Which Organ in The Body Is Related To Male Sexual Function?

Which organ in the body is related to male sexual function?

Male sexual function is not determined by a single organ, but by the synergistic effect of multiple organs. Traditional Chinese medicine theory emphasizes that "the kidney is the foundation and main reproductive organ of nature," while the liver, heart, spleen, and lungs jointly participate in regulation; Modern medicine attributes it to the precise coordination of nerves, blood vessels, endocrine systems, and psychology. This article will systematically answer the two core questions of "which organ is related to sexual function" and "whether Cistanche tubulosa can alleviate and prevent poor sexual ability" from three levels: traditional Chinese medicine organ theory, modern medical mechanisms, and pharmacological basis and practical solutions of Cistanche tubulosa.

The efficacy of Cistanche tubulosa- enhancing sexual function 

Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective: Which Organs Are Related to Sexual Function

1.1 Kidney: the foundation of congenital conditions, responsible for reproduction and sealing

In traditional Chinese medicine theory, the kidney is the "master switch" for male reproductive function. The Yellow Flag Inner Canon clearly states that "the kidneys are the main source of nectar, the foundation of sealing and storage, and the essence." The "kidney essence" stored in the kidneys is the essential substance that constitutes the human body and sustains life activities. It can promote growth and development, as well as transform into reproductive essence. If the kidney essence is sufficient, the male will have a period of stagnation, overflow of essence and qi, and strong reproductive function; If there is a deficiency of kidney essence, a series of symptoms such as yang deficiency, premature ejaculation, decreased libido, soreness and weakness of the waist and abdomen, tinnitus, and forgetfulness may occur.

Throughout history, many medical practitioners have attributed male sexual dysfunction to the kidneys, and treatment has mainly focused on nourishing the kidneys. The book "Jingyue Quanshu" records that "for men who cannot rise from yang deficiency, there is often a decline in fire and a deficiency of essence and cold." This shows that the core pathogenesis of sexual dysfunction is the decline in the vitality of the body and the deficiency of kidney essence. From the perspective of meridians, the kidney meridian is' bound to the yin organ ', and if the kidney essence is deficient and cannot nourish the meridian, the penis cannot achieve normal erection. Therefore, "the kidney governs reproduction" is the most fundamental and core theory in traditional Chinese medicine for male health.

Effects of Cistanche: Improve Kidney Function

1.2 Liver: the "commander" of erectile function, responsible for regulating ejaculation and tendons

If the kidneys provide 'ammunition', the liver is the commander responsible for 'ignition' and 'transportation'. The liver is responsible for regulating the flow of qi throughout the body. Only when the liver qi is regulated can qi and blood flow smoothly into the penis, achieving normal erection; If the liver qi is stagnant, the qi and blood cannot reach the meridians, resulting in "failure to perform yang exercises" or "weak erection". Shen Jin'ao, a medical expert in the Qing Dynasty, clearly pointed out that "people who have lost their aspirations suffer from depression and liver damage, and the liver cannot be drained, which also leads to infertility. In addition, 'essence and blood are of the same origin', and insufficient liver blood can lead to kidney essence deficiency, further exacerbating sexual dysfunction.

1.3 Heart, Spleen, and Lung: Collaborative Participation in 'Logistics Support'

In addition to the kidneys and liver, the heart, spleen, and lungs also play important roles in sexual function. The heart governs the gods and governs the production of sexual desire and excitement. Anxiety, tension, and other restlessness can directly inhibit the erection reflex; The spleen is the foundation of postnatal development and the source of qi and blood biochemistry. If the stomach and stomach are strong, qi and blood are sufficient, and the tendons are nourished. The "Secret Record of Feng's Golden Sacks" states that "if the stomach is strong, the kidneys will be filled and the essence and qi will be strong; if the stomach is weak, the essence will be injured, and the yang will decline; The lungs regulate the body's qi and blood circulation, providing sufficient oxygen and energy support for sexual activity.

The process of ejaculation is the result of the coordination of the heart, liver, spleen, and kidneys: essence is stored in the kidneys, ejaculation control lies in the heart and liver, and the mechanism of sperm uptake lies in the spleen. Any imbalance in one organ may lead to premature ejaculation.

1.4 Overview of the Relationship between Traditional Chinese Medicine Organs and Organs

Overall, traditional Chinese medicine summarizes the relationship between function and organs in one sentence: "Essence arises in the kidneys, emotions arise in the heart, and erection occurs in the liver. The kidneys provide the source of matter, the liver is responsible for regulating qi and blood flow and executing erections, the heart regulates emotions and desires, the spleen replenishes blood and qi, and the lungs coordinate overall qi flow. Among the five organs, the kidneys and liver are the most critical, and clinical sexual dysfunction is mainly caused by liver and kidney lesions. Therefore, medical practitioners throughout history have advocated treating it based on the liver and kidney.

2, Modern Medical Perspective: The Physiological Basis of Sexual Function

2.1 Neuroregulation: The Brain's Startup Key '

Modern medicine believes that male erection is a complex physiological reflex involving nerves, blood vessels, endocrine systems, and psychology. Sexual stimulation is transmitted to the sexual arousal center of the brain (mainly located in the hypothalamus and cerebral cortex) through visual and tactile senses, and then transmitted to the corpus cavernosum of the penis through the spinal cord nerves, triggering the erection process of arterial dilation, venous closure, and blood filling. Excessive inhibition of the central nervous system (such as anxiety, depression, stress) can significantly weaken this reflex, which is the basis for many psychological ED.

2.2 Vascular system: hardware guarantee for erection

The essence of penile erection is a hemodynamic event - a large influx of arterial blood into the corpus cavernosum cavity, causing an increase in penile volume and hardness. Therefore, any disease that affects vascular health (hypertension, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, hyperlipidemia) will damage erectile function. Clinical data show that erectile dysfunction is often an early "warning signal" for cardiovascular disease.

2.3 Endocrine system: the "fuel supply" of hormones

Ketone is a core hormone for male sexual desire and erectile function, secreted by sleeping pills and regulated by the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis (HPG axis). Low levels of ketone can lead to decreased libido, erection difficulty, and decreased sperm quality. Thyroid hormones, prolactin, and other hormones are also involved in regulation. It is worth noting that the modern biological basis corresponding to the traditional Chinese medicine principle of "kidney governs reproduction" is largely the HPG axis and the ketone secretion system of the eyelid.

Effects of Cistanche-Improve kidney function

3, Cistanche tubulosa: a "kidney tonifying medicine" in the desert

3.1 Basic Overview

Cistanche tubulosa is a dry fleshy stem with scaly leaves from the plants Cistanche tubulosa or Cistanche tubulosa in the family Rhamnaceae. It is mainly produced in the arid desert areas of northwest China, such as Xinjiang and Gansu, and is known as the "desert ginseng". Its nature is sweet, salty, and warm, and it belongs to the kidney and large intestine meridians. Its core functions are "tonifying kidney yang, nourishing essence and blood, moistening intestines and promoting bowel movements", and it is listed as a top-grade medicinal herb. In the "Shennong Bencao Jing", it is recorded as "mainly used for five labor and seven injuries, tonifying the middle, strengthening yin, nourishing essence and qi, and increasing fertility".

3.2 Core active ingredients

Modern research has isolated and identified nearly a hundred chemical components from Cistanche tubulosa, among which the most critical are phenylethanoid glycosides (PEG), including echinacoside, verbascoside, Cistanche tubulosa glycosides A~I, salidroside, isoverbascoside, etc. These ingredients are the main pharmacological substance basis for the "tonifying kidney yang" effect of Cistanche tubulosa. In addition, Cistanche tubulosa is also rich in polysaccharides, betaine, amino acids, sterols, and other components, which together constitute its multi-target pharmacological effects.

Main Chemical Constituents of Cistanche tubulosa

3.3 Pharmacological Effects: From Metabolomics to Animal Experiments

(1) Adjust the HPG axis to increase the level of blepharoptone

In April 2025, the team led by Xu Ying from the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences published a study in the Chinese Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, revealing that extracts of Cistanche tubulosa can significantly reduce the serum level of blepharon (T) in rats with kidney yang deficiency model, improve sleep pills and eyelid tissue damage, enhance sperm density, vitality and viability, and reduce sperm deformity rate. The mechanism is to alleviate the functional inhibition of the HPG axis by regulating multiple metabolic pathways such as lipid metabolism (linoleic acid pathway), ether lipid metabolism, pantothenic acid, and coenzyme A synthesis, achieving a chain repair of "metabolic regulation → endocrine improvement → reproductive function recovery".

Animal experiments have shown that the phenylethanoid glycosides in Cistanche tubulosa can increase the serum levels of corticosteroids by 30% to 50% in rats with a kidney yang deficiency model, while reducing the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, suggesting that it can repair the dysfunction of the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis.

(2) Enhance erectile function and mating ability

Male rats administered continuous gavage of Cistanche tubulosa extract for 4 weeks showed a 40% to 60% extension in ejaculation latency and a 2- to 3-fold increase in penile erection frequency. In a clinical observation of 60 patients with mild erectile dysfunction, taking Cistanche tubulosa compound preparation (10 grams per day, divided into 2 doses) for 8 weeks resulted in an average improvement of 4.2 points in the International Erectile Function Index (IIEF) score, with an effective rate of 68.3%.

(3) Anti-fatigue and immune regulation

Cistanche polysaccharides can promote the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes and enhance natural killer cell activity, increasing interferon - γ secretion by 1.8-2.5 times within the concentration range of 50-200 μ g/mL. Its extract can also prolong animal swimming time, reduce blood lactate and urea nitrogen levels, and indirectly enhance sexual activity endurance.

(4) Moisturize the intestines and promote bowel movements

Cistanche tubulosa is rich in intestinal replacement of urine viscosity and galacturol, which can increase intestinal moisture, stimulate intestinal peristalsis, and have a good relieving effect on intestinal dryness constipation such as elderly physical deficiency and postpartum blood deficiency. This effect is particularly targeted towards constipation of kidney deficiency and fluid deficiency type.

4, Can Cistanche tubulosa alleviate and prevent its poor ability?

4.1 Clear relief effect on "kidney yang deficiency type" sexual dysfunction

Effects of Cistanche: Improve Kidney Function

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Cistanche tubulosa is not a "universal aphrodisiac", and its effect has a clear premise of traditional Chinese medicine differentiation - it is mainly suitable for the syndrome type of "insufficient kidney yang and deficiency of essence and blood". The typical symptoms of this group of people include: fear of cold limbs, soreness and weakness of waist and abdomen, mental exhaustion, decreased libido, premature ejaculation due to yang deficiency, frequent nocturia, pale tongue, and thin pulse. For the sexual dysfunction caused by kidney yang deficiency, Cistanche tubulosa can fundamentally improve physical fitness and restore sexual function by supplementing kidney yang and nourishing essence and blood.

The "Rihuazi Bencao" records that it is used to treat male infertility, male ejaculation, hematuria, and nocturnal emissions. It is often used in combination with traditional Chinese medicine formulas such as Cistanche tubulosa and Jingang pills in clinical practice.

4.2 For "liver depression type" sexual dysfunction: it is necessary to use liver soothing drugs in combination

It is worth noting that many ED patients in clinical practice are not simply suffering from kidney deficiency, but rather a complex pathogenesis of "liver depression and kidney deficiency" - manifested as emotional depression, chest and rib distension, sudden yang infertility, accompanied by kidney deficiency symptoms such as soreness and weakness in the waist and abdomen. For this type of patient, using only Cistanche tubulosa to tonify the kidneys is not sufficient. It is necessary to combine it with liver soothing and depression relieving drugs such as Liuhu, Baizhi, and Yujin to treat both symptoms and root causes. This is precisely why modern traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes "treating from the perspective of liver and kidney".

4.3 Poor preventive ability: can be used as daily conditioning

The efficacy of Cistanche tubulosa- enhancing sexual function 

The characteristics of Cistanche tubulosa, such as being warm but not hot, and nourishing but not strong, make it very suitable as a preventive conditioning medication. For men who gradually decline in kidney yang and energy after middle age, taking moderate amounts of Cistanche tubulosa can warm and tonify kidney yang, nourish essence and blood, and delay aging, based on the diagnosis of Yin deficiency constitution. But it must be clear: prevention ≠ treatment. If there is clear erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation, medical attention should be sought to identify the cause (vascular, neurological, endocrine, psychological), rather than relying solely on medicinal herbs.

Conclusion

Firstly, male sexual function is related to multiple organs, among which the kidneys are the material basis (responsible for reproduction and storage of essence), the liver is the executive center (responsible for drainage, tendons, and the perineum), and the heart, spleen, and lungs cooperate in regulation. The summary of traditional Chinese medicine that "essence is generated in the kidneys, emotions are generated in the heart, and erection is generated in the liver" is highly consistent with the modern medical neurovascular endocrine mechanism.

Secondly, as a "desert ginseng", Cistanche tubulosa has a clear alleviating effect on sexual dysfunction caused by kidney yang deficiency and deficiency of essence and blood. Modern pharmacological studies have confirmed that it can regulate the HPG axis, enhance the level of blepharon, and improve erectile function. At the same time, its "warm but not dry" characteristic is also suitable as a daily preventive conditioning for Yin deficiency constitution. But it is not a panacea; it needs to be used according to syndrome differentiation, properly combined, and taken under the guidance of a professional physician.

Sexual function is related to overall health. Instead of blindly supplementing, it is better to establish a scientific understanding, develop a healthy lifestyle, and seek medical attention promptly when necessary - this is the true "fundamental solution".