Ganoderma on Erectile Dysfunction

Issues with our health can create other seemingly non-related health problems - like erectile dysfunction. This refers to the inability to sufficiently maintain an erection to have sex. Some of the causes include stress, tiredness, depression or relationship issues. Apart from mental and emotional issues, there are a number of physical causes for impotence.

Men with sexual problems of this nature include:

• smokers
• men with high cholesterol problems
• men with high blood pressure problems
• diabetics.

All these problems affect the inner lining of the arteries, which affect the flow of blood through the arteries that feed the male organ. If you have blockages there, it can interfere with the organ's function. Many men never suspect there is any correlation as they believe erectile dysfunction is simply something that happens as they get older.

Fortunately, there is good news. If you take care of these underlying health issues and be active, eat right and not smoke, you're more likely to benefit from a better function.

Does Gnoderma Help?

Yes.Ganoderma is proven to be very effective to treat the physical causes of erectile dysfunction or impotence as mentioned above.

For scientific proof of its effectiveness.

Effect of Ganoderma on Diabetes

Our body's cells need sugar (glucose) as their energy source. The key to "open the door" to our cells is called Insulin (a hormone produced by beta-cells in the pancreas). When insulin in the blood is insufficient or when it cannot open the doors to the cells, glucose will stay in the blood, and in the long-run lead to diabetes. When beta-cells (the insulin production factory) die, the chance of new cells forming is relatively low. Therefore, it is crucial to keep the beta-cells alive for as long as possible so that a sufficient and stable amount of insulin can be produced to allow the glucose in our blood to be utilized.

       

Types of Diabetes

Diabetes is diagnosed when the fasting blood glucose value exceeds 130 mg/dl and postprandial blood glucose value exceeds 180 mg/dl.

1) Type I Diabetes - insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (congenital). Diagnosed in children aged 10 to 14 years old. Virus invasion, chemical medicine or autoimmunity are suspected to be possible causes. As their beta-cells are unable to produce insulin, diabetics are dependent on insulin supplementation for the rest of their lives.

2) Type II Diabetes - non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (maturity-onset or acquired). 90% of diabetics belong to this group. The majority is insulin resistant (insulin hormone becomes less effective at lowering blood sugars).

3) Gestational Diabetes - Diagnosed in about 2% to 3% of pregnant women. Normally, high blood glucose levels disappear after delivery, but women with gestational diabetes are prone to developing Type II Diabetes.

Creatinine is a waste product of metabolism in our body. It circulates in the blood to our kidneys for excretion through urine. However, if we have renal/kidney disfunction, the creatinine cannot be excreted. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggest that when men and women have a creatinine level exceeding 2.0 and 1.5 mg/dl respectively, professional advice is required to prevent the occurrence of diabetes

How Ganoderma Works to Prevent Diabetes : Protect Beta-Cells

Prof. Zhi-Bin Lin of Beijing Medical University published a report on the improvement of diabetes in mice fed with a homogeneous polysaccharide peptide of G. lucidum (GIPS). This provides a convincing evidence on the ability of ganoderma to maintain pancreatic function. Further, the beta-cells of mice fed with GIPS survive longer than mice in the control group. This means GIPS prolongs the lifespan of beta-cells and by doing so, prevents diabetes. GIPS has the ability to eliminate the free radicals that attack the beta-cells. In other words, ganoderma is potent in diabetes prevention.

A majority of researchers believe a treatment that lowers blood glucose and at the same time maintains insulin levels can be effective in controlling diabetes. Since GIPS has been shown to be effective in improving these 2 aspects, it has the potential to become an auxiliary medicine in diabetes treatment and prevention.



In other experiments conducted on mice and human clinical trials using a special strain of G. tsugae (YK-01), ganoderma is also proven effective in eliminating free radicals, prolonging the lifespan of beta-cells, lengthening the time for insulin production, and ensuring the stability of blood glucose levels.

How Ganoderma Works to Modulate Blood Glucose Level

Due to the inability of the body to modulate and control blood glucose levels, diabetic patients constantly feel hungry. But if they eat too much, they will have difficulty reducing their blood glucose levels.

In 1987, Japanese researchers conducted a "glucose tolerance test" and found that rats with high blood glucose that were given ganoderma hot-water extract had decreased levels of blood glucose and plasma insulin. This indicates that ganoderma hot-water extracts are effective in reducing excessive blood glucose and so contribute positively to control the disorder in blood glucose metabolism. However, only a high dosage will be effective.

How Ganoderma Works : Human Clinical Trials

In 2000, a clinical trial was conducted in Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan that indicated that ganoderma acts to improve both "postprandial blood glucose" and the "life quality" of diabetic patients.

This clinical trial involved 46 voluntary diabetic patients with a medical history of diabetes of over 6 to 10 years. The participants were divided into 2 groups. 1 group was given a dose of 3 g ganoderma per day for 3 months. The other is a control group. The findings:

• The treated group had a decrease in postprandial blood glucose and no significant differences in the fasting blood glucose. The majority of Type II diabetic patients are able to control their fasting blood glucose after taking western medicines, but postprandial blood glucose is often difficult to control. In this respect, ganoderma can make up for the shortcomings of western medicine, as a supplementary treatment of diabetes.
• The treated group had a significant reduction in their systolic blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
• The treated group reported improvement in their quality of life compared to those in the control group.

The Effects of Ganoderma (Lingzhi) on High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of our blood vessels. There is pressure when the heart pumps blood throughout the whole body. It is influenced mainly by:

1) the heart
2) emotional stress
3) blood viscosity
4) elasticity of the blood vessels.

1. Ganoderma and Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol)

Healthy human blood is a liquid with great fluidity. When the fluidity is poor, the heart must increase the strength of its contractions in order to force the blood around the whole body, resulting in a higher pressure.

Low blood fluidity arises from an increase in "blood viscosity", with the primary factor being higher level of "blood lipid" or "blood fat"; the chief components being cholesterol and triglyceride.

Our liver produces most of the circulating cholesterols and triglycerides in order to allow essential biochemical activities, such as energy provision and cell metabolism.

Unfortunately, due to our diet (increased meat consumption) and lack of exercise, there is an excess amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in our body, resulting in the development of Hyperlipidemia.

How Ganoderma Works

In 1989, Japanese researchers discovered that ganoderic acid B and C in an ex-vivo testing model could inhibit the formation and synthesis of cholesterols in hepatic cells in rats.

In 2004, Swiss researches used an animal testing model on hyperlipidemic mini-pigs and found that ganoderma effectively reduced total cholesterol by 20% and levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) by up to 27%. In 2005, the same Swiss research team discovered that the cholesterol-lowering mechanism of ganoderma was a result of ganoderma triterpenoids (ganoderic alcohol and ganoderic acid) inhibiting the bio-synthesis of cholesterols in the liver of the mini-pigs.

This means ganoderma triterpenoids could prevent the liver from producing an excess of cholesterol. Based on an analysis of ganoderma, these effective ganoderma triterpenoids are found to be rich in Yung Kien Ganoderma (belonging to a strain of G. tsugae).

2. Ganoderma and Thrombosis (formation of blood clots)

When there is a high level of fat in the blood, excess lipids will adhere to the surface of the arterial wall, accumulate and eventually result in arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). As the blood cannot run through these narrowed arteries smoothly, the heart will need to exert a higher pressure to push blood through, causing a rise in blood pressure.

If a piece of lipid sticks at a narrow point of the blood vessels, it will cause thromboembolism. Thrombosis at the heart is called Cardiovascular Thrombosis.
Thrombosis at the brain is called Cerebrovascular Thrombosis.

Another possible cause of arteriosclerosis is the aggregation of platelets. When injuries occur in the blood vessels, platelets gather at the site of injury and begin the repair process. The walls of the blood vessels then become thicker and narrower, thus blood flow become slower, causing high blood pressure.

How Ganoderma Works

Research at China Tongji Medical University showed that after taking 12 capsules of Yung Kien Ganoderma per day for 2 weeks, the rate of platelet aggregation was inhibited by up to 32%, and the dry weight of thrombus was reduced by more than 30%. Yung Kien Ganaoderma also reduces the size of thrombi in atherosclerotic patients.

In other words, ganoderma can improve the blood conditions of people with cerebral/cardiovascular diseases, increase blood fluidity and decrease the possibility of thrombus formation.

3. Ganoderma and Vascular Elasticity

As we age, our blood vessels are no longer as elastic and our heart has to increase its force of contraction. One important cause is sclerosis due to the over-accumulation of substances such as fats and cholesterol. The restoration of vascular elasticity is very important to control our blood pressure.

The function of the renin-angiotensin system is to maintain blood pressure in a normal state. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is an important enzyme in this system, which helps stimulate blood vessel contractions to help the human body adapt to environment changes such as temperature and also emotions. However, many hypertensive patients have a much higher ACE concentration than normal. Hence, inhibition of ACE activity is an effective way to reduce high blood pressure.

How Ganoderma Works

Experiments conducted in 1986 by Japanese researchers showed that the ganoderal A, ganoderols A, B and ganoderic acid B, C2, F, H, K and S were effective in inhibiting ACE activity. Such research provides scientific proof for the control of high blood pressure in patients taking ganoderma over long-term.

More Researches: Ganoderma and Hypertension

• In 1988, Japanese researchers from Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan found a significant drop in cholesterols and triglycerides in the blood of rats after administering them with ganoderma for 28 days. Blood pressure also decreased by more than 10 mmHg.
• In a 1985 human clinical trial, Japanese researchers from Surugadai Nihon University Hospital in Tokyo gave ganoderma hot-water extracts to 40 hypertensive patients with blood pressure of over 160 and 95 mmHg. After 6 months, 60% of the patients showed a decrease of 10 to 20 mmHg in blood pressure.