“Dr. Bob welcomes your questions about sexuality and will strive to answer them with the most up to date available medical/scientific information. Wherever possible, the scientific source(s) of the information is provided for your information. Answers to your individual questions represent generally accepted current conventional psychological and health science theory and practice but they are not intended to propose diagnoses or specific treatments. In all cases consultation with a medical or other health services provider is highly recommended.”

Q.  What is the difference between “supporting healthy erectile function” and “treating erectile dysfunction”?

A. US government and state laws restrict the way that professions and commerce may use certain terms including the term treatment.  For instance, anyone who holds a doctorate degree from an institution granted the right to award it can lawfully use the title “doctor.”  However, this does not entitle anyone to practice medical treatment or prescribe treatment medications without a valid license.  The treatment of any medical condition including prescribing medication is reserved by law to medicine.  On the other hand, a psychologist can employ non-medical means to treat emotional and behavioral disorders.

Erectile function is not a medical condition so anyone who claims a safe method to improve it can legally claim to “support” it.  On the other hand, erectile dysfunction (ED) was considered a psychological disorder long before it became a medical condition.  As a result, a licensed or certified psychologist can treat it with psychological techniques, and a physician can treat it as a medical disorder with prescription medications or other medical or surgical means.

While the law has an interest in safety and claims of efficacy (truth in advertising), it often allows the market to determine exactly how effective anything is that is said to “support healthy sexual function.”  It is assumed that if it is found by consumers to do that, then they will most likely continue to use it whereas it fails to satisfy “support” claims, they may soon discount its use.  That’s how “free markets” should work.

Since the 1980s, L-arginine, as used in conventional medicine, has been scientifically proven to be an effective treatment for a host of medical disorders including:

• Hypertension,⁽¹⁾
• coronary heart disease (CHD),⁽²⁾
• elevated serum LDL cholesterol (hyperlipidemia),⁽³⁾
• erectile dysfunction (ED),⁽⁴⁾
• Type II diabetes,⁽⁵⁾ and
• kidney disease,⁽⁶⁾ and
• preeclampsia ⁽⁷⁾ to name just a few.

… as reported in conventional medical publications (See below).  However, the typical consumer supplementation of L-arginine is not considered treatment under medical supervision and therefore it can only be claimed to “support healthy erectile function.”

In any case federal authorities do not now recognize L-arginine dietary supplement products to be a valid medical treatment for ED and therefore, allegations of its effectiveness notwithstanding, labels for the product can only legally state that it “supports healthy erectile function” even were it recommended by your physician.

[(1) See:  N. Gokce (2004). Supplement: Arginine Metabolism: Enzymology, Nutrition, and Clinical Significance: L-Arginine and Hypertension.   Journal of Nutrition, 134, 2807S-2811S (October 2004).]

[(2) See: Adams, M. R., McCredie, R., Jessup, W., Robinson, J., Sullivan, D., & D. S. Celermajer (1997). Oral L-arginine improves endothelium-dependent dilatation and reduces monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells in young men with coronary artery disease.  Atherosclerosis, 129, 261-269.]

[(3) See:  Clarkson, P., Adams, M. R., Powe, A. J., Donald, A. E., McCredie, R., Robinson, J., McCarthy, S. N., Keech, A., Celermajer, D. S., & J. E. Deanfield (1996).  Oral L-arginine improves endothelium-dependent dilation in hypercholesterolemic young adults.  Journal of Clinical Investigation, 97, 1989–1994.]

[(4) See:  Zorgniotti, A. W., & E. F. Lizza (1994). Effect of large doses of the nitric oxide precursor, L-arginine, on erectile dysfunction,” International Journal of Impotence Research, 6, 33-35.]

[(5) See:  Lucotti, P., Setola, E., Monti, L. D., Galluccio, E., Costa, S., Sandoli, E. P., Fermo, I., Rabaiotti, G., Gatti, R., & P. Piatti (2006).  Beneficial effects of a long-term oral L-arginine treatment added to a hypocaloric diet and exercise training program in obese, insulin-resistant type 2 diabetic patients. American Journal of Physiology:  Endocrinology & Metabolism, 291, E906-12.]

[(6) See:  Tarumoto, T., Imagawa, S., Kobayashi, M., Hirayama, A., Ozawa, K., & T. Nagasawa (2007). L-arginine administration reverses anemia associated with renal disease.  International Journal of Hematology, 86, 126-129.]

[(7) See:  Rytlewski, K., Olszanecki, R., Korbut, R., & Z. Zdebski (2005).  Effects of prolonged oral supplementation with l-arginine on blood pressure and nitric oxide synthesis in preeclampsia.  European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 35, 32-7.]