If you’re from the West, chances are you’ve never encountered black ginger extract before. If, however, you’re from the East, and in particular Thailand, the legendary reputation of this spice precedes itself. Also known as kaempferia parviflora, black ginger is touted for its effects on male sexuality; increasing libido, endurance, and of course, sexual prowess.

How Does Black Ginger Work?

If you’ve ever researched or used Viagra before you would have discovered that it works via a mechanism known as phosphodiesterase inhibition. Phosphodiesterase (PDE), and in particular phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) is an enzyme which cleaves a bond in the compound cAMP, known to mediate vasodilation in blood vessels via nitric oxide synthesis.

Upon breakage of these bonds, the compound loses its action and vasodilation subsides. By inhibiting the cleaving of these bonds, the compound persists longer in blood and is able to exert effects.

Most notably is the dilation of the cavernosal artery found in the penis, translating to much firmer and longer lasting erections. Black ginger extract works via this same mechanism—PDE-5 inhibition.¹

However, it is important to set realistic expectations when using black ginger as a pro-erectile supplement, as it is not as potent as the synthetic PDE-5 inhibitors.

Pharmaceuticals such as Viagra and Cialis are much stronger inhibitors, but are also more likely to cause undesirable effects, ranging from severe headaches (migraines are believed to be caused by dilation of blood vessels under the scalp), nasal congestion, dizziness, and priapism (a never-ending erection that you absolutely do not want to experience).

You may be wondering, is there any other reason black ginger trumps Viagra as a better option for treatment of ED?

In addition to its PDE-5 inhibiting effects, black ginger also acts on the dopaminergic system, boosting levels of this neurotransmitter² (by inhibiting its breakdown) which plays an important role in normal sexual function.

In persons who exhibit reduced dopamine sensitivity or levels, sexual dysfunction is very common and will not be fixed by use of mere vasodilators.

Its ability to increase dopamine levels also improves your mood in the process and can help combat depressive illness. In this sense, black ginger is considered superior to pharmaceuticals such as Viagra since it tackles both the issue of diminished penile blood flow and your arousal to sexual stimulus thanks to upregulation of dopamine receptors.

But wait there’s even more.

In addition to its amazing effects on your erectile health and sexual well-being, black ginger extract also possesses several other functions that you are likely to benefit from whether you are a man or woman. These include those from the impressive list below:

• Decreases the period of erectile latency (in simple terms, the time it takes for you to attain an erection after exposed to sexual stimuli).
• Said to increase both length and girth of the flaccid penis.
• May promote lifespan via activation of sirtuin 1 gene.³
• Improves symptoms of BPH; an enlarged/enlarging prostate.⁴
• Improves brain function and possesses anticholinesterase activity (which may offset Alzheimer’s and dementia).

Using Black Ginger In Poor Health

In general, using anything that affects the function of the heart (via vasodilation, or blood flow alterations) is not ideal if you are in sub-par health. While the heart is an extremely resilient organ, there is just so much it can take.

But black ginger should not be scratched off your list of promising supplements just because of a little extra fat. Why? It has the ability to increase caloric expenditure.

Unknown to many is the fact that a higher metabolic rate does not just increase the rate of calorie burning, but also boosts recovery, your resistance to stress along with improved sleep patterns, and energy production.

Black ginger is able to boost energy production via stimulation of AMPK (or AMP-activated protein kinase). This is an enzyme which increases the rate of calorie burning in the mitochondria of muscle cells, resulting in greater energy production.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that black ginger activates brown adipose tissue (BAT) which is a good type of body fat that possesses thermogenic properties and is frequently found in the mitochondria itself.⁵

How To Use Black Ginger For Best Results

Of note is the fact that there is little to no evidence of adverse effects experienced while using black ginger, as it has been recommended by the Thai Traditional Medicine Institute as a safe supplement with centuries of proven use behind it.

A dose of between 1000 to 1500mg daily is normal, with 1200mg being the average dose. It does not adversely affect blood pressure, nor does it affect hormonal balance, making it safe for use while on hormone replacement therapy. The only time black ginger should not be used is if you suffer from pre-existing arrhythmias as it may exacerbate the condition even more.

When you look at black ginger from an overall perspective, you can see that it is much more than a one-hit wonder in terms of boosting sexual prowess. It is something that also works to address issues of sexual sensitivity dysfunction and boosts your energy levels in the process.

References:

1. Efficacy Assessment of Kaempferia parviflora for the Management of Erectile Dysfunction [OnLine Journal of Biological Sciences, 2012].

2. Kaempferia parviflora rhizome extract and Myristica fragrans volatile oil increase the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters and impact the proteomic profiles in the rat hippocampus: Mechanistic insights into their neuroprotective effects [Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine.2017].

3. Standardized Kaempferia parviflora Extract Inhibits Intrinsic Aging Process in Human Dermal Fibroblasts and Hairless Mice by Inhibiting Cellular Senescence and Mitochondrial Dysfunction [Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017] PubMed-NCBI.

4. Suppression of benign prostate hyperplasia by Kaempferia parviflora rhizome [Pharmacognosy Res. 2013] PubMed-NCBI.

5. Kaempferia parviflora extract increases energy consumption through activation of BAT in mice [Food Sci Nutr. 2014] PubMed-NCBI.

The post The Natural Viagra Killer: Black Ginger appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Tongkat ali, also known as Eurycoma Longifolia Jack, is an herb native to parts of South East Asia where it has traditionally been used as an aphrodisiac.¹ Today, it is an ingredient readily added to many of the best-selling testosterone boosters on the market.

In this article I will discuss the current literature on tongkat ali supplementation and how it can enhance your androgen status as a male.

Tongkat Ali Affects Testosterone Levels

In a 2012 study, 76 men screened for late-onset hypogonadism were brought into a lab and given 200mg of a standardized water-soluble extract of tongkat ali for one month. At the start of the experiment, only 35.5% of the subjects had testosterone levels in the normal range. At the one-month mark, 90.8% of the subjects’ testosterone levels had elevated into the normal range.²

In another study, researchers observed the effects of tongkat ali supplementation on 25 physically active men and women between the ages of 57-72. Each of the 13 men and 12 women were given a daily dose of 400mg of tongkat ali extract. Five weeks later, the men experienced a 15.1% increase in total testosterone levels and a whopping 61.1% increase in free testosterone levels. The female subjects experienced even more drastic results: an average increase of 48% in total testosterone levels and a 122% increase in free testosterone levels.³ Although the elevation in the female subjects’ testosterone was drastic, levels remained well within the normal physiological range.

The above two studies lend credence to tongkat ali’s testosterone boosting abilities in both men and women. The more testosterone there is running through your veins, the faster you’ll be able to recover from your workouts, and the more muscle you’ll build as a result.

Tongkat Ali Affects Muscle Growth

In the study on elderly men and women cited above,³ researchers also took measure of muscular force via a handgrip dynamometer test. In men, tongkat ali supplementation increased muscular force by 16% while in women, the increase was seen at 13.7%. These aren’t significant numbers, but keep in mind that supplementation was the only factor that led to these results.

Tongkat ali’s impact on muscle and strength is further exemplified when combined with some form of resistance-training. In a study of 14 healthy men, subjects were randomly assigned to ingest either 100mg of tongkat ali extract or placebo over a period of five weeks. During the experiment, subjects were also put on an intense strength-training program (performed on alternate days, five days a week). Researchers kept track of their subjects’ body composition, arm circumference, and 1 rep max (exercise not mentioned). At the five week mark, the men receiving tongkat ali gained 4.68 pounds (2.13kg) of lean muscle mass, while no notable increases were noted in placebo. The supplement group also lost more body fat, gained more strength, and gained more size on their biceps compared to the placebo group.⁴

The research regarding tongkat ali’s ergogenic effects is still in preliminary stages, but the current evidence seems promising.

Tongkat Ali Affects Cortisol Levels

Cortisol is the hormone your body releases in times of stress. It is catabolic in the sense that the more of it you have in your body, the more likely your body is to break down muscle for energy. Also, it is a steroid hormone and is derived from the same raw material as testosterone (i.e. higher cortisol equals lower testosterone). In the pursuit of muscle and strength, cortisol is definitely something you want less of. As it turns out, tongkat ali supplementation can help you with that.

64 moderately stressed subjects (32 men and 32 women) were brought into a lab and randomly assigned to ingest either 200mg of tongkat ali or placebo for four weeks. At the end of the experiment, the subjects given tongkat ali had, on average, 16% lower cortisol levels and 37% higher free testosterone levels compared to placebo.⁵ Furthermore, they also experienced decreases in tension (-11%), anger (-12%), and confusion (-15%) as assessed by the Profile of Mood States survey.

Supplementing with tongkat ali can allow your body to better cope with the chemical effects of stress. Less cortisol means increased feelings of calm, relaxation, and assertiveness.

Tongkat Ali Benefits Men’s Health

Tongkat ali’s traditional use had to do with male enhancement. As it turns out, recent research tends to support tongkat ali’s status as a pro-fertility and pro-erectile agent.

In a study of 109 healthy men, subjects were randomly assigned to ingest a daily dose of either 200mg of tongkat ali or placebo for 12 weeks. At the end of 12 weeks, the supplement group showed major improvements in seminal parameters: an 18.2% increase in semen volume and a 44.4% increase in semen motility.⁶ The supplement group also scored significantly better in erectile function (as assessed by the International Index of Erectile Dysfunction questionnaire) compared to placebo.

Similar results were found in another study, in which 75 infertile men were given 200mg of daily tongkat ali extract for three months. Supplementation allowed 11 of the 75 men to spur spontaneous pregnancies in their partners.⁷

Supplementing With Tongkat Ali

Does Tongkat Ali Have Any Side Effects?

Tongkat ali supplementation is considered safe when taken in medicinal amounts for up to 9 months. That being said, it is always wise to consult with a certified healthcare practitioner if you have any preexisting conditions that you think might interfere with supplementation.

Who Should Consider Supplementing with Tongkat Ali?

Consider supplementing with tongkat ali if you are suffering from innumerable amounts of stress, looking to increase your natural testosterone production, or in need of something to ramp up your sex drive. Tongkat ali’s primary benefits exist within this domain. If you’re pregnant, diabetic, suffer from blood pressure, or are scheduled for surgery, avoid supplementing with tongkat ali.

How Do You Take Tongkat Ali?

To ensure that tongkat ali supplementation works for you, the first point to consider is product quality. There are a lot of sub-par tongkat ali supplements available on the market, so make sure that you purchase from a reputable supplier with a proven track record for delivering quality products. After ensuring product quality, you should look at the dosage. The standard dosage of tongkat ali is 200-300mg of a 100:1 extract. This dose can be spread out in 1-2 doses through the day.

The Bottom Line on Tongkat Ali Supplementation

The current research on tongkat ali’s impact on testosterone and men’s health is promising. That being said, supplements should never be relied upon as the sole measure toward getting results.

Once you have begun implementing the particular lifestyle and diet changes required to boost testosterone, only then should you consider supplementation to help speed up your results.

References:

1. Bhat, Rajeev, and A.a. Karim. “Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia Jack): A review on its ethnobotany and pharmacological importance“. Fitoterapia81, no. 7 (2010): 669-79.

2. Tambi, M. I. B. M., M. K. Imran, and R. R. Henkel. “Standardised water-soluble extract of Eurycoma longifolia, Tongkat ali, as testosterone booster for managing men with late-onset hypogonadism?” Andrologia44 (2011): 226-30.

3. Henkel, Ralf R., Ruxiang Wang, Susan H. Bassett, Tao Chen, Na Liu, Ying Zhu, and Mohd Ismail Tambi. “Tongkat Ali as a Potential Herbal Supplement for Physically Active Male and Female Seniors-A Pilot Study“. Phytotherapy Research28, no. 4 (2013): 544-50.

4. S, Hamzah, and A. Yusof. “The Ergogenic Effects of Eurycoma Longifolia Jack: A Pilot Study”. Joint Conference of BASEM and BASES. British Journal of Sports Medicine2003;37:464-470.

5. Talbott, Shawn M., Julie A. Talbott, Annie George, and Mike Pugh. “Effect of Tongkat Ali on stress hormones and psychological mood state in moderately stressed subjects“. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition10, no. 1 (2013): 28.

6. Ismail, Shaiful Bahari, Wan Mohd Zahiruddin Wan Mohammad, Annie George, Nik Hazlina Nik Hussain, Zatul Mufiza Musthapa Kamal, and Eckehard Liske. “Randomized Clinical Trial on the Use of PHYSTA Freeze-Dried Water Extract ofEurycoma longifoliafor the Improvement of Quality of Life and Sexual Well-Being in Men“. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine2012 (2012): 1-10.

7. Tambi, Mohd Ismail Bin Mohd, and M. Kamarul Imran. “Eurycoma longifolia Jack in managing idiopathic male infertility“. Asian Journal of Andrology12, no. 3 (2010): 376-80.

The post Can Tongkat Ali Boost Your Testosterone? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The beautiful month of October brings us brilliant fall foliage and relief from the summer heat, along with the excitement of football season, baseball playoffs, and the start of basketball. Pink ribbons and uniform accents appear in each of these sports in October, signifying the month’s focus on breast cancer awareness. Our communities, however splintered, seem to unite around this cause, and rightly so. I’m glad to see that focus, as it’s a terrible disease that has touched nearly everyone’s life, mine included.

As we move to November, however, there is a far less enthusiastic movement toward promoting men’s health. The Movember campaign, which aims to raise awareness of men’s health issues, does not enjoy the same public outpouring of support. To some, it seems a desperate attempt by men to get their own month, after missing the limelight in October.

But we shouldn’t confuse lack of attention for lack of severity. Despite advances in the overall standard of living and medical care, life expectancy for men remains a full five years shorter than women. The narrative is that this is simply because the world is dangerous and men are more reckless, but the world that men occupy today is far less dangerous than in 1900, when the longevity gap was only two years.

Men Are Being Left Behind

The fact is that men simply aren’t keeping pace with women when it comes to health and longevity. Of America’s top ten leading causes of death, men are far more likely to die of all of them except Alzheimer’s disease and strokes, by which men and women are evenly afflicted.

Much of this boils down to men just not taking care of themselves. More men than women smoke (24% to 18%), and women are 50% more likely than men to hit the recommended five servings a day of fruits and vegetables. Three times as many men as women have not been to the doctor in the past year.

The numbers paint a bleak picture of men’s health. But the question is, why are men so reticent to engage in their own care?

Because I work in education, it is plain to me that therein lie the roots of most of our societal problems. Our developmental path is doing a poor job of serving our boys’ intrinsic natures. All kids need recess, P.E., and free play, but especially males, and our schools are systematically rooting them out. We have fostered a system in which typical male behavior has been made synonymous with insubordination and “hyperactivity.” With no outlet for their natural physical needs, they become more unruly, and their education and development suffer in the process.

Health education for boys centers mostly around how to not get a girl pregnant, and that’s about it. There is precious little instruction in proper nutrition, fitness, mental health, and the importance of regular professional attention in the form of checkups and health screenings.

Increasingly, these same boys also lack strong, male role models, and lean instead on a pop-culture that equates manhood with binge drinking, displays of massive ego, and being rude and generally unintelligent. Crucially, these portrayals include a total disregard for health.

The Male Mental Health Crisis

Perhaps the most startling of these issues is the decline in male mental health. While mental health is in decline across the United States, the consequences are more evident in our male population. Three out of four suicides are men. Mass shootings and domestic terror attacks are almost exclusively male territory, but there has been little public discourse as to why that might be the case, even when there is ample scientific evidence to point to the causes.

Sebastian Junger contends in his book Tribe that men have evolved to thrive in work with small groups of other men. Most of human history has featured men in these small bands fighting, hunting, and exploring. It appears men need tight knit bonds for good mental health.

It follows that a primary cause of poor mental health in men is loneliness and a lack of deep relationships. According to Dr. Dean Ornish, there is “[no] other factor — not diet, not smoking, not exercise, not stress, not genetics, not drugs, not surgery — that has a greater impact on our incidence of illness, and [chance of] premature death.”

Why Movember Matters

Regardless of your gender or politics, we can all agree that men’s mental health is a deadly serious issue worth addressing, and doing so must start with respecting our nature. We must create environments that promote values-driven communities, that promote physical vitality and nutrition, and which honor what is unique and special in both sexes.

In practical terms, the solutions are not simple, and will require a shift in our current culture. Movember’s website advises promoting these five steps:

1. Men need to make time for their male bonds.
2. Have open conversations. Men must feel they can discuss feelings with other men. Listening can be a life changing gift.
3. Know your numbers. At 50, its time to talk with your doctor about a prostate cancer check. Earlier for black men and those with a family history.
4. Know your nuts and check them.
5. Move more!

There seems to be this idea in society today that men have had it so good for so long that any male issues do not merit discussion. Add to this an environment where boys are given no idea of what “being a man” really means, and you get a pervasive belief that they should act “manly” by not taking care of themselves. Boys are taught that when they struggle, they should stuff those feelings and sprinkle some bourbon on it. This is not a recipe for their future success or happiness.

Men’s health and self-care are human issues, not simply male issues. Women suffer when men aren’t healthy and fulfilled, just as men do when women aren’t. We aren’t separate and independent; we’re deeply codependent. Boys and girls both deserve the best environment for their development, in keeping with their natural inclinations. They both deserve to be brought up in a manner that promotes achievement, fulfillment, and good health.

When men are physically and mentally unhealthy, all of society suffers. Men, let’s use this month to reexamine our health practices, and get our acts together. Hold each other accountable, have the challenging conversations, and resolve to take care of ourselves. Women, encourage the men in your lives to seek out the social and physical help that they need to be as healthy as they can be. Together, maybe we can improve and extend the lives of the men we know and love.

The post It’s Movember: Why Men Are Being Left Behind appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Poor body image and self-esteem issues are problems we usually associate with ladies, right? I have yet to see a man post a Facebook status complaining about how fat his butt looks or lamenting his lack of visible abs.

No, we ladies have the public displays of self-hate on lock, while the guys remain pretty much silent about how they feel about their bodies. We assume they must all think they look like a Calvin Klein underwear model. If they didn’t, they would tell us all about it, right? Apparently this is not the case. It turn out that dudes have body issues too.

The response was shocking to me because we never hear men complaining about how they look. There seems to be an unspoken man rule that goes something like this: Do not openly talk about your insecurities or you will be labeled weak or, in other words, man the f*&$ up and get over yourself.

As a result there are quite a few men out there who are suffering in silence. They are looking for approval from others. They are comparing themselves to other athletes, actors, and male models. They have insecurities just like the ladies; they just don’t shout it from the rooftops like we do.

I recently posted a status on Facebook saying I’d like to interview a few guys who have battled body image problems and were willing to talk about it. I thought I might get one or two men to reply.

I was overwhelmed and quite surprised with the number of men who volunteered to tell me all about their personal struggles with body image issues. In fact, there were so many I don’t have room to tell all of their stories.

As I learned of these men’s stories it became obvious to me that while girls typically worry about being too fat or too big, men are preoccupied with not being muscular enough.

Some who are not naturally lean also worry about being fat, but overwhelmingly men seem to feel pressured to match the stereotypical, super-hero physique of exaggerated muscularity combined with leanness and athleticism.

Young boys want to look like action stars, athletes, and bodybuilders. They want to fit into one of the categories that our society and media has identified as manly, attractive, or ideal.

Mark Wilson, who has battled with poor self-image since he was in the eighth grade, said of males he often saw in the media, “I wanted to be that man about as badly as I wanted a woman like that in the magazine to look at me so affectionately.”

Mark Wilson at ages nineteen and thirty.

Which brings up another important catalyst for anxiety and negative self-image – puberty and the discovery of girls. Several of the men I interviewed said that when they began noticing girls and became concerned being attractive to the opposite sex, negative thoughts and anxiety about how they looked kicked into gear. Adam Pfaff, co-owner and coach at CrossFit Eastern Shore and former high school swimmer said:

It wasn’t until seventh grade or so that I started to think about what other people (primarily the more gentle sex) might be thinking of me as a scantily clad athlete. I always placed well in my events, so the idea of what I looked like still didn’t matter as much as winning did at this point, but the idea of “how am I looking outside of the lane rope” started to spread like wildfire.

And what a very difficult ideal to live up to. Some of these ideals are in every way fake. No man could ever live up to the physical perfection of Superman, a truly made-up ideal created and brought to life via a pen, paper, and some illustrator’s vivid imagination. Nor could they achieve the muscularity and leanness they see in so many of the fitness magazines without giving in to the pressure to use illegal substances like steroids.

In fact, some men do end up using steroids in an effort to become more muscular and more lean, much like women who diet, purge, over exercise, and even develop eating disorders in an effort to match the images they see in magazines and on TV.

Patrick Hall, American Ninja Warrior contestant, owner of Hybrid Fitness, and former competitive bodybuilder, did in fact become heavily involved in steroid use in order to appear stronger.

Even though Patrick was naturally strong, he was not naturally a large guy. He competed in a bodybuilding show and despite his best efforts still wasn’t as big and ripped as some of the other competitors. When he asked one of these men what he was missing, the man replied “You have to come to the dark side,” and so he did.

Patrick described that time in his life with mixed feelings. He was strong, powerful, and he certainly had finally achieved his aesthetic goals, but he also found that the steroids he used made him aggressive, edgy, and just not himself.

He has since given up steroids and says his daughter, Sidney, was instrumental in his decision to do so. He wanted to ensure he was his authentic self and that he was around to see her grow up.

He likened his experience with steroids to that of Spiderman when he dons the dark suit. Spiderman was stronger, more powerful, but also a nasty version of himself. Patrick now has a tattoo depicting the superhero to remind him of where he’s been and where he doesn’t want to return.

Mark Wilson also used steroids in an effort to gain size and become leaner, but he eventually gave them up because he wanted to come back to “center” and maintain a healthier, more balanced approach to fitness.

There were others like Chris Lofland of CrossFit EST, a former gymnast, diver, and baseball player, who felt the pressures to use steroids as well due to his naturally small, but athletic frame. However, Chris said the support from his friends and family and the feeling that using steroids would be cheating never allowed him to take that step.

But can you blame these guys? They were trying to achieve an ideal that just isn’t attainable without drugs for most people. It’s similar to the endless dieting, cardio, and diet pills that many women resort to in their quest to be thin.

Women and men alike feel pressured to match an image that is nearly impossible to attain, and certainly not naturally. Maybe it’s time we start paying more attention to men in this regard. Maybe we need to offer them the same positive body image messages so many women have benefitted from recently.

Now, I don’t expect men to start publicly declaring their love for their imperfections and we know we can’t change the media overnight, but as individuals we can each do our part to ensure we aren’t compounding the problem.

For instance, we girls could think twice before we post pictures of, say, Rich Froning, and then go on and on about how hot he is, in public, with no regard for our husbands, boyfriends, or male companions. Why is that okay for us to do but not men? And how does it make the everyday guy feel, who works his ass off at the gym but doesn’t look like an Adonis? Does he hate himself because he doesn’t measure up?

I think if we’re going to support healthy body image as a major piece of the fitness community, we should make sure it applies to both sexes. Let’s celebrate the smaller guy, the softer guy, and the guy who works his butt off in the gym but doesn’t have an eight-pack. Don’t they deserve the same support and respect? I think we all know the answer to that.

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