Experts rubbish claim that coconut root and egg yolk concoction can enhance male sexual durability

"My mom was surprised  that dad was being romantic until the morning," read a caption in the Indonesian language of this Facebook post shared on June 23.

"Method: Boil coconut roots in a glass of water, leave half, add yolk, stir well, then drink an hour before the 'night job'," the caption went on to say.

The post showed an image of roots claimed to be "coconut roots" and an egg. 

Image

Screengrab of the false post

Similar claims have also been shared on Facebook here and here, and Threads here.

However, Binsar Martin Sinaga -- an Indonesian doctor at the Raditya Medical Center that specialises in sexual health -- told AFP the claim was a "lie".

He went on to say there was "no evidence, no medical-based evidence" behind the false claim.

Boyke Dian Nugraha, a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Pasutri Clinic in Jakarta, also said the claim was a "myth", and that eating too many egg yolks could actually have the opposite effect. 

"Yolk has a lot of testosterone-forming nutrition, but if the cholesterol levels are high, it could cause erectile dysfunction," he said.

"There is no problem if consumed in small quantities. But if consumed in large quantities, cholesterol levels will increase. This causes cholesterol plaques so the blood circulation is disrupted. As a result, nutrition and oxygen flow to vital organs decreases, including the flow to the male reproductive system."

Medical treatment

Boyke also said some medicines could be prescribed to improve erectile function, such as those that contain the chemicals sildenafil and tadalafil.

Sildenafil and tadalafil are chemical products that are the main substances in the anti-erectile dysfunction drugs Viagra and Cialis.

He added that doctors consider various factors when addressing the problem of erectile dysfunction, such as a person's lifestyle, eating patterns as well as stress management. 

He went on to say there is no single cause of erectile dysfunction, as psychological factors could also come into play. 

Boyke said for cases like this, a couple could be counselled together as "the intimate communication between the couple must be improved".