Inclusion of certain herbs in food prevents diabetes-induced impotence — Experts

Most people will have sexual problems at some point in their lives, whether they are diabetic or not. But people nursing  diabetes are more at risk of erectile dysfunction or impotence because it is one of the complications of diabetes. This happens because of high blood sugar levels, as well as high blood pressure and blood fats (cholesterol).

Men with diabetes are three times more likely to have trouble getting or keeping an erection because having high sugar levels for a period of time can damage the blood vessels and nerves, including the ones that supply the penis. This can restrict the amount of blood flowing to the sexual organs, causing a loss of sensation.

There are many effective treatments available for a wide range of causes of erectile dysfunction. However, many medications for treating impotence, like Viagra (Sildenafil), could have side effects ranging from mild to serious, including headaches, nasal congestion, and heartburn. But there are claims that certain herbal supplements may increase sexual potency with fewer side effects than prescribed medications.

Researchers have studied many of these herbs for their safety and effectiveness, while some herbs are still understudied as erectile dysfunction medication alternatives. These include Albizia zygia leaves, a tropical plant that is frequently used in folkloric medicine to treat a number of illnesses, including type 2 diabetes.

In a new study, researchers at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), suggested that consuming Albizia zygia in a diet can protect against erectile dysfunction in diabetes, suggesting that it could be a functional meal.

They found in animal studies that rats that consumed Albizia zygia leaves in their diets had less erectile dysfunction.  Also, they likened Albizia zygia leaf inclusion in diet with Viagra, a standard drug for erectile dysfunction. This was stated in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

Thirty mature adult Wistar rats weighing 180–200g were involved in the study. Twenty-four of the rats got a high-fat diet for periods of two weeks before receiving streptozotocin (STZ) intraperitoneally. Type 2 diabetes was identified in rats 72 hours after STZ treatment. Rats were then used to evaluate the mounting number, mount delay, intromission number, and intromission latency.

Meals supplemented with AZL (5 percent or 10 percent inclusion) were given to diabetic-ED rats for 14 days. Following that, rats were then used to evaluate the mounting number, mount delay, intromission number, and intromission latency.

According to them, “the outcomes of this investigation showed that diets supplemented with Albizia zygia enhanced sexual function in diabetes-induced erectile dysfunction via reduction in blood glucose levels and modulation of critical key enzymes and molecules linked to diabetes-induced erectile dysfunction. Albizia zygia leaves may therefore be utilised as a cheap source of a promising and easily available health-promoting nutraceutical agent that could be harnessed.”

Albizia zygia, commonly called nyie avu (Igbo), nongo (Swahili), and ayin rela (Yoruba), is used in folk medicine for the treatment of rheumatism, stomach aches, coughs, diarrhoea, wounds, and worms. Different parts of the plant have been used ethno-medicinally.

For example, the bark is used in southern Sudan as powder or decoctions to treat malaria. The bark sap is instilled in the eyes to treat inflammation in the eye (ophthalmia). A bark decoction is administered to treat fever, female sterility, purgative, stomachic, antidote, and aphrodisiac symptoms.

Pounded or rasped bark is applied externally to treat yaws, sores, wounds, and toothaches. The grounded roots are added to food to treat coughs, as an expectorant, and as an antidote to venomous stings and bites. Leaf decoctions are used to treat fever, dysentery, diarrhoea, insanity, and as painkillers.

Previously, researchers at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, also said that the addition of Moringa leaf and seed, as well as Pentaclethra macrophylla leaves, could also be explored in the management of erectile dysfunction caused by diabetes.

In a study in the Journal of Food Biochemistry, they evaluated the effect of Moringa leaf and seed-inclusive diets on critical biomarkers associated with erectile dysfunction (ED) in the penile tissue of diabetic male rats treated.

According to them, the potential benefits of Moringa leaf and seed-inclusive diets for the holistic management of diabetes complications also need to be explored in large-scale clinical trials.

Also, in the Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Pentaclethra macrophylla leaves were said to significantly reduce blood glucose levels, improve sexual behaviour, and modulate critical enzymes associated with diabetes-erectile dysfunction morbidity in rats.

The search for a cure for erectile dysfunction dates back to the 1990s, even before the introduction of Viagra. Since the 1990s, natural aphrodisiacs, from ground rhinoceros horn to chocolate, have long been used to increase libido, potency, or sexual pleasure.

These natural remedies are also popular because they are said to have fewer side effects than prescribed medications. Some of the herbs also include Panax ginseng, yohimbine (a West African tree bark), ginkgo, and Mondia whitei (also known as white ginger).

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