Viasil Reviews: The natural performance enhancer for you?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) can feel embarrassing in the heat of the moment, but there's nothing to be ashamed of. Nearly a third of men experience it at some point, and the odds are even higher if you're over 70 or take SSRIs for depression.1 The good news is that there’s plenty of help out there, including non-prescription remedies like Viasil, a nutritional supplement geared toward helping men address their sexual dysfunction.

Viasil capsules might be worth trying if you’re looking for a non-prescription way to address sexual performance issues without taking ED medications like Viagra. The product uses relatively potent extracts of ingredients that have performed well in a handful of small-scale research studies. The 100-day money-back guarantee gives you enough time to see if the product will work without risking too much money. However, Viasil’s parent company makes another product with a superior ingredient profile for the same price.

For this review of Viasil, our team pored over more than 600 scientific research studies looking into male sexual dysfunction and the various interventions — both prescription and non-prescription — available to men. We then distilled those hundreds of hours of research into this review.

Additionally, like all health-related content on this website, this review was thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy. We’ll keep an eye on Viasil and the broader men’s health landscape as time goes on in order to keep this review and the rest of our critical men’s wellness information current.

Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has helped tens of millions of readers make more informed decisions about living healthier lifestyles.

Viasil falls into a class of men’s sexual wellness supplements that we have extensive experience researching and reviewing for our readers. When we set out to apply our expertise to a given supplement in this particular niche, we take a few central criteria into account: effectiveness, safety, cost, and privacy. There are certainly other considerations besides these, but we consider these parameters to be the most important for the average man considering Viasil or one of its competitors.

Viasil has the potential to help some men who are looking for a non-prescription way to ameliorate certain problems in the bedroom, but it doesn’t offer the best value for its class. Its price point is on par with Male Extra (made by the same company), but most of its ingredients appear in smaller doses.

Effectiveness

Because no statistically significant study has looked at Viasil’s specific combination of ingredients, our measure of its potential efficacy has to come from elsewhere. Specifically, we examined the available research regarding all of its main ingredients, focusing on factors such as study methods, margins of error, potential biases or conflicts, and the doses used in positive studies.

Central to Viasil’s formula is a combination of pomegranate and sweet orange extracts made by the BioActor pharmaceutical company and going by the brand name Actiful. The combination was developed with older patients in mind as a potential source of increased energy. A white paper on the product points to a handful of studies linking its ingredients with improved physical performance in active, trained subjects, as well as demonstrating a mechanism that may improve blood flow in overweight subjects.2 The latter effect may be attributed to a particular citrus polyphenol that can stimulate the production of nitric oxide, at least according to a 2011 study.3

However, that study looked at a 500mg daily dose of the concentrated polyphenol derived from sweet orange, while the entire dose of Actiful in Viasil is 700mg and contains far more than that one polyphenol. The other ingredient in Actiful — pomegranate extract — appears at 500mg in Male Extra alongside larger quantities of other ingredients like zinc and L-arginine.

We’re not saying these doses in Viasil wouldn’t be effective, but to draw firmer conclusions, we’d require studies conducted at the doses provided — and ideally in combination with Viasil’s other ingredients.

Most of Viasil’s other ingredients are extracts. When you compare their potency to competing products and studies that use whole-ingredient powders (not extracts), the doses get closer to something useful but are still on the low side. Compare Viasil’s 400mg (20mg of a 20:1 extract) of ginseng to the 6,000mg you find in Performer 8, and the difference is clear. The weakest dose, however, concerns the ingredient with the most promising research behind it: zinc picolinate. Viasil provides only 1.5mg of zinc picolinate, whereas other products deliver 20-50mg (Male Extra: 45mg; Max Performer: 24mg) as part of ingredient lists that are more comprehensive.

Safety

Viasil’s safety profile isn’t bad, primarily because it doesn’t use particularly high doses of any one ingredient. The company banks on the combination of ingredients working to provide results without clearly identifiable safety risks. But that doesn’t mean risks aren’t there. In fact, just as a lack of research into Viasil’s specific ingredient mix makes it difficult to ascertain its ultimate effectiveness, that research deficit obscures any potential claims of safety.

When we look at the individual components, we see ingredients that are mostly safe for most people. Studies regarding each ingredient have occasionally found recurrent adverse effects or a threat of contraindication with particular medications. For example, research into icariin — the beneficial component in horny goat weed extract — reveals a high potential for interactions with various drugs with as-yet-unknown consequences.4 And considering icariin’s ability to act like a PDE-5 inhibitor,5 there may be additional dangers to those with blood pressure issues.6

Milder side effects — including digestive discomfort, breathing problems, headache, and heart palpitations — are also not uncommon. These effects are not unique to Viasil; most male enhancement products have relatively similar safety profiles, offset only by moderate ingredient variety and dosage differences.

The best thing you can do before adding Viasil (or any male enhancement product) to your regimen would be to talk to your doctor and review all of your options, making sure to mention any heart issues you may have. When speaking with a doctor, it’s a good idea to describe Viasil as something that may act like a PDE-5 inhibitor.

Cost

When we evaluate the cost of a product like Viasil, we take more than just the price tag into account; we also consider things like shipping costs and the availability of bulk savings, subscription discounts, and money-back guarantees. Viasil doesn’t have a subscription platform, but it offers a low monthly cost right out of the gate. The smallest quantity that Viasil offers is a two-month supply for $60. At that level, as well as the four- and six-month supply levels, you effectively pay just $30/month for Viasil, which remains the lowest monthly cost among our top male enhancement products.

However, Health Nutrition Limited, the company that makes Viasil, also makes Male Extra, a product that uses the exact same pricing structure but has a better ingredient list. For most men, that means Male Extra is the smarter place to start.

Here’s a look at how Viasil’s pricing compares with its top competitors:

Strangely, at the highest bulk tier — a 12-month package — Viasil’s per-month price actually increases to an effective monthly cost of $38; you would save $95 ordering the six-month package twice rather than ordering a 12-month shipment.

Privacy

Companies like Viasil tend to have relatively similar privacy policies and practices. Most utilize cookies and web beacons to track the way you use their websites, what led you to the site, and where you go when you leave. This isn’t anything earth-shattering, but it’s interesting that Viasil is one of the few sites that doesn’t offer any way to opt out of the process.

Some companies provide phone numbers or email addresses you can contact to opt out of the gathering and sale of your information. Others make it even easier by letting you click a button or two and be done with it. But all Viasil has is some advice on deleting cookies from your browser after you leave the site. That’s pretty underwhelming as privacy policies go.

To protect your real-world privacy (i.e., to disguise the contents of your order when it reaches your doorstep), Viasil takes the same measures all serious male enhancement pill manufacturers do. The package you receive in the mail has no identifying marks or logos, and the return address on the shipping label doesn’t give away what’s inside. Though we always appreciate this level of discretion, it’s also par for the course.

Viasil is a men’s sexual wellness supplement produced by Health Nutrition Ltd. in the U.K. It’s made with a small list of botanical ingredients in addition to a minuscule dose of zinc and is taken in capsule form. In theory, the capsules help men deal with issues in the bedroom by promoting better blood flow through increased nitric oxide production. (Viasil also produces an Instant Erection Gel, a form of topical L-arginine the company claims can instigate vasodilation locally in the penis, but we haven’t found much evidence to back its efficacy. We’ll get into that more deeply in a later section.)

There’s evidence that Viasil’s inclusion of sweet orange extract could help combat erectile issues related to aging or SSRIs. A Citrus sinensis animal study on rats gave 50mg/kg of orange peel extract to reduce ED symptoms induced by paroxetine, an SSRI.8 There was a significant decrease in sexual behavior but some improvement in ED symptoms among the paroxetine-treated rats. Unfortunately, 50mg/kg in rats equates to about 730mg in a 200lb man. Even if the whole Actiful dose was orange peel extract (and not orange and pomegranate), it would be a smaller dose than used in the study.

That dose discrepancy here makes it very difficult to draw firm conclusions beyond the fact that the extract appeared to cause some changes in sexual health and behavior. In practice, effects will vary pretty widely from man to man, especially considering factors like age, diet, and potential underlying conditions contributing to sexual dysfunction.

To get a better sense of how Viasil may or may not work for you, let’s take a closer look at its ingredients, their dosages, and how the ingredients have performed in clinical studies.

Who could benefit from Viasil, and who probably won't?

Based on the ingredients in Viasil, we believe older men stand the best chance of experiencing positive effects. Actiful was designed with people over 60 in mind and makes up the bulk of the active ingredients contained in the capsules.

If you’re experiencing a lower libido due to SSRIs, Viasil might be worth a try, given a small but promising amount of research into the potential of several of its ingredients to address the adverse effects of antidepressants.

Remember that most of the studies cited utilized participants with sexual dysfunction. So, if you’re someone with a healthy sexual function but are looking for a little boost, Viasil might not be much help to you.

Viasil’s Instant Erection Gel isn’t available for direct purchase. Instead, it’s included for free as part of a bundle with orders of two months or more. The company claims the gel can lead to stronger erections in just 10-15 seconds when used in combination with Viasil capsules. Unfortunately, a lack of clinical evidence and data about efficacy or long-term safety makes it a tough product to recommend.

Here’s a look at the gel’s ingredients:

• L-Arginine: (the main active ingredient) a naturally occurring amino acid that encourages healthy blood flow and increased nitric oxide production when taken orally
• Water and glycerine: the base of the gel
• Polysorbate 20: an emulsifier safely used in beauty products to modify texture
• Sodium hydroxide: a pH balancer used in soaps and cosmetics (can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions)
• Carbomer: a safe emulsifier and stabilizer
• Phenoxyethanol: a preservative to stop bacterial growth, safely used in cosmetics
• Imidazolidinyl urea: a derivative of formaldehyde, safe in low doses (under 0.5% of total product mass) but linked to skin irritation and other side effects18

Who could benefit from Viasil Instant Erection Gel, and who probably won't?

According to a 2015 clinical study of an alprostadil-based cream, topical gels have often been used to treat ED successfully.19 In fact, one pilot study of a transdermal testosterone gel saw a nearly 33% success rate.20 But there are no studies about the effects of L-arginine as a topical for treating ED. There are also no studies about the long-term side effects and safety concerns of topicals for ED.

Considering that any topical you put on your skin is directly absorbed into the area, we recommend exercising some caution to protect your sensitive parts. We also encourage you to talk to a doctor before trying one.

Viasil should be safe for most men, especially those who aren’t on any other prescription medications and don’t have a history of cardiovascular risk or disease. The difficulty in assessing the product’s overall safety profile comes from the same place that impacts any real assertion about its efficacy: lack of research.

Some small-scale human and animal studies on Viasil’s individual ingredients show relatively low occurrence of adverse reactions at doses higher than those used in Viasil, but the study populations are often too small to be convincing. Additionally, those studies almost always look at ingredients isolated from other influences. There’s no study looking at the specific set of ingredients and doses used in Viasil.

According to the available research, the greatest danger that Viasil may present is an interaction with blood pressure medications.21 Several of its ingredients are intended to improve blood flow to the penis, but that often means widening blood vessels generally, which can lower blood pressure. If you’re already taking medication to control your blood pressure, Viasil could complicate its efficacy and potentially threaten your life.

The ingredients in Viasil are associated with the following potential side effects:

• Low blood pressure
• Upper respiratory infection
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Insomnia
• Nervousness
• Heart palpitations
• Headache

We don’t think the doses of Viasil’s individual ingredients are strong enough to cause serious concern, but their interactions with one another are a mystery and will remain so until dedicated research is performed. In the meantime, the best thing you can do before taking Viasil (or any male enhancement supplement) would be to speak with your doctor.

A one-month supply of Viasil costs $59.99, but that gets you an additional month for free, bringing the cost per month down to $30. Ordering more earns you free boxes and the bonus gel add-on, as outlined below.

Most other male enhancement products offer one-, three-, five-, or six-month supply options, with only a few extending out to a year. Viasil happens to be one of the few who offer the 12-month package, but what makes it odd is that it results in a higher per-month cost compared to every other level.

Viasil offers free shipping on all orders to the U.S., the U.K., and Canada — an incentive that puts it in line with almost every male enhancement product we might recommend. Previously, free shipping applied only to bulk orders.

100-day money-back guarantee

One of the things that makes Viasil a fair value is the way the company has structured its money-back guarantee. It gives you three months to try the product and decide if it’s right for you. If it’s not, you can get a full refund minus the shipping charge. Some similar products offer shorter guarantees or only refund you for unopened products, but Viasil gives you a refund for all the boxes you order, regardless of whether you opened them. It still isn’t the best guarantee among male enhancement pills (that designation belongs to Performer 8, which has a lifetime guarantee), but it’s better than most.

With ED being such a common ailment among men, it’s no surprise there are so many pills, tools, and techniques out there claiming to rescue them from the brink of sexual distress.

Knowing where to start can be a challenge. Below, we discuss some viable alternatives to Viasil so you understand the full breadth of options before making a decision.

Other male enhancement pills

Many male enhancement pills contain similar ingredients as those seen in Viasil, but they often boast larger doses. Some of them include fairly well-researched ingredients you don’t see in Viasil, like the ashwagandha in Performer 8, our top pick in this category.

If you want to get a sense of the greater male enhancement pill landscape, check out our comprehensive guide. Here are a few highlights:

• Performer 8 is our best overall pick, thanks to generous doses of zinc24 and ashwagandha to help boost testosterone.25 It also comes with a lifetime guarantee.
• Extenze is our top budget pick if cost is your only concern. However, several athletic organizations ban DHEA, one of its main ingredients.26
• Semenax is our top male enhancement pill recommendation for men looking to bolster their fertility.

Of note, Viasil’s parent company makes another male enhancement product called Male Extra, which you’ll see in our coverage. This product is undeniably superior to Viasil and is available for the same price.

As an umbrella category, male enhancement pills also encompass volume pills, which put their focus on fertility and semen volume, and testosterone boosters, which have less to do with blood flow to the penis and more to do with stimulating testosterone production in the testes.

Prescription ED medication

Many of the men looking into male enhancement pills are dealing with some form of ED, even if it’s relatively mild. There’s no shame here, as ED affects roughly a third of all men and a solid 25% under the age of 40.1 27 With numbers like that, it’s no wonder the pharmaceutical industry has poured so much money into the research and development of drugs like Viagra and Cialis.

But those aren’t the only drugs available to treat ED, and there are generic forms of many ED medications that have brought their prices down significantly in recent years. The ED medications you’ll find from our preferred sources include:

• Viagra
• Cialis
• Stendra
• Sildenafil (generic for Viagra)
• Tadalafil (generic for Cialis)
• Vardenafil (generic for Levitra and Staxyn)
• Apomorphine

Add to that the relatively young revolution in telehealth, and you find an environment in which you can get a prescription for ED medications without ever leaving the house and have it shipped directly to your door.

There are some shady companies out there offering poorly made generic copies of popular ED medications, and we advise you to avoid such companies at all costs. In our research, we’ve uncovered a handful of great sources for ED medications, especially for men without insurance or those who want to enjoy as much privacy as possible in obtaining their drugs.

Here’s a quick look at our favorite online providers for ED medication.

Penis pumps

Typically, penis pumps aren’t something we’d recommend to a man who’s just begun to experience ED issues and doesn’t know where to turn. But if you genuinely want to avoid prescription drugs and don’t like your odds with less-tested supplements, pumps might be a good option. They’re also a common starting point for men who have lost size or function in the penis after a radical prostatectomy.

That last point doesn’t mean a penis pump can make your penis larger. Men who undergo radical prostatectomies sometimes have their penises recede somewhat into their bodies.29 It’s a disconcerting phenomenon, but studies into penis pump efficacy have shown a tendency for the therapy to return such men’s penises to normal size and function.

The trouble with penis pumps, compared to supplements or prescriptions, is the inconvenience. It takes time for a pump to create an erection by pulling blood into the penis. The process can be quite uncomfortable, and while some models let you use water to increase the comfort level, that means you have to use them in the shower or risk making a significant mess.

Still, penis pumps serve a particular niche, and they serve it well. Our complete guide gets into the nuances of a handful of models. The most commonly recommended brand throughout our piece is Bathmate. Bathmate pumps can be used with or without water, and they boast some of the best build quality around.