Arginine for Potency, Heart, and Healing

Additionally, L-arginine increases the availability of nitric oxide to cells. Nitric oxide is a molecule of gas that penetrates cells and regulates their functioning, and can help to control blood pressure. Nitric oxide also helps to control blood flow to the brain, which keeps nerve cells in the brain healthy. It's no wonder that the Nobel Prize was recently awarded for work on the health impacts of nitric oxide. But the heart is not the only part of the body that benefits from L-arginine. The immune system gets a boost, too. Arginine increases the number of immune T cells and enhances their function. It also affects the reproductive system, and is a key factor in preventing male impotence.

Uplifting Wound Healer

Current studies support the use of arginine supplements to ensure that nitric oxide secretion is sufficient to keep blood flowing to the penis. Nitric oxide insufficiency can stop the penis from becoming erect. A study published in 1994 showed an 80 percent improvement in the erectile function of men given 2.8 grams of L-arginine a day for two weeks. L-Arginine may also help wounds to heal faster, particularly in burn patients. In general, wound sites are remarkably low in traces of arginine, and surgical incisions heal faster in patients given supplemental arginine. With its ability to speed wound healing and its potential to stimulate growth hormone release from the pituitary gland, L-arginine could be a critical addition to nutritional support for burn victims.

Sore Spots

However, not all the news is good. People with any kind of herpes infection (e.g., cold sores, chicken pox, shingles), or a history of herpes, should not take L-arginine supplements. The herpes virus flourishes on L-arginine. Andrew Weil, M.D., says that if you have a cold sore, a sign of herpes simplex, you should cut down on food sources of arginine—chocolate, beer, grain cereals, meats, seeds, nuts, and beans, and add 500 - 1000 mg of Lysine.

Tumors are another problem area for arginine. Despite the fact that arginine can boost the immune system's T-cells, and that some types of cancer do seem to respond well to large doses of L-arginine, in the 1980s scientists had conflicting information regarding arginine's effects on tumor cells. Researchers working with rodents found that when immune cells in mice attacked invading bacteria, one of the chemical byproducts produced was nitric oxide. Further research led to the hypothesis that arginine metabolizes nitric oxide to mobilize other specific immune cells, to attack some kinds of cancer cells. Unfortunately, it appears that some tumor cells are affected by L-arginine in an opposing fashion.

To Arginine or Not to Arginine 

L-Arginine,proponents Robert Fried, Ph.D., and Woodson C. Merrell, M.D., two highly credible alternative health experts and co-authors of The Arginine Solution, claim that when L-arginine, is used conservatively—no more than 6 grams a day—its benefits far outweigh its risks. For people with heart disease or erectile dysfunction, L-arginine, supplementation may be considered miraculous. Daily doses of L-arginine may boost cardiac performance and act as a tonic, bestowing more energy and a heightened sense of well being, according to Fried and Merrell.