Nitric Oxide
The Critical Role it Plays in Male Enhancement Pills

The substance Nitric Oxide is vitally important in helping men achieve a stronger, harder and bigger erection. Produced by the amino acid L-Arginine, Nitric Oxide helps in the vasodilation process, widening the blood vessels to allow a greater flow of blood to the penis. Nitric Oxide has been studied by scientists for a number of years and it was first introduced to many men through the prescription medication Viagra, one of the first male sexual support products on the market.

While many men suffer from impotence, sometimes referred to as erectile dysfunction, they may not understand exactly what causes it. Men experience impotence when there isn’t a good flow of blood to the penis due to poor blood vessel dilation. The penis fails to become fully engorged, leading to an inability to achieve and sustain an erection. L-Arginine does help produce the vital chemical Nitric Oxide but it may not be enough and the results may not be permanent. While there are other ingredients that may help, such as Citrulline, they may not be overly effective either, which is why many manufacturers turn to natural, herbal ingredients as a solution. Combining ingredients such as ginseng and other potent botanicals support vasodilation, allowing the penis to receive a strong flow of blood while also improving sexual desire and response.

The male erection is a somewhat complicated process and does involve a number of functions – the sex drive involves desire in addition to the mechanics of the anatomy, requiring stimulation of the mind and body. The brain’s impulses promote Nitric Oxide production which then causes a relaxation of the blood vessels and a greater volume of blood entering the spongy tissue in the penis. The result is a hardening of the penis, i.e., the erection.

There are several factors that can interrupt this whole process, including issues with the nerve impulses that affect the brain and the penis, and any of the muscles, veins, arteries and tissues that lead to the penis. The cause of these interruptions can come from a variety of sources too – medications that interfere with biological processes, a hardening of the arteries that often occurs with age, hormonal imbalance and many other physiological changes in the body.

Scientists looking into the role that Nitric Oxide plays in the erection process started to notice that while the release of the chemical caused the erection initially, it began to break down quickly after this temporary occurrence which didn’t explain the how the erection could be sustained. What they discovered, through further research, was that the blood vessels also played a role in the release of Nitric Oxide, allowing the penis to stay hard and erect. This whole process continues with blood flowing into the penis, the vessels releasing Nitric Oxide, vessels relaxing and allowing even more blood into the penile chambers to sustain the erection for a longer period of time.

For this sequence of events to even begin, a physical or emotional sensation must occur, kicking off the release of Nitric Oxide in the nerve endings. As a relaxant, Nitric Oxide opens up the blood vessels leading to the penis, engorging the tissue and penile chambers. This stress on the blood vessel walls activates the release of even more of the chemical and the process continues to repeat until the penis is completely erect and remains so for a certain period of time. It was the discovery of an enzyme, Endothelial Nitric Oxide synthase, combined with the process of N.O. production through pressure on the walls of the vessels that gave scientists a greater understanding into how the body produces an erection, a complicated sequence of events that relies so many different physiological and biological functions.