What Are The Health Benefits Of Arginine?

If you're shopping for heart-healthy supplements, arginine is one to consider. It is an amino acid and can help with improving blood circulation and even help men more easily get an erection.

Key Takeaways

Arginine can improve blood circulation and help with mild ED

Arginine is an amino acid that the body converts into nitric oxide, which helps relax and widen blood vessels, improving blood flow. This can benefit men with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction (ED) and those with heart conditions like clogged arteries.

Arginine should not be taken after a heart attack

While arginine can help improve circulation, it should not be used by people who have had a heart attack. Studies have shown that taking arginine post-heart attack can worsen clinical outcomes.

Arginine can be obtained through a balanced diet

Most people can get enough arginine by eating foods like poultry, fish, red meat, dairy, nuts, seeds, and leafy vegetables. Supplements can be considered for specific conditions, but always consult your doctor first.

What is Arginine?

There are 20 amino acids that we can get from the food we eat, and L-arginine is one of them. Our bodies synthesize arginine into nitric oxide. This substance dilates blood vessels, assisting in circulation. It is a substance that may be recommended by your doctor if you suffer from cardiovascular conditions such as coronary artery disease, clogged arteries or angina.

Most people who eat balanced diets can get enough arginine without need to supplement. Eating the following foods regularly will give your body the arginine it needs.

• poultry

• fish

• red meat

• dairy

• seeds

• beans

• nuts

• leafy vegetables

What does Arginine do to the body?

As the body transforms arginine into nitric oxide, blood vessels start to relax and expand. Increased blood circulation is helpful in people who have coronary artery disease, clogged arteries or angina. It may also be helpful to those who have peripheral vascular disease (PVD). Consult with your doctor if you are suffering from any of these conditions before you begin taking arginine as a supplement.

Do not take L-arginine after a heart attack

While the increased blood circulation may be helpful to those who suffer some conditions, a heart attack is not one of them. There was a study involving 78 heart attack patients who took l-arginine as a supplement and 75 heart attack patients who did not.

There were eight deaths in the heart attack group who took l-arginine as a supplement, whereas there were no deaths in the group that did not.

L-arginine therapy should not be given to patients following a [heart attack]," warn Johns Hopkins researcher Steven P. Schulman, MD, and colleagues. "L-arginine therapy in older patients with [stiff arteries] may worsen clinical outcomes.

Arginine and erectile dysfunction

The "expanding blood vessels" and "allowing better blood circulation" that happens when taking l-arginine is able to help men who suffer from ED. In a study involving 10 trials and 540 patients, it was concluded that arginine is beneficial to those who suffer from erectile dysfunction.

The results of our systematic review and meta-analysis provide evidence on the effectiveness of arginine supplements for mild to moderate ED.

Other treatments for erectile dysfunction

As mentioned above, arginine may be helpful in treating "mild to moderate ED". If you are suffering from ED and have found that arginine doesn't help enough to get an erection or maintain it long enough to have sex, there are drugs available that can help.

Viagra is the best-known medication for treating ED. We have Viagra for sale at UK Meds. Viagra, also known as "the blue pill", has been prescribed millions of times for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. In the UK, you can buy Viagra without a prescription in the form of Viagra Connect. We provide both prescription and non-prescription forms.

Other uses for L-Arginine

Following are a list of reasons a person may wish to take arginine.

• recovery after surgery

• pregnancy complication marked by high blood pressure and protein in the uterine (pre-eclampsia)

• heart and blood vessel conditions

• chest pain (angina)

• high blood pressure

• erectile dysfunction

• healing wounds

• removing waste products from the body through the kidneys

• dilating and relaxing arteries

What are the symptoms of L-Arginine deficiency?

Deficiency of l-arginine is rare. The most common symptom of arginine deficiency is stiffness of the legs which is caused by abnormal tensing of leg muscles (spasticity).

Consult with your doctor about the use of arginine as a supplement if you are suffering from the various heart conditions listed above. We sell various high blood pressure medicine here at UK Meds, including amlodipine and felodipine.