients
• 100% online process with shipping to your door in discreet packaging

Start Now

On Ro's Website

Cut Back on Alcohol

A 2020 study in the Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care found a significant association between alcohol consumption and reported ED. The population-based study, which observed 22,198 Danish men, found that compared to men with an weekly alcohol intake of one to seven units, men who consumed no alcohol and men who consumed at least eight units of alcohol weekly had significantly higher odds of reporting ED^[5]Paulsen LH, Sørensen Bakke L, Jarbøl DE, Balasubramaniam K, Hansen DG. Associations between lifestyle, erectile dysfunction and healthcare seeking: a population-based study. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2020;38(2):176-183. . It’s unclear why complete alcohol abstinence was associated with a higher incidence of ED in this study. Another study published in 2022 in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that of the 104 men with alcohol use disorder studied, 88.5% showed improvements in ED after three months of abstinence from alcohol. Overall, it appears that drinking less alcohol is associated with a decreased risk of ED^[6]Karunakaran A, Michael JP. The Impact of Abstinence From Alcohol on Erectile Dysfunction: A Prospective Follow up in Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder. J Sex Med. 2022;19(4):581-589. .

Avoid Illegal Drugs

A 2019 review in the Journal of Psychosexual Health found ED to be correlated with illicit drug use. Opioids, cocaine, amphetamine and MDMA in particular may all lead to ED with long-term use. Chronic opioid use is associated with changes in hormones, leading to decreased testosterone and reduced sex hormone production by the adrenal glands. This is associated with reduced sexual desire, erectile dysfunction and infertility. With cocaine, prolonged use decreases sexual desire and causes erectile dysfunction and delayed org*sm/ejacul*tion. This effect appears to be worse when cocaine is used alongside other psychoactive substances, including alcohol^[7]Ghadigaonkar DS, Murthy P. Sexual Dysfunction in Persons With Substance Use Disorders. J Psychosexual Health. 2019;1(2):117-121. .

For people who want help with a substance use disorder, drug and alcohol addiction hotlines can be a valuable resource.

Exercise Regularly

A 2016 systematic review and meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that physical activity and exercise interventions improved patient-reported ED by 3.85 points on the scale the study used to measure ED. The review, which assessed the combined results of seven studies including 478 participants, also found that moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic exercise specifically proved best in its ability to alleviate ED symptoms. The study authors hypothesized that this was due to the cardiovascular effects of aerobic activity. They noted that aerobic exercises have been shown to increase cardiac output, decrease oxidative stress and increase the availability of nitric oxide, which is needed to get and maintain an erection^[8]Silva AB, Sousa N, Azevedo LF, Martins C. Physical activity and exercise for erectile dysfunction: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2017;51(19):1419-1424. .

Reduce Stress

Chronic stress may worsen ED symptoms because stress and anxiety affect how the brain sends signals about your body’s responses.

In a small 2014 study in Andrologia, researchers investigated the effects of an eight-week stress management program on 31 men between the ages of 20 and 55 with ED. They found that the stress management program was just as effective as tadalafil (a common prescription medication used to treat ED) in reducing ED symptoms. While larger trials with longer follow-up times are needed, the results of this study successfully indicate that stress management can play a key role in ED^[9]Kalaitzidou I, Venetikou MS, Konstadinidis K, Artemiadis AK, Chrousos G, Darviri C. Stress management and erectile dysfunction: a pilot comparative study. Andrologia. 2014;46(6):698-702. .

While there are many effective natural treatments and remedies for ED, not all of them are safe, explains Dr. Samadi. “The FDA warns men not to purchase or use medications from unapproved and/or unlicensed sources that may be dangerous,” he says. Avoid anything sold on the internet or via television ad, or products that over-promise to fix ED without FDA approval, he says.

Unapproved medications are dangerous for several reasons, including the possibility of counterfeit ingredients, contamination, improper storage and transportation, or inefficacy, says Dr. Samadi.

Many herbal supplements are also concerning, according to Dr. Samadi. “If a man wants to use an herbal supplement for treating ED, he’s taking a chance that there could be unpleasant side effects, and its efficacy may not be as successful as a prescribed ED medication,” he says. Anyone interested in taking herbal supplements for ED should consult with their health care provider prior to doing so, says Dr. Samadi.

Men may be hesitant to discuss ED with their doctor, as this area of men’s health is often ignored, says Dr. Samadi. However, anyone experiencing symptoms for at least a couple of weeks should speak with a doctor, he explains. Beyond more obvious symptoms, ED can be a predictor of serious chronic health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gum disease or osteoporosis.

Men experiencing any of the following symptoms for more than a couple of weeks should see a health care provider or urologist, says Dr. Samadi:

• Trouble getting an erection when desired
• Having an erection too soft for intercourse
• Difficulty maintaining an erection long enough for satisfactory sexual performance

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

Dr. Samadi recommends asking the following questions during an appointment with a health care provider:

• What is the underlying cause of my ED?
• What treatment option is best for me?
• When can I expect to regain normal erectile function?

ED is incredibly common, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. It can be a predictor of several serious chronic health conditions, so don’t hesitate to seek treatment or speak with a qualified health care professional about it.