Sex:The Natural Way

By Stephen Holt MD DSc

The Experts Agree:
Holt on: Sex: The Natural Way is a roadmap for adults


Naina Sachdev photo Thoughtful and provocative, this book places modern trends in sexuality in their true perspective. Informative and relevant to all adults in the sexual jungle
Naina Sachdev MD
www.nainamd.com

Ester Mark photo This book takes the lid off of sexual repression. A masterpiece of science woven together with easy reading and enlightenment for all.
Ester Mark MD
www.estermarkmd.com

Dr. Holt photo Stephen Holt MD, DSc is a pioneer of Integrative Medicine, best-selling author and medical practitioner in New York State.
The Holt Institute of Medicine
www.stephenholtmd.com
www.hiom.org

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9781467873802

Book preview

SEX:

THE NATURAL WAY

STEPHEN HOLT, M.D., D.Sc.

Forewords by Cal Orey MA, Ava Cadell, Ph.D., Naina Sachdev MD and Ester Mark MD

Foreword to First Edition by Robert Atkins, M.D.

Published by the Holt Institute of Medicine

www.stephenholtmd.com

US%26UKLogoB%26Wnew.ai

www.stephenholtmd.com

Tel: [phone]

AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2011 Stephen Holt MD. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except by a newspaper or magazine reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review. Copyright of this book is worldwide in all languages. Editorial, sales and distribution rights and permissions inquiries should be addressed to: [e-mail] or Stephen Holt MD, 47 Center Avenue, Little Falls, NJ 07424

First published by AuthorHouse 5/24/2012

No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the prior written consent of the publisher and author Stephen Holt MD. Quotations from the book may be made in any literature, providing that the source of the information is referenced. No responsibility is assumed by the author or publisher for any injury and or damage to property of any kind as a matter of product liability, negligence or otherwise or from the use of any suggestions, methods, products, treatments, instructions, ideas or speculations made in this book. This book is not a dietary supplement label or a treatment handbook.

ISBN: 978-1-4678-7380-2 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4678-7381-9 (sc)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Edited by Cal Denise Orey

Editorial assistance: Carl Perry and Cal Orey

Warning:

The Material in This Book is for Adults Only

Contents

Foreword

Cal Orey MA

Ava Cadell, PhD

Naina Sachdev MD

Ester Mark MD

Forewords to the Sexual Revolution

(S. Holt MD, First Edition)

Preface

Stephen Holt MD

Special Notes to the Reader

How To Use This Book

Cal Orey MA

PART ONE SEXUALITY 101

CHAPTER 1 Basic Instincts

CHAPTER 2 Lackluster Libido

PART TWO THE LATEST SEX BOOSTERS

CHAPTER 3 The Viagra® Buzz

CHAPTER 4 Natures’ Wonders

CHAPTER 5 Essential Sex Nutrients

CHAPTER 6 A Focused Dietary Supplement Approach to Healthy Sex

PART THREE Rx FOR SEXUAL FITNESS

CHAPTER 7 Love Your Body

CHAPTER 8 A Time for a Change: What Men Need to Know

CHAPTER 9 PROSTATE KNOWLEDGE: WHAT WOMEN NEED TO KNOW

CHAPTER 10 His & Her Mid-Life Pause

PART FOUR GETTING SATISFACTION

CHAPTER 11 The Science of Sexual Behavior

CHAPTER 12 New Millennium Sex

CHAPTER 13 Sex for Good Health

CHAPTER 14 Observations on Contemporary Issues That Impact Sexuality

APPENDIX Evaluate Your Sex Life: The Serious and the Lighthearted Way. Selected by Cal Denise Orey

About the Author

Other Books by the Author

About the Contributors

Foreword

Cal Orey MA

It was a tremendous pleasure and honor when I was given the assignment of editing this book. Sex: The Natural Way delivers a strong message on the role of healthy sex in the promotion of well-being. As the taboos about sex in society fade, women and men (at any age) are more willing to discuss their sexual problems. There is a self-reliance for individuals to take action to improve their sex drive and ability to achieve sexual gratification. Stephen Holt, M.D., a best-selling author, takes charge of this subject and leads the way to help you achieve a healthier sex life by natural means.

In this book, Dr. Holt navigates a great deal of scientific work on the medical aspects of achieving and maintaining sexual health. He summarizes both the mental and physical components of sexual activity, but this unique book has real depth and a multitude of layers. It emphasizes the first-line options for healthy sex that are rooted in natural approaches. Dr. Holt describes the cutting-edge evidence that nutritional support provides a series of viable alternatives to drugs or devices that are promoted to improve your sex life.

The present book is an extensive revision of an earlier book written by Dr. Holt and entitled, The Sexual Revolution. Dr. Holt acknowledged that this title had been used earlier by Wilhelm Reich MD. Holt’s latter book on sex was written around the time that Viagra ®entered the market in the late 1990s. Dr. Holt had questioned the promises that were made with the release of Viagra® and its promotion as a lifestyle drug. Dr. Holt supports notions that enhancing sexual activity includes much more than a focused drug intervention, such as Viagra® or its me-too drug companions (e.g. Cialis®, Levitra® etc). This book is quite comprehensive and it examines many natural options to improve sex in both men and women.

While Dr. Holt supports the natural way, he is also willing to point to the disadvantages and limitations of some dietary supplements that have been promoted as support for sexual function in both sexes. This book has a delicate balance, and Dr. Holt’s perception of achieving healthy sex involves his ideas about finding the right natural balance for you, with great emphasis on cardiovascular health.

As a veteran sexual health and nutrition writer, I can tell you this book is a must-have in your personal health library. It has many things you want to know (but aren’t sure who to ask) about improving your sex life throughout the years, and so much more. After all, sex is a major topic of interest in the 21st century and it has become a major public health issue as new treatments emerge to improve sexual health. Dr. Holt tells us how sex heals and promotes longevity.

Sex: The Natural Way will be your guide to overall health and well-being. From time immemorial, scientists have directed their attention to ways of improving the components of love, romance, and sex. You will appreciate how this is an informative and easy-to-follow book that allows both women and men to be exposed to modern information about healthy and natural lovemaking. It is one invaluable masterpiece.

Cal Denise Orey, M.A., medical correspondent and author of Doctors’ Orders: What 101 Doctors Do to Stay Healthy

Foreword

Ava Cadell, PhD

I am ecstatic that Dr. Stephen Holt has written this wellness guide on Sex: The Natural Way. Sex is really an integral part of a healthy life and can help you emotionally, psychologically, and physically. As a dedicated sexologist whose mission is to promote the benefits of healthy sex to people around the globe, I commend Dr. Holt for pioneering a book on how positive lifestyle changes, coupled with nutritional support, can provide healthy alternatives to drugs.

For over a decade, I have appeared regularly on TV and radio shows, talking about love, relationships, and sexuality, and have authored five books and traveled around the world lecturing. Therefore, as a sex expert, I can assure you that this book is a positive addition to have in any household.

We have been programmed for far too long on the negative aspects of sex. In fact, as humans, we are always in search of the ultimate orgasmic experience, whether it’s with our soul mate, a one-night stand, a bottle of booze or mind-altering drugs. Sex is our second basic instinct, after self-preservation.

This book will answer vital questions like: What are some of the positive health benefits of love and sex? What does research say about the connection between good health and regular sexual intercourse? What are the psychological/mental health benefits of having sexual intercourse? Does it lower the incidence of depression? What are the positive benefits on the heart? Can too much of a good thing have a negative health impact? And what can you put in your body to have better sex?

Libido enhancers have been around for over 5,000 years. These include: aphrodisiacs, herbs, pills, injections, creams, pumps, rings, and myriad treatments to prevent low sexual desire. Finally, in this book, there is a revelation of natural alternatives and nutritional support for sex that provide options other than drugs for sexual enhancement in men and women, with a promise of experiencing orgasmic bliss. Sex is one of the most precious gifts we can give to someone worthy.

Ava Cadell, Ph.D.

Author of 12 Steps to Everlasting Love and

Confessions to a Sexologist

Foreword

Naina Sachdev MD

It is a pleasure to provide a foreword to this important book on sexuality in modern society. Dr. Holt is a pioneer of Integrative Medicine and he blends conventional medicine with a strong focus on natural healthcare. In my practice, I deal with many mature women who take bio-identical hormone therapy (BHRT, Bio- HRT). A key universal issue among mature females and males is the promotion of healthy sexual function. This book provides many pathways for men and women in the important positive lifestyle domain of healthy sexual activity.

Stephen Holt MD amplifies the importance of good hormonal balance as a natural way to retain sexual vitality in both men and women. He discusses the advantages and limitations of dietary supplements and drugs that are used to support sexual activity. There are unique and important messages in this book. These include the role of Metabolic Syndrome X in the indirect compromise of the act of sexual union. This book is not over explicit, but it challenges residual repressive thinking about sexuality. I am intrigued by Dr. Holt’s reactivation of interest in the work of Wilhelm Reich MD who is considered to be a pioneer of the promotion of healthy sex in society. On the one hand, Dr. Holt subscribes to some of Dr. Reich’s opinions on sexual economics, but, on the other hand, Dr. Holt does not necessarily embrace Reichian concepts on the absolute need for orgastic experiences.

This book gives a historical perspective on the evolution of sexology over a period of more than one century and it contains powerful comments (and extended dialogue) on modern developments in the science of sexuality. The book traces a modern reactivation in the interest of the role of the G-Spot in the generation of orgasm in women. Dr. Holt does not reduce sexuality to simple mechanics and he describes the brain as the master organ of sex. Please enjoy this masterful work that is a pioneering account of the application of Integrative Medicine to sexology. The training and background of Dr. Holt in therapeutics and clinical pharmacology has permitted the creation of the description of natural, novel and innovative approaches to the management of decreased libido and sexual dysfunction. The reader will find one of the most complete and informative accounts for the use of dietary supplements (nutraceuticals) in the support of healthy sexual function.

This book is a must read that will address many questions that are asked by many people and many questions that some people may be too timid to ask. We live in times of an evolving sexual revolution. This book gives us the answers!

These writings of Dr. Holt are very thoughtful and sometimes quite provocative and this book places modern trends in sexuality in their true perspective. These matters are informative and relevant to all adults in the modern sexual jungle.

Naina Sachdev MD

Lake Oswego, Oregon

www.nainamd.com

Foreword

Ester Mark MD

This book by Stephen Holt MD takes the lid off residual repressive ideas about sexuality. The concepts of Sex: The Natural Way involve science that is woven together with socio-behavioral factors that are relevant to all mature adults. These writings provide easy reading with enlightenment on many matters related to sexual activity. This book poses many questions and answers are forthcoming. The science of sexuality is still in its infancy as physicians and scientists try to unravel the complex aspects of sexual union.

Men and women have started to experience the limitations of drug treatments that are primarily designed to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). With logic, Dr. Holt indicates the correction of erectile dysfunction is a very focused way of correcting sexual problems that does not take account of the complexities of the sexual response cycle. This book amplifies relatively recent findings in peer-review medical literature that healthy sexual function promotes longevity and helps to fight common diseases.

How sexual function exerts these wide-ranging health benefits are not completely understood, but such benefits are quite obvious in both medical literature and clinical practice. The notion that the central nervous system is a master-regulator of sexual activity is quite clear in this book. Moreover, one sees the importance of healthy sexual function as both a predictor and characteristic of longevity. The expanding elderly population has recognized the pivotal importance of love, companionship and healthy sexual function for health.

In my own practice, I see many women in the perimenopause that face the consequences of declining sex hormones. My approach to these women is to use bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) with other treatment interventions that can optimize body metabolism. This book takes a similar approach to women’s wellness and it provides sound advice on hormonal replacement for mature men. The emphasis on natural ways for healthy sexual function is now embraced by many physicians who deal with recalcitrant sexual disorders.

A major strength of this book is the use of nutrition and dietary supplements to promote health and well-being in both sexes. These issues are all part of the emerging specialty of Integrative Medicine, where there has been a shift in treatment paradigms towards more natural interventions (beyond an allopathic or conventional approach). Dr. Holt reveals the biochemistry involved in nitric oxide generation and its importance to general health and well-being, in addition to its importance in providing blood flow to the genital organs. Dr. Holt acknowledges that Viagra® and related drugs have contributed greatly to the promotion of sexual union, but he points out they are not the whole story.

The act of sexual union is presented in this book in a basic manner and is readily understood by the layperson. That said, the scientific foundation and many of the statements in this book are quite clear. There are technical issues that are discussed in this book. This makes the book portable to many readers, including healthcare professionals. It remains an unfortunate circumstance that issues related to healthy sexual function, often remain without detailed discussion in general medical practice.

Many societies are entering a major change in the approach to sexuality with combined use of socio-behavioral interventions and specific treatment options. This book is written with a touch of humor that makes it very entertaining reading. I know that many readers of this book will appreciate its depth and common sense approach to the act of sexual intercourse. Modern society is still evolving with an increasing amount of gender equality. We are now seeing the importance of sexual economics which often equate to matters of gender equality. Gender equality has been associated with more pre-marital sex or casual sexual relationships, but this book reminds us all that sex should be safe, in the modern presence of serious venereal infections.

This book is balanced in its content and thought provoking. It is an ideal tool to be used in primary care practice where matters related to sexuality should no longer be the subject of repressive thinking. The modern sexual revolution takes the taboo out of the subject of sexuality. This gives this book provides real value for everyone.

Ester Mark, MD

Laguna HIlls, California

www.estermarkmd.com

Forewords to the

Sexual Revolution

(S. Holt MD, First Edition)

The following is a foreword written for the first edition of this book, which was initially entitled The Sexual Revolution, a title that had been used earlier in the last century by Wilhelm Reich MD

The author has great respect and sentimentality for the physicians and scientists who supported his initial attempts to describe the benefits of natural ways to healthy sex. In addition to the comments of Dr. Robert C. Atkins, M.D., Dr. Holt received early words of encouragement from Steven Sinatra, M.D. and Robert Krueger, Ph.D.

Dr. Robert C. Atkins M.D. (deceased)

Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine, N.Y., N.Y., stated;

Dr. Stephen Holt has written a book that needed to be written-a book that acknowledges the widespread desire that a majority of us have, to maintain healthy sex function throughout life; but he delves at length into the many options we have other than Viagra®.

Too many people assume that nothing worthwhile existed to help us perform sexually until this popular drug (referring to Viagra®) came along but, as Dr. Holt teaches us, there are numerous valuable solutions other than Viagra® to our sexual problems.

The surprisingly broad range of options proposed in the book is a result of Dr. Holt’s embracement of ‘pluralism’ in medicine, a concept that recognizes the many different approaches to good health which, in this case, may prove to be the answer to our quest for greater sexual vitality.

Pluralism is a concept that all doctors must one day embrace, unless they intend to treat patients with nothing more than knowledge of pharmaceuticals and surgery. The term, pluralistic medicine, as proposed by Dr. Holt, acknowledges the many different health-enhancing approaches, other than prescription drugs, that we can use. Several decades ago, I coined the term ‘complementary medicine’ to describe what I was practicing. But because the basic tenet of the true complementary approach is to use all the healing arts because they complement one another, it, too, is a form of pluralism.

I am particularly pleased Dr. Holt tells us about two approaches that are particularly close to my heart: finding help from an intelligent sugar- and junk food-free diet and about the many vita-nutrients that we can select to target our health objectives.

Sure, there’s Viagra®, but there are many safer options available to us. This book is a comprehensive work on sexuality and Dr. Holt leaves no stone unturned in providing us a truly panoramic view of our choices to enhance sexual vitality.

Author’s Comment: The death of my friend Dr. Robert Atkins, M.D. was a great loss to the modern movement of alternative and complementary medicine. I revere the lifetime contributions of Robert Atkins as he battled prejudicial opinion from some conventional physicians.

Preface

Stephen Holt MD

Making love is a very important and underestimated part of a healthy lifestyle. Romance, love, and nurturing relationships are powerful healers and they promote overall well-being. Unfortunately, many Americans have grown up in an atmosphere that has been quite repressive about sexuality. This repression has inevitably affected the way many people think about sex and the attitudes they have carried throughout their life. It is time to drop any puritanical thoughts about sexuality and address this topic with modern attitudes. I tackle the subject of Sex: The Natural Way without claims of being a sexpert. This work is consistent with current thoughts in the practice of Integrative Medicine.

For many, there is difficulty in accepting how rapidly things have changed in society over the past 50 years or so. The 1960s are known as the era that ushered in great social change, not the least of which was the notion of sexual liberation. When war protesters sported their Make Love, Not War buttons, they weren’t kidding! From the Sixties to the turn of the new millennium, we have seen an increase in open dialogue in society about sexual experiences. Whether or not there is more or less sexual activity per capita of the population remains debatable, but the notion of safe sex has emerged as deadly diseases, such as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ( AIDS), rear their ugly identities.

Despite our healthy tolerance for sexual liberation, modern medicine has not focused enough attention on the many common problems that preclude gratifying sexual intercourse. However, population surveys clearly tell us that empty sexual experiences form a modern epidemic. Increasing knowledge allows the potential correction of behavioral problems that adversely affect sexual activity. New drugs exist to correct erectile dysfunction (ED), but we have done relatively little to enhance sexual activity by safe, natural, and gentle means. These natural means include correcting adverse lifestyle habits and using remedies of natural origin, such as well-selected foods, positive lifestyle changes and dietary supplements.

Natural ways to healthy sex are the key focus of this book. Rather than exploring natural remedies, individuals in many Western communities have been clamoring for drugs, such as Viagra® or Levitra® or Cialis® etc. These drugs are portrayed inappropriately as a sexual panacea. Drugs to promote penile erection, or to correct erectile dysfunction (ED), have been called lifestyle drugs. These drugs carry a somewhat false promise of being a techno-fix for poor sex. The last thing we need in the 21st century is to buy into the notion of so-called lifestyle drugs, especially drugs that may sometimes cause onerous side effects. With great fanfare, Viagra® was released in the U.S. as a prescription drug in the early part of 1998. Subsequently, it has been followed by other me-too drugs for the same clinical indications. Early on, Viagra® was promoted frenetically with misunderstanding about its focused and somewhat limited role in complex sexual responses.

One may argue logically that Viagra® and other drugs have a special role to play in the treatment of ED in the male. However, Viagra® and related drugs address only a small component of the complex act of sexual intercourse. In our everlasting search for quick fixes with the latest miracle drug, we may have forgotten about the wealth of knowledge that exists on natural ways to achieve a healthy sex life and enhance the total package of sexual activity.

One important goal of this book is to examine the advantages and limitations of conventional medical approaches. Sexual experiences are complex events that involve social, behavioral, physical and other interactions. Indeed, the complex cascade of events in sexual intercourse requires efficient orchestration with functional instruments. Who could be naive enough to believe that drugs, used primarily to treat ED, could exercise any major control over the complex sexual cascade or the symphony of well orchestrated sex? The natural ways to healthy sex must be considered a first-line option and this approach often succeeds, without the potential empty promises of a pharmaceutical techno-fix.

One may ask why we need yet another book about our sex lives. I believe that this book is quite different in its content and it deserves a very special introductory message about a very personal subject. There are many, self-proclaimed sexperts in our modern society. Furthermore, it is apparent that many people are tired of being told about the socio-behavioral factors that can damage loving relationships and sexual interactions. While this book does not skirt psychosocial issues about sex and love, it is an attempt to describe how behavior change can result in sexual health that can lead to improvements in well-being. In other words, the concept of Sex: The Natural Way in this book tells people how to change, rather than the mere description of required changes in behavior for good, healthy sexual function. Telling individuals how to change is a very intrusive act of writing.

I believe the notion of Sex: The Natural Way is very appealing in our age of an ever-increasing number of crutches that are offered as support for common woes. Disenchantment with modern medicine emanates from its over-reliance on the rapid stroke of a prescription pen. Furthermore, discussions about loving relationships and sexual function are still relatively uncommon in doctor-patient encounters. Modern healthcare consumers are describing increasingly the issues of poor communication in doctor-patient relationships. One can add to this, mounting concerns about the safety of popular drugs that enjoy increasing use in our pill-popping society (drug bloopers). These factors, and other concerns, have caused a change in medical management paradigms.

The modern healthcare consumer is avidly seeking simple, gentle and more natural pathways to health. There is a newfound self-reliance in the quest for the natural pathway. This book is very relevant in our new sexual revolution, where safety and simplicity in sexual encounters are often preferred. While the introduction of love drugs like Viagra® created frenetic interest in the late 1990s, an increasing trend has been for people to see if there are viable alternatives to the disadvantages and limitations of the drug approach to enhanced sexual union.

Many drugs are mere Band- Aids, but symptom relief is known to be the primary force that drives the use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs. While symptom relief from illness is a pivotal step in medical treatment, it does very little to change the clinical course or natural history of a disease or disorder. Switching on sexual function with Viagra® or a similar drug is not a satisfactory solution to many forms of sexual disability; and these drugs go to a very focused portion of the complex sexual-response cycle. Sexual encounters are context-related and sexual enjoyment is often created by good interpersonal relationships, not by drugs or dietary supplements.

Conventional medical practice still tends to reject miracles of nature, but Mother Nature wields the power of well-being. Human maturation in