Benefits of L-Arginine For Men: 5 Important Health Benefits
Benefits of L-Arginine for Men
Proteins make the basis of life and your body – we all know that.
But what makes proteins? Well it’s amino acids. Amino acids act as building blocks for proteins.
Did you know L-arginine is an amino acid critical for the synthesis of proteins and it has a wide range of health benefits?
If not then you need to read this article as it will walk you through the health benefits of L-arginine, especially in men. So let’s get to it.
L-Arginine- Some Basics
L-arginine takes part in several critical biochemical processes of the body.
It is one of the semi-essential amino acids, meaning the body can make it on its own in most individuals.
The National Institute of Health states that the body generally produces enough of this compound but supplementation may be required in some cases.
This is true only if you’re eating foods rich in L-arginine. It is naturally found in seafood, dairy products, seeds, nuts, soy, and whey.
So, you should be fine as long as you’re getting a balanced diet containing the foods mentioned at the end of this article.
But everyone is not lucky enough to relish the benefits of a balanced diet.
According to some estimates, only 1 in 10 Americans eats a balanced diet. That’s where to look out for L-arginine deficiency.
It’s a good idea to use an L-arginine supplement if you’re excessively relying on junk food and not eating enough quality foods.
Health Benefits Of L-Arginine For Men
Now that you know some basics, let’s move on. What makes L-arginine so special? What is its special significance for males?
Let’s get to these questions in this section and discuss the health benefits of L-arginine for men.
1) L-arginine as a Sexual Enhancer
L-arginine has become quite popular due to its vasodilator properties – widening of blood vessels.
What L-arginine does is increase the production of a chemical called nitric oxide (NO). NO signals to the blood vessels and causes them to relax.
What good NO brings to your body? Well, it can be a life saver if you’re experiencing problems in bed.
If you’re suffering from erection problems or if your erection doesn’t last long, NO maybe able to help you. Let me explain how this happens.
Your penis- is a highly vascular structure. In addition, it is structured as a sponge. What happens in an erection is that the blood rushes to your penis and fills up the sponge-like structure of your penis.
That’s when you get a hard erection. NO increases the blood supply to your penis and help you achieve harder erections.
Over millions of people in the U.S. have problems in bed. According to some stats, 20% of people over the age of 55 report difficulty in getting or maintaining an erection and this percentage doubles after 75.
Now, you might think that the diminished sexual health is age related but it isn’t the case.
A bunch of clinical data shows that a lack of L-arginine is to blame to for erectile problems in a large proportion of males.
A study was done which looked at the combination of 6 g of L-arginine and 6mg of yohimbine HCL. The study showed that there was a significant effect on erectile dysfunction which was greater than either yohimbine alone or a placebo.
Some other studies have shown that L-arginine acts as an erection enhancer when used by people with low NO production.
A synergistic effect is seen when arginine is combined with other substances which increase NO production.
For example, a study showed that when 1700 mg of L-arginine was combined with 40 mg of Pycnogenol the success rate for treating erectile dysfunction was as much 80%.
To see my post on foods high in nitric oxideclick here.
2) L-arginine Gives You Jacked Muscles
Bodybuilders have long known about the benefits of using arginine supplements. Research also supports the fact that the use of L-arginine supplements is a highly effective way of increasing muscle mass.
L-arginine accomplishes this feat in two ways.
First, L-arginine is a powerful amino acid. Guess what makes the muscles of your body? Yes, amino acids!
So L-arginine supplements help supply the much-needed building blocks for the development of the muscles of your body.
Second, your muscles need a lot of energy, especially when you’re exercising.
All of this energy comes from the blood rushing to your muscles. NO, as mentioned before, increases the supply of blood to your body tissues.
Results of studies show that use of L-arginine supplements increases the supply of blood to your body muscles.
Another reason that L-arginine helps to build muscle is because it helps to increase human growth hormone levels in the body.
In one study where subjects were given a mixture of L-Arginine and L-Leucine, the levels of human growth hormone increased by an amazing 700%.
3) L-arginine Boosts Endurance
L-arginine is a valuable supplement for runners and athletes. That’s because of a number of reasons.
First, it increases the flow of blood to the body tissues. Second, it increases the amount of glycogen in muscles.
Glycogen is the main source of energy for your body muscles. Finally, it decreases the amount of lactic acid produced during exercise and improves recovery.
All these factors add up and result in stamina boosting effects of this supplement, as shown by research.
4) L-Arginine Lowers Blood pressure and Coronary Heart Disease
L-arginine can decrease blood pressure in sufferers of hypertension.
It is a precursor to the compound nitric oxide, which dilates the blood vessels and prevents the narrowing of arteries.
This can help reduce blood pressure. This property of L-arginine is also valuable for individuals suffering from coronary heart disease.
5) Migraine Relief
A migraine is a severe headache that is accompanied by nausea, visual distortion and light sensitivity. Traditional treatments don’t usually cure migraines.
L-arginine supplementation can help in relieving migraine headaches when they are used with ibuprofen -non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
You should talk to your doctor if you suffer from continuous headaches because they can be a sign of something more serious.
Foods Rich in L-arginine
We’ve already mentioned some food sources of L-arginine in the text, but here is the list of the top foods that you shouldn’t miss if you’re trying to get enough L-arginine in your diet.
1) Turkey – The breast of turkey contains the highest amount of L-arginine. It is also a great source of Vitamin B and omega-3 fatty acids.
2) Chicken – A chicken breast contains about 70 percent of the daily recommendation of protein and about 9 grams of arginine.
3) Pumpkin Seeds – A cup of pumpkin seeds contains about 7 grams of L-arginine. These seeds are also a good source of zinc and iron.
4) Fish – Another great source of L-arginine is fish with Tuna and Salmon coming out on top. Tuna contains 1.7g per 100g and Salmon 1.2 per 100g
5) Vegetables – Spinach and seaweed are two vegetables which you should include in your diet to increase the levels of L-arginine in your body. Frozen spinach boasts an impressive 3.3g per 100g.
6) Eggs – Eggs are one of the best foods for testosterone but they also contain a decent amount of L-arginine. An egg yolk contains 1.10g per 100g and a raw egg white contains 0.5g per 100g.
7) Nuts – Just like eggs nuts contain a good amount of L-arginine and can have between 1 – 3 grams of L-arginine. The best sources are peanuts (3.1g per 100g), walnuts (2.3g per 100g) and lastly almonds which contain 2.5g per 100g
8) Lentils – Lentils contain 2.1g per 100g of the raw vegetable and they are also full of fiber and protein.
As mentioned, you can get the required amount of L-Arginine by using a supplement.
The best supplement to take is one that contains L-Arginine with Citrulline which is another amino acid that converts into L-Arginine.
This Arginine & Citrulline Combo is great for increasing L-Arginine and boosting growth hormone in the body.
Conclusion
I hope this has opened your eyes to the benefits of L-Arginine for men and how you can boost your own levels.
