Benefits of Vitamin E for Premature Ejaculation
We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but if you’ve seen claims that vitamin E can help treat premature ejaculation and are looking to confirm them, we’re afraid there’s not much science to prove it’ll improve your sex life.
Premature ejaculation (PE) is when men reach climax before they want to — a condition that can lead to self-consciousness, body issues, shame, performance anxiety and any number of other intimacy issues. It’s no joke, but it’s also no easy thing to treat.
And vitamin E? It’s not up to the challenge.
Vitamins do a lot for our bodies — magnesium and other compounds are often mentioned when discussing sex vitamins. But while your PE may have various causes, vitamin deficiency is probably not one of them.
We’re sure you have lots of questions, and we’re here to answer them. Below, we’ll go over the role of vitamin E in the body, its relationship to premature ejaculation, and what you should actually keep in mind if you’re having trouble with finishing too early.
Vitamin E’s Role in Men’s Bodies
Vitamin E is a multifaceted vitamin. Most people get their daily value of vitamin E through a combination of foods, including nuts, seeds, vegetable oils and green leafy vegetables — though supplementation is also possible.
Within your body, vitamin E can perform the following roles to support the tissues, organs, cells and functions you depend on:
Antioxidant protection. Vitamin E is considered a potent antioxidant. It’s very good at protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals (harmful molecules you don’t want in your body). Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which can reduce the effects of things like chronic diseases.
Cardiovascular health. If you want to protect your heart and improve blood circulation, this stuff is where it’s at. Vitamin E may help reduce the consequences of bad cholesterol. It can moderate low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, a crucial step in preventing the arteries from hardening.
Immune function. Vitamin E plays a key role in the success of your immune system. It supports a healthy immune system by enhancing communication and proliferation of immune cells while moderating inflammation.
In short, you definitely need this stuff to live. But what about needing it to last? Is there a reason to think PE and vitamin E are linked? See what the science says below.
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The Connection Between Vitamin E and Premature Ejaculation Explained
A couple of reliable studies have been done on the connection between premature ejaculation and vitamin E. But have to caution that they weren’t large studies, and they’ve yet to be replicated.
One is a 2021 study that examined the benefits of vitamin E alongside ginseng in the treatment of ED. A group of 52 men received either a combination supplement of ginseng and vitamin E or a placebo.
At the end of six weeks, those who took the combination of vitamin E and ginseng saw more benefits than the placebo group. However, the small size and limitations of the study (they didn’t look at vitamin E by itself) suggest that more research is needed to actually determine the role of vitamin E — if there is one at all.
There was also a review of studies from 2013 examining the potential value of vitamin E in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. This would be a great indirect benefit of vitamins for erectile health, as cardiovascular function and erectile function are often closely linked.
Unfortunately, the conclusion of this study was a far more certain “no.” The authors pointed to the fact that there were some limited contexts in which vitamin E might provide heart health benefits. But this is only for people who are deficient (which is very rare) or those dealing with specifically high levels of oxidative stress, which is also uncommon.
Point is: Vitamin E and premature ejaculation don’t have a well-established relationship of any kind in scientific literature. And while vitamin E is an essential nutrient with various physiological functions, there’s currently no reason to worry about whether your penis is getting enough of the stuff.
Other Sexual Benefits of Vitamin E for Men
Your sex drive, sexual function and sexual health are complex machines that keep the good times rolling. But when your sexual desire gets flummoxed by erectile dysfunction, constricted blood vessels, blood flow issues or mental health problems, those machines can break down.
Unfortunately, we’re coming up short on the benefits of vitamin E for sex — it doesn’t seem to be a very important wrench or oil for your mechanics.
On the one hand, we could point to its role in the body as a whole. Vitamin E is essential for your overall health. It’s crucial for maintaining normal reproductive function (specifically as an antioxidant) and supporting the health of cells and tissues by neutralizing free radicals.
We could also point to research on sex hormones showing a link between testosterone production and levels of vitamin C and vitamin E, and the potential benefits to sperm health and motility that have been considered.
However, testosterone levels and sperm quality are often not a direct cause of premature ejaculation. Furthermore, improved levels have only been observed in albino rats who were deficient in those vitamins, which is a great distance from most humans’ own problems.
In the big picture, this is probably not the main cause of the sexual dysfunction you’re dealing with. Certainly, it’s not the cause of something like premature ejaculation.
And even if oxidative stress in your tissues is a primary cause of PE for you, there are other ways to deal with both oxidative stress and PE that are proven more effective than vitamin E. This might include therapy, medication or behavioral exercises that help you build stamina.
If you want sexual health benefits for your own “vitamin D,” look elsewhere than vitamin E.
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Vitamin E for Premature Ejaculation
Like ED, low libido and other sex problems, premature ejaculation is a complicated condition influenced by neurological, physiological and psychological factors. No matter what you read on the internet, you cannot solve those problems with a handful of supplements — and certainly not with vitamin E.
TL;DR? Here’s the need-to-know about vitamin E and PE:
YES, vitamin E does many great things for your body, like contributing to immune function and cardiovascular health.
BUT there’s basically no information linking it to direct or indirect PE benefits.
WHILE you should obviously treat vitamin deficiencies, there’s very little vitamin E could accomplish (even hypothetically) in the treatment of PE that couldn’t be better served with proven treatments.
SO, medication, therapy and exercises are the strongest treatment options available right now if your stamina isn’t where you want it to be. Those might include SSRIs (like sertraline) or Kegels.
Ready to make some changes? Putting the vitamin E down? We can help with what’s next, whether you want to pick up medication for PE from a healthcare professional or talk to an online therapy professional about your performance issues today.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment or medication.