The interesting (and amazing) benefits of Viagra – and not what you’re thinking!

Viagra is one of those drugs we seldom talk about because of its connotations, but did you know that the little blue pill does more than keep your man going in the bedroom?

It’s looking more and more like Viagra is a cure-all of sorts. Take a look at how the older man’s saviour is now improving the lives of men AND women.

1. Cancer

Researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and VCU Massey Cancer Center have found that the drug Viagra, when combined with doxorubicin, is an authoritative anti-cancer drug that improves its anti-tumour efficacy in prostate cancer.

Chemo drug doxorubicin has been used treat a number of human cancers, including the prostate over the last 40 years but is linked with irreversible heart damage, so researchers have been working over the past decade to find another drug, and Viagra is in with a strong chance.

2. Jet lag

Viagra could be used to help people flying eastwards recover from jetlag, if animal research is anything to go by. Scientists in Argentina found the drug helped hamsters recover up to 50 per cent faster from forward shifts in their daily time cycles.

3. Heart health and stroke

We all know that Viagra, or sildenafil citrate, enables strong blood flow to the penis but when prescribed to those with heart disease or risk of stroke, it can prevent heart muscle thickening and early-stage heart failure, according to research published in BMC Medicine.

“Large clinical trials are now urgently needed to build on these encouraging findings,” said lead author Dr. Andrea M. Isidori. And before you ask, dosages used for heart ailments are lower than those used for erectile dysfunction, and the patients in the study reported few side effects.

4. Keep flowers fresh

Yep, you heard that right. According to Care2, if you put 1 milligram of Viagra into a vase full of flowers, it can help them to stay up straight! Other research has shown that Viagra can slow down plant ripening.

Tell us, what do you think of Viagra’s benefits for other things than we know it for? Is this a good or bad thing?