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Your sex life, your way
If you like to use ginger in your cooking, you might be in luck. Ginger is a plant with some pretty powerful medicinal qualities, such as its ability to treat several illnesses and common health problems, like nausea, pain or vomiting.
Ginger has also often been used as a natural stimulant in traditional medicine to increase sexual arousal.
So, what are the potential sexual benefits of ginger? Could this powerful plant help improve sexual function and reduce conditions like erectile dysfunction (ED) or premature ejaculation?
This article will look at how ginger can benefit you sexually and if it can be helpful for increasing sexual desire and more.
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Ginger can be used in many different forms, from ginger powder to ginger root oil, to add zest and flavor to your food.
The health benefits are just as numerous. For example, gingerol, a natural component of ginger root, helps the digestion process. This can provide relief from nausea, gas and bloating.
What is ginger used for sexually, though?
While research on how ginger affects sex drive directly is limited, this medicinal plant has been shown to lower blood pressure, including for people with hypertension, or high blood pressure.
Ginger has also been found to increase blood flow. An in vitro study (a study not done on humans or animals) showed that ginger can also prevent blood clots and help dilate the blood vessels.
Studies have found a connection between higher blood pressure and a higher risk of sexual dysfunction in men. If ginger helps lower blood pressure and dilate blood vessels, it could increase sexual arousal and libido.
Ginger could also be beneficial for improving fertility in men.
One review of animal studies found that ginger could increase fertility by enhancing blood flow in the testes, increasing testosterone production and reducing oxidative stress. Specifically, ginger raised testosterone levels by increasing luteinizing hormone — a hormone responsible for signaling to the testicles to produce testosterone.
The medicinal plant may also enhance semen quality by improving the concentration, motility and viability of sperm cells, although this was discovered through animal studies.
Most people experience oxidative stress, which happens when your body's antioxidants and free radicals become imbalanced, at some point in their lives. This can damage your cells and lead to inflammation.
One study suggests that oxidative stress could be associated with poor erectile function. However, more research is needed.
Ginger has been found to decrease oxidative stress in the body. Similarly, this medicinal plant can also help relieve inflammation, although the precise connection between inflammation and sexual performance is not fully known.
If you struggle with getting or maintaining an erection during sex, you could be dealing with erectile dysfunction. This condition has many causes, from mood disorders like depression to medication and more.
According to an animal study published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, ginger might reduce blood pressure. This effect means the natural benefits of ginger may not only improve heart health, but could also positively impact sexual performance.
A 2017 study also found that ginger, combined with other herbal medicines, may work as a potential treatment for ED. However, more research is needed to look at the effects of ginger itself for ED and sexual function.
So, while there’s no definitive answer about ginger’s potential to increase sexual function, there’s certainly some evidence that this plant could reduce sexual dysfunction.
What is ginger used for sexually? Studies have found that this medicinal plant improves blood flow, reduces oxidative stress, increases reproductive hormone levels and may improve fertility. Ginger may also help with sexual dysfunction, like erectile dysfunction, and it's been used for this purpose in traditional medicine..
However, more research is needed to confirm the sexual benefits of ginger, and so it’s probably not the first treatment to turn to if you’re having problems in the bedroom.
If you’re currently struggling with sexual dysfunction, your healthcare provider may recommend certain medications. For example, erectile dysfunction may be treated with sildenafil, while sertraline can be used for premature ejaculation.
You can also connect with a healthcare provider to discuss more premature ejaculation treatments or ED medications that can help you.
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Dr. Kelly Brown is a board certified Urologist and fellowship trained in Andrology. She is an accomplished men’s health expert with a robust background in healthcare innovation, clinical medicine, and academic research. Dr. Brown was previously Medical Director of a male fertility startup where she lead strategy and design of their digital health platform, an innovative education and telehealth model for delivering expert male fertility care.
She completed her undergraduate studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (go Heels!) with a Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Science and a Minor in Chemistry. She took a position at University of California Los Angeles as a radiologic technologist in the department of Interventional Cardiology, further solidifying her passion for medicine. She also pursued the unique opportunity to lead departmental design and operational development at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, sparking her passion for the business of healthcare.
Dr. Brown then went on to obtain her doctorate in medicine from the prestigious Northwestern University - Feinberg School of Medicine and Masters in Business Administration from Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management, with a concentration in Healthcare Management. During her surgical residency in Urology at University of California San Francisco, she utilized her research year to focus on innovations in telemedicine and then served as chief resident with significant contributions to clinical quality improvement. Dr. Brown then completed her Andrology Fellowship at Medical College of Wisconsin, furthering her expertise in male fertility, microsurgery, and sexual function.
Her dedication to caring for patients with compassion, understanding, as well as a unique ability to make guys instantly comfortable discussing anything from sex to sperm makes her a renowned clinician. In addition, her passion for innovation in healthcare combined with her business acumen makes her a formidable leader in the field of men’s health.
Dr. Brown is an avid adventurer; summiting Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (twice!) and hiking the incredible Torres del Paine Trek in Patagonia, Chile. She deeply appreciates new challenges and diverse cultures on her travels. She lives in Denver with her husband, two children, and beloved Bernese Mountain Dog. You can find Dr. Brown on LinkedIn for more information.
Education & Training
Andrology Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin
Urology Residency, University of California San Francisco
M.D. Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineB.S. in Radiologic Science, Chemistry Minor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Published as Kelly Walker
Cowan, B, Walker, K., Rodgers, K., Agyemang, J. (2023). Hormonal Management Improves Semen Analysis Parameters in Men with Abnormal Concentration, Motility, and/or Morphology. Fertility and Sterility, Volume 118, Issue 5, e4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/fertility-and-sterility/vol/120/issue/1/suppl/S
Walker, K., Gogoj, A., Honig, S., Sandlow, J. (2021). What’s New in Male Contraception? AUA Update Series, Volume 40. https://auau.auanet.org/content/update-series-2021-lesson-27-what%E2%80%99s-new-male-contraception
Walker, K., Shindel, A. (2019). AUA Erectile Dysfunction Guideline. AUA Update Series, Volume 38. https://auau.auanet.org/content/course-307
Walker, K., Ramstein, J., & Smith, J. (2019). Regret Regarding Fertility Preservation Decisions Among Male Cancer Patients. The Journal of Urology, 201(Supplement 4), e680-e681. https://www.auajournals.org/doi/10.1097/01.JU.0000556300.18991.8e
Walker, K., & Smith, J. (2019). Feasibility Study of Video Telehealth Clinic Visits in Urology. The Journal of Urology, 201(Supplement 4), e545-e545. https://www.auajournals.org/doi/10.1097/01.JU.0000556071.60611.37