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The Internet's Latest Erectile Dysfunction Hack Could Actually Make Things Worse, Experts Warn

By Philip Ellis Men's Journal

Updated July 8, 2026 4:19 PM

If you spend much time at all on social media, in particular TikTok, then you will have likely seen mention of the "salt trick," a remedy which purports to cure or alleviate erectile dysfunction. The salt trick has gone viral after several content creators made varying claims about its efficacy-but what's the truth? Below, we break down what the salt trick actually is, and bring in a sex and psychology expert to help us sort fact from fiction.

What Is the Salt Trick for Men?

While it has many variations, the salt trick is essentially the idea that mixing salt into water and drinking it will cure erectile dysfunction or have a positive effect on male sexual performance.

Diffferent versions of the salt trick include adding regular table salt to water, adding it to sodas like cola, lemonade or other drinks, placing salt under the tongue, or applying these salty mixtures to the skin.

Many videos use specific kinds of salt, like pink Himalayan salt or blue salt.

Why Did the Salt Trick Go Viral?

The truth is, there are all kinds of spurious claims that gain traction across TikTok, YouTube, and other forms of social media. Once a trick or challenge becomes a genuine trend, more and more people will jump on it and give it a try, either to boost their own social accounts, or because the number of people doing it online creates a sense of credibility. All those people can't be wrong, right?

When it comes to a topic like erectile dysfunction, which can be linked to a whole host of medical and psychological factors, something as simple as the salt trick can be very appealing. Healthcare is expensive and complicated. The promise of a fast, inexpensive solution is incredibly enticing. Not only this, but the salt trick speaks to a wider interest on social platforms for seemingly "natural" remedies which eschew medical science and prioritize folk wisdom. But it is worth remembering that a lot of the health and wellness content you see on TikTok is not necessarily based in anything factual, and will frequently have been concocted with the specific goal of going viral and generating views.

What Does the Salt Trick Claim to Do?

Part of what has made the salt trick so popular is the fact that it seems to promise so much. According to various claims, the salt trick can:

Improve blood flow
Boost testosterone
Increase stamina
Improve erections
Enhance libido

What Is the Blue Salt Trick for Men?

What Is Blue Salt?

Persian blue salt is a rarer kind of salt, rich in sodium chloride, potassium, and trace minerals. It is most commonly sourced in Iran, and several videos espousing the salt trick recommend buying and using this kind of salt.

Common Blue Salt Trick Recipes

Proponents of the blue salt trick recommend a number of different recipes and combinations, including mixing blue salt with water, creating sweeter concoctions with lemon and honey, as well as drinking supplement-based variations.

Why Supporters Believe It Works

The videos shouting about the salt trick claim that it can improve circulation, boost energy levels, and improve male sexual performance. This is based on the idea that blue salt contains more potassium and electrolytes than table salt, and so consuming it may help the user feel less dehydrated, and temporarily experience a spike in energy, much like they would after consuming a sports drink. People also promote the blue salt trick by saying that it boosts nitric oxide production, which can improve the blood flow needed for healthy erections. But the veracity of these claims are spurious at best.

Does the Salt Trick for Men Actually Work?

Short Answer: No Evidence Shows It Treats ED

There are currently no clinical studies which support the claims being made about the salt trick. In fact, there is little to no scientific support for this theory at all. We asked Dr. Justin Lehmiller, senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute and scientific advisor at Lovehoney, about the salt trick trend, and he had the following to say:

"There is no medical or scientific evidence that the viral ‘blue salt' trick can help erectile dysfunction, let alone cure it. Also, given how complex and multifactorial ED is, the sheer idea of a one-size-fits-all treatment is, frankly, preposterous."

The Problem With Most Viral Salt Trick Videos

While salt trick videos promise a simple and rapid solution to ED, they typically don't offer specific details on what to do, or how it works. Videos and posts pertaining to the salt trick will often omit the exact amount of salt you should be consuming, with recipes either incomplete or missing entirely.

The harder you look, the less credible these videos appear. The testimonials, if there are any, tend to be anonymous. There is a glaring lack of medical citation or links to clinical research in the field of urology. And a great many of the scripts in these videos seem to be recycled, churning through the same talking points but without offering assurance or substantive evidence that any of this actually works.

Why the Claims Sound Convincing

It's easy to see why the majority of salt trick videos ring true at first. Their use of scientific-sounding language and references to minerals and circulation are all designed to convey authority. But the health terminology in these videos is either being misrepresented, or misused outright.

Can Salt Improve Blood Flow or Erections?

The Role of Blood Flow in Erectile Function

An erection occurs when an increase in blood flow to the penis causes it to become enlarged and hard, usually due to arousal or sexual stimulation. When sexually stimulated, the brain sends messages to the blood vessels in the penis called corpora cavernosa to relax and open, allowing their spongelike material to fill with blood. The membrane surrounding these blood vessels, the tunica albuginea, then keeps the blood trapped there, leaving you with an erect penis.

In order for all this to be possible, you need to have healthy, functioning blood vessels. And that's where the salt trick claims it can help.

Sodium vs. Potassium: What's the Difference?

Sodium and potassium are both electrolytes which help your body to regulate its hydration, blood volume, and nerve and muscle function. For this reason, people can sometimes confuse the two. While excess salt consumption can prove detrimental to heart health, potassium plays an important role in our cardiovascular system, helping to lower blood pressure, maintain a regular heartbeat, and generally keep your heart's muscles functioning properly.

However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most Americans consume too much sodium and not enough potassium. While we mostly get sodium from packaged and prepared foods, the potassium in our diets comes from natural sources including fruit, vegetables, and dairy.

What Research Says About Salt and ED

"In men who are otherwise healthy, there's no data to suggest that ingesting more salt in their diet will improve their erections," says Lehmiller. "In fact, consuming excess sodium can have a negative impact by contributing to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease."

Is the Salt Trick Safe?

Potential Risks of Excess Salt Intake

Negative effects relating to a high-salt diet include hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure, and cardiovascular strain, both of which are risk factors for erectile dysfunction, as well as water retention, which can cause uncomfortable swelling in the feet, legs, and abdomen. Not the sexiest feeling.

Who Should Avoid These Viral Remedies?

While the efficacy of the salt trick is so contested that it doesn't really benefit anyone to be trying it, there are certain cases where it should be avoided as a matter of urgency. Men who struggle with hypertension should already be avoiding excess sodium in their diets, and should definitely be avoiding the salt trick as a means of addressing ED issues. Similarly, patients suffering from heart disease or kidney disease should be aware of the dangers of trying the salt trick, as should people taking blood pressure medications.

Can the Salt Trick Make ED Worse?

"Chronic excess sodium consumption can potentially play a role in erectile difficulties," explains Lehmiller. "It's important to recognize that erections are a cardiovascular event, so anything that impacts heart health can impact the function of your penis."

We know that there are some medical concerns surrounding excess sodium consumption as a possible cause of damage to vascular tissue, which is a vital component in erectile function. Moreover, there are several long-term negative side effects of excessive sodium intake, including high blood pressure, damage to the kidneys (as they are forced to work harder to filter the blood), and water retention.

There have also been links found between excess salt consumption and stomach cancer, osteoporosis, and even cognitive impairment.

Better Alternatives to the Salt Trick

Exercise and Physical Activity

Regular, consistent exercise is a great way to improve your wider cardiovascular health and mental health, as well as lower your exposure to other erectile risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Weight Loss and Heart Health

Losing weight can help to reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, and boost testosterone, all of which are necessary components in erectile function and sex drive.

Managing Stress and Anxiety

Erectile dysfunction isn't just a physiological problem. It can be caused by psychological issues as well, with stress a commonly cited factor.

Improving Sleep Quality

A bad night's sleep can affect just about every area of your health, including erectile function and sexual performance. Low quality sleep can impede your testosterone levels, impair nerve function, and restrict blood flow. Getting consistent, high-quality sleep (which means at least seven hours per night) can make a huge difference.

Quitting Smoking

The negative health effects of smoking are well-documented, in particular its impact on the lungs. What's lesser known is that smoking can also cause erectile problems, because it constricts the blood vessels, limits blood flow, and damages vascular tissue, all of which are integral to achieving and maintaining a healthy erection.

Limiting Alcohol Consumption

Drinking alcohol slows down the brain signals that send blood flow to the penis, which can cause situational or short-term erectile dysfunction. Excessive drinking over a prolonged period of time, however, could lead to longer-term erectile issues.

Medical Treatments for Erectile Dysfunction

Patients seeking professional treatment for erectile dysfunction will be subject to a full medical evaluation in order to determine the root cause. Depending on the specifics of your medical history and overall health, it is possible that a doctor will prescribe medications such as Viagra or Cialis to treat your ED. They may also recommend a series of lifestyle interventions to help improve your libido, including the changes listed above.

Common Myths About the Salt Trick

Myth #1: Pink Salt Is a Natural Viagra

Pink Himalayan salt, sometimes referred to as "horse" salt in these viral remedy videos, is said to have properties that can improve erectile function and male sexual performance. There is absolutely no evidence that this is true.

Myth #2: Blue Salt Increases Testosterone

There is absolutely no evidence that salt intake has any impact on the body's natural testosterone levels. Testosterone is more likely to be affected by factors such as sleep, diet, stress levels, exercise, and hormone health.

Myth #3: Salt Under the Tongue Improves Erections

Some versions of the salt trick involve placing salt or a salt-water mixture under the tongue, using the logic that it is absorbed more rapidly into your system, leading to faster results. However, as there is no evidence that the salt trick has any effect on erectile function whatsoever, it doesn't matter whether you're drinking it, putting it under your tongue, or putting it anywhere else, for that matter.

Myth #4: If It's Natural, It's Safe

A vast amount of wellness content on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube relies on the idea that natural ingredients are always superior to pharmaceuticals when it comes to treating illness, and safer too. But there are all kinds of ingredients which can be found in nature that are poisonous when consumed by humans. Natural doesn't always equal better, especially when it comes to treating health conditions.

In the case of the salt trick, please bear in mind that while very small amounts of salt are safe to include in your diet, it can cause a wide range of health issues if consumed in excess.

How to Spot a Salt Trick Scam

Lehmiller warns to always exercise caution when encountering this kind of viral health and wellness content.

"Be very wary of social media trends that make lofty promises or guarantees about your sexual health, because there's a lot of snake oil out there," he says. "If the person making the claim doesn't have medical credentials or scientific sources to back up what they're saying, that's a red flag."

Fake Celebrity Endorsements

Any time a celebrity lends their name, face, or voice to a product, there are a ton of legal hoops that they and their team must jump through to prevent them being held liable if anything goes wrong. Those regulatory requirements become even more complex when they are endorsing anything medical in nature, and especially in as sensitive an area as erectile dysfunction. If you're seeing "ads" with a famous person touting a simple and effective cure for ED, it is almost certainly not real.

AI-Generated Videos and Testimonials

There's a whole lot of AI-generated content out there online, making it harder than ever to parse what is and isn't true. One thing to bear in mind: If you can't quite tell if a real human being was involved in creating the content that the algorithm is showing you, take a minute to think about what that content is saying.

"Secret Recipe" Marketing Tactics

A popular method of gaining views online is to position a piece of information as exclusive, or something that other people in more traditional forms of media don't want you to know. It's a great way to gain attention and get somebody to watch a video all the way through, but again, remember that these claims could still be completely baseless. Is it a secret that you're being let in on, or just disinformation?

Hidden Supplement Sales Funnels

The salt trick's appeal online is in its simplicity, but if you look a little closer, a more complicated situation emerges. Many online discussions describe salt-trick advertisements as marketing funnels that ultimately promote supplements rather than provide an actual evidence-based remedy. In other words, people with zero medical background are looking to profit from your ED and don't necessarily care about actually helping.

Lehmiller's advice: "When in doubt, always ask your doctor first."

When to See a Doctor About Erectile Dysfunction

Getting checked by a doctor is the most surefire way to address your ED issues, potentially with the prescription of medications like Viagra or Cialis. It's also possible that temporary erectile issues aren't endemic of a chronic issue, which is why it's best to consult with a medical professional.

"A one-time or occasional difficulty achieving an erection isn't a sexual dysfunction," explains Lehmiller. "The penis doesn't always do what you want it to, even in perfectly healthy men. That's normal."

However, there are occasions when ED can indicate a wider issue.

Signs ED May Signal a Health Problem

"If you experience persistent erectile difficulties across situations, you notice a loss of nighttime erections (i.e., no more 'morning wood'), or you otherwise experience significant distress about an inability to become hard or maintain an erection, it's time to consult a healthcare professional," explains Lehmiller.

Heart Disease and ED

Lehmiller reiterates that healthy erections occur as part of a healthy vascular system, and so problems with one may be linked to problems with the other. "ED is often an early warning sign of broader cardiovascular issues, so keeping tabs on your penile health can benefit your overall health," he says.

Diabetes and ED

Men living with diabetes are statistically more likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction, due to damage to the blood vessels caused by prolonged high blood sugar levels. This restricts the volume of blood flow to the penis, and can also reduce the amount of sensation in your sexual organs.

Hormonal Causes

A drop in your blood testosterone concentration can have a negative impact on erectile function. A reduction in testosterone is something that happens to most men as they age, but that doesn't necessarily mean that all men will experience ED as they get older-many continue to have fulfilling sex lives.

If you are concerned that your ED may be caused by hormonal factors, a doctor will be able to help you clarify if this is the case, as well as look at your overall health and medical history.

Mental Health Factors

Your mental wellbeing can have a huge impact on your overall health, and that includes erectile function. Stress and depression are both common factors. Additionally, both mental health disorders and the medications prescribed to treat them can both have an effect on your sex drive and erectile function.

Lifestyle factors can also play a role in ED, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, drug use, and being physically inactive. A doctor may advise making simple changes in these areas to see improved results in your sex life.

If you've been experiencing issues with ED and are worried that it may signal other health problems, we strongly recommend you consult your doctor before making any decisions or trying online remedies. Medical experts study for years to be able to help you stay healthy. A TikTok saying literally anything can be made in a matter of minutes.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jul 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Sex & Relationships section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 3:11 PM.