{"id":27411,"date":"2019-08-28T13:00:31","date_gmt":"2019-08-28T13:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/?p=27411"},"modified":"2019-08-27T18:12:25","modified_gmt":"2019-08-27T18:12:25","slug":"scientists-warn-that-eating-lichen-to-treat-ed-not-a-good-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/erectile-dysfunction\/scientists-warn-that-eating-lichen-to-treat-ed-not-a-good-idea\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists Warn That Eating Lichen to Treat ED Not a Good Idea"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eating the testes of a goat (cooked in milk). Smearing the penis with a paste made of baby crocodiles’ hearts… These are just a few examples<\/a> of ancient cures for impotence.<\/p>\n

We may be centuries away from the Middle Ages but the “traditional” and dangerous treatments for erectile dysfunction have not lost on popularity.<\/p>\n

Even today men may be tempted to… lick the pavement or stone walls to reap the alleged benefits of a certain lichen. This common fungus is said to be a natural Viagra. Scientists warn consuming it is very risky.<\/p>\n

Xanthoparmelia scabrosa sold online as natural ED treatment<\/h3>\n

Big Chinese shopping site Alibaba hosts a whole range of curiosities. Sperm shaped egg fryers. \u00a0Sex dolls galore. And heaps of herbal remedies for erectile dysfunction.<\/p>\n

One of them is Xanthoparmelia scabrosa, a type of lichen said to help with erectile problems. Prices for this “natural cure” range from $10 to $500 per kilogram. The whole thing looks pretty suspicious if you realize that the fungus doesn’t even grow in China.<\/p>\n

What’s Xanthoparmelia scabrosa?<\/h3>\n

The supposedly magic cure for ED grows\u00a0<\/a>in New Zealand, Australia, some Pacific islands, South Africa and Japan. It’s a common fungus, found on stone pavement, roof tiles or tree bark.<\/p>\n

\"Lichen
Lichen grows in shady places on tree bark and pavement<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The “sexy pavement lichen”, as scientists like to jokingly call it, does contains a PDE5 inhibitor. This chemical is similar<\/a> to what we find in Viagra. It works to inhibit the enzyme that can lead to impotence.<\/p>\n

Why you shouldn’t eat lichen for ED<\/h3>\n

If the fungus does contain the substance that acts like Viagra, then what’s the problem? Isn’t it a natural alternative to pills? Unfortunately, it isn’t.<\/p>\n

First of all, this particular PDE5 inhibitor may be toxic. Second, the lichen itself may be tainted<\/a> by poisonous chemicals, such as lead or mercury.<\/p>\n

Were talking about an extremely resilient plant. Its strength comes from the ability to thrive despite unfavorable conditions. That’s why it can live on polluted roads, near car fumes and other deadly substances.<\/p>\n

You may not know what you’re getting with many “natural” treatments<\/h3>\n

Scientists are surprised that online shops sell Xanthoparmelia scabrosa powder in such big quantities. It doesn’t sound right. Lichen grows\u00a0<\/a>at an extremely slow pace, only a few millimeters a year. Harvesting it is even more difficult. Imagine scraping the fungus off dirty sidewalks. The precious product would come with a bunch of dirt and stone bits.<\/p>\n

The final argument against buying powdered products containing Xanthoparmelia is that most of these products are fake.<\/p>\n

Doctor Allison Knight, lichenologist from the University of Otago explains\u00a0<\/a>that United States Food and Drug Administration asked an expert to conduct a detailed analysis of one of the products. He found the capsules contained 80 per cent Viagra, and 20 per cent grass clippings. It really makes much more sense to get a genuine prescription for ED medication.<\/p>\n

\"Herbal
Never buy herbal medicine from unknown sources<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Don’t risk your health to treat erectile dysfunction<\/h3>\n

As promising as the new “magic” drugs for ED may sound, your best bet is to see the doctor or make an online consultation with a licensed physician.<\/p>\n

Only then will you get an accurate diagnosis and the prescription you need. Modern ED medication is becoming more accessible as prices continue to drop. Nowadays your choice of ED medicine is huge. Producers offer new solutions, such as pills for daily use which help you stay sexually active without worrying about taking the medicine at the right moment. Visit eDrugstore’s Erectile Dysfunction page<\/a> to find the right solution for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Eating the testes of a goat (cooked in milk). Smearing the penis with a paste made of baby crocodiles’ hearts… These are just a few examples of ancient cures for impotence. We may be centuries away from the Middle Ages but the “traditional” and dangerous treatments for erectile dysfunction have not lost on popularity. Even […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":27412,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_autoblog_aioseo_focus_keyphrase":"","_autoblog_aioseo_title":"","_autoblog_aioseo_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[22],"class_list":["post-27411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-erectile-dysfunction","tag-ed"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t