A new treatment for mild erectile dysfunction with Garcinia kola nuts: a phase II randomised clinical trial

Abstract

Purpose: Our objective was to assess the efficacy of Garcinia kola (G. kola) nuts in treating erectile dysfunction in adult men.

Methodology: A phase II single-blind clinical trial was conducted at Yaoundé Central Hospital, Cameroon. Men aged above 25 years who had experienced erectile dysfunction for at least three months were recruited. G. kola nuts were authenticated, cleaned, and bagged according to each participant’s daily dose. We included 40 patients who completed questionnaires, including the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15) and underwent clinical and paraclinical assessments. They were then randomly divided into two comparable groups to receive G. kola: group A (2 × 10 ± 1 g daily, n = 20) and group B (2 × 20 ± 1 g daily, n = 20). Patients were followed up every three weeks for 12 weeks. The primary outcome of the trial was an improvement in erectile function. Secondary outcomes included satisfaction with sexual intercourse, orgasm, sexual desire, overall satisfaction, and overall IIEF-15 score.

Results: The mean ages of the participants in groups A and B were 46.95 ± 11.94 and 49.15 ± 14.66 years, respectively. Half of the patients had been complaining of erectile dysfunction for 1–5 years. At baseline, the mean erectile function of groups A and B was 18 ± 3.01 and 19.1 ± 1.60, respectively. From the first appointment, there was a significant difference between the erectile function of group A (18.15 ± 2.94, p = 0.874) and group B (21.7 ± 2.34, p < 0.001). At the trial’s baseline, the overall IIEF-15 scores were 42.7 ± 6.7 and 43.55 ± 4.3 for groups A and B, respectively. After six weeks, this score increased to 45.93 ± 5.96 in group A and reached 51.75 ± 4.34 in group B (p = 0.004). This increase continued until the end of the intervention. No major side effects were reported.

Conclusion: The G. kola nuts may improve erectile dysfunction and may be an alternative option for men suffering from mild erectile dysfunction. Long-term studies with a large cohort and optimal dosage are needed to confirm this trend. Trial registration: Pan African
Clinical Trial Registry, identifier PACTR202310817915957.