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Published in: Current Urology Reports 6/2011

01-12-2011 | Erectile Dysfunction (Thomas Lue, Section Editor)

Rise of Herbal and Traditional Medicine in Erectile Dysfunction Management

Authors: Christopher C. K. Ho, Hui Meng Tan

Published in: Current Urology Reports | Issue 6/2011

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Abstract

Herbal medicine long has been used in the management of sexual dysfunction, including erectile dysfunction. Many patients have attested to the efficacy of this treatment. However, is it evidence-based medicine? Studies have been done on animal models, mainly in the laboratory. However, randomized controlled trials on humans are scarce. The only herbal medications that have been studied for erectile dysfunction are Panax ginseng, Butea superba, Epimedium herbs (icariin), Tribulus terrestris, Securidaca longipedunculata, Piper guineense, and yohimbine. Of these, only Panax ginseng, B. superb, and yohimbine have published studies done on humans. Unfortunately, these published trials on humans were not robust. Many herbal therapies appear to have potential benefits, and similarly, the health risks of various phytotherapeutic compounds need to be elucidated. Properly designed human trials should be worked out and encouraged to determine the efficacy and safety of potential phytotherapies.
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Metadata
Title
Rise of Herbal and Traditional Medicine in Erectile Dysfunction Management
Authors
Christopher C. K. Ho
Hui Meng Tan
Publication date
01-12-2011
Publisher
Current Science Inc.
Published in
Current Urology Reports / Issue 6/2011
Print ISSN: 1527-2737
Electronic ISSN: 1534-6285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11934-011-0217-x

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