You've heard that red wine is good for you - better in some ways than other forms of alcohol. The pigments that make some wines red (which are also found in purple grape juice, blueberries and other fruits) have been shown to inhibit the phosphodiesterase enzymes - which is how Viagra works. Adding the healthy red and blue colors from anthocyanin pigments to your diet won't give the immediate, powerful kick that comes from the little blue pill. But it can make a difference and should be considered a first-string treatment for preventing or reversing Erectile Dysfunction.

Lab studies have shown that an anthocyanin called malvidin inhibits 50% of PDE-5 activity at 25 parts per million. Viagra is about a thousand times stronger. But you can drink grape juice everyday, without a prescription, and it does a lot more to help with erections than just inhibit PDE.

A 2007 study found that men with mild to moderate ED that drank pomegranate juice for 4 weeks tended towards improved sexual function. The study was rather small and short-term, and the results were not strong statistically, although it does suggest a role for this type of simple dietary change and more research is on the way.

Anthocyanin plant pigments improve vascular health in the large arteries and veins, and in the microscopic capillaries. They reduce angiotensin and endothelin, both of which raise blood pressure and lower the nitric oxide needed for erections. They are also broad-spectrum anti-inflammatories that appear to slow cholesterol build up in the arteries.

Some people get scared by the chemical names - cyanin and cyanidin sound like cyanide. Chemically, they are not related in any way. The term cyan is Greek for blue - and cyanide makes the lips turn blue when it intereferes with oxygen. But the anthocyanins, anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins have no such effect. The only point of similarity is their color ... blueberries are blue from healthy cyanins, not cyanide.

One of the richest, least expensive sources of malvidin is hibiscus tea. This costs around ten cents a cup if you buy tea bags, much less if you buy it in bulk. Hibiscus tea sweetened with sugar was once popular among kids in the Southern US, but it disappeared when Kool-Aid introduced their inexpensive powders made with artificial colors and flavors.

High blood pressure is a big risk factor for erectile dysfunction, but anthocyanins can help. In one study, men with moderate high blood pressure drank a tea made from ten grams (about 1/3 ounce) of hibiscus flowers in half a liter of water each morning. Within a few weeks, their blood pressure returned to normal. Hibiscus has a mild diuretic effect (it makes you pee more), and it is also inhibits angiotensin and endothelin, and gently raises nitric oxide levels.

One of the concerns related to using Viagra is the possibility of vision disturbances. Airplane pilots are not allowed to take Viagra because (in rare cases), it makes everything look blueish for a while and then the vision dims. When this happens, Viagra is stimulating nitric oxide in the retina of the eye, and rhodopsin pigments used to see are first overstimulated and then depleted.

The anthocyanin pigments in fruits stimulate nitric oxide, but in a gentle way. And they don't deplete rhodopsin in the eye - the body uses one of them (delphinidin) to produce rhodopsin. During World War II, British pilots were given scarce billberry jam to help improve their eye sight - billberries are a type of wild blueberry, which are loaded with anthocyanins including delphinidin.

The anthocyanins and anthocyanidins also hold promise for reducing many of the consequences of diabetes. They may help with psoriasis (by turning down epithelial growth factor). They have been associated with a reduced risk of a variety of cancers. Blueberries have been shown to improve mental functions, probably by strengthening the blood-brain barrier or otherwise improving blood flow to the brain. Anthocyanins have been shown to inhibit some bacteria and viruses - cranberry juice has proven itself for preventing urinary infections, while elderberry syrup can reduce the intensity of colds and flu. We could do an entire website on the benefits of this class of phytochemicals.

Many of these pigments change color under different concentrations, or when the acid/alkaline balance changes. When dissolved in acids, many of these pigments are red. As the pH shifts to neutral or alkaline, they may turn purple and then blue. This change in color does not break-down the pigment or interfere with the benefits.

Natural Sources of Anthocyanins and Anthocyanidins

Many fruits, vegetables, and herbs that have a blue/purple/red color are loaded with anthocyanins. Here are some especially concentrated sources:

• Aaronia (chokeberry)
• Beans (especially black and red varieties)
• Billberries
• Blackberries and Raspberries
• Black Currants
• Black Rice (not wild rice - Black Rice is available in Asian Food Stores)
• Blueberries
• Cherries (especially darker varieties)
• Cranberries
• Eggplant
• Hibiscus
• Mullberries
• Pomegranates (especially juice)
• Purple Grape Juice
• Red Cabbage
• Red Grapefruit Juice, Blood Oranges
• Red Wine
• Ube (purple yam)

Aphrodisiology's Bottom Line

Blue, purple and red plant pigments are essential to good health, and may be one of the best ways to support healthy sexuality in males. If you don't currently include generous servings of these anthocyanins in your diet, you should. It is an easy change to make.

Anthocyanins are not an overnight fix for erectile dysfunction, but make a lot of sense if your time frame is months or years. There is no single super-source for these compounds - eat a variety of foods that supply them every day.

Related Links

• Mediterranean Diet Improves Sexual Function (aphrodisiology.com)
• In vitro inhibition of human cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase-5 by polyphenols from red grapes. (PubMed.gov)
• Efficacy and safety of pomegranate juice on improvement of erectile dysfunction in male patients with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study.
• Anthocyanidins decrease endothelin-1 production and increase endothelial nitric oxide synthase in human endothelial cells.
• The substitution pattern of anthocyanidins affects different cellular signaling cascades regulating cell proliferation. (PubMed.gov)