Traditional Chinese herbalists have for centuries recommended Chinese ginseng (Panax ginseng) or ren shen in Mandarin Chinese, to improve vitality and sexual wellness for both sexes. Panax, a well-known adaptogen, is said to reduce fatigue and stress as it strengthens the body. Sexual performance could be complicated by stress if it manifests as heart weakness, blood sugar imbalances or poor circulation.
In 1997 a professor at Yale University's School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., reported that Chinese ginseng stimulates nitric oxide, a neurotransmitter that mediates a variety of bodily actions including blood vessel dilation, blood pressure regulation and blood clot prevention.1 Nitric oxide activates an enzyme that relaxes smooth muscles, allowing blood to flow. When this happens in the corpus cavernosum, an erection is possible. Viagra, the sexual potency drug, also allows nitric oxide to relax smooth muscles in the penis but the drug comes with side effects. While Viagra emphasizes sexual performance, ginseng is said to tone the entire endocrine system for a more holistic beneficial effect.
