To remedy varicocele, a problem of varicose veins in the intimate parts of the man also called "secondary drainage points," it will first be necessary to do a detox based on a dietary rebalancing, unlike the detoxes of the main drainage points: the liver and the colon. The diet should be rich in fruits and vegetables that help improve blood circulation. "Red" foods such as red berries, strawberries, beets, or even oranges should be favored, which can be consumed as juice combined with a good honey; jujube honey being the one to favor for greater effectiveness.
In addition, cruciferous soups like cabbage, broccoli, or even carrots will be good foods to promote healing; and black seed will be added to these soups.
Furthermore, undoubtedly among the best remedies for varicocele, ginkgo biloba is recommended. However, the course should last between two and three months to see results. For greater effectiveness and speed, ginkgo biloba can be combined with ginseng.
Finally, a man affected by this condition can help himself with dietary supplements based on vitamins A, E, and C to heal.
What a varicocele is, and why it matters
The veins that drain the testicle run up into the abdomen; when their valves close poorly, blood pools and the veins dilate, like varicose veins in the leg: this is a varicocele, occurring on the left side nine times out of ten because of the path of the left vein. It is common (15% of men) and often without symptoms; sometimes a heaviness, discomfort with heat or after standing. Its importance lies elsewhere: the pooling blood warms the testicle by one to two degrees and accumulates waste there, which creates oxidative stress that damages sperm cells, which is why it is present in 40% of infertile men. A 2025 review of its risk factors identifies prolonged standing, straining efforts, chronic constipation, being overweight, and family history (Transl Androl Urol, 2025). The professor speaks of "secondary drainage outlets": the image is one of drainage that isn't working properly.
What is a matter for the surgeon, and what is a matter for natural remedies
| Situation | What the studies say | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Visible or palpable varicocele + altered sperm + trying to conceive | Meta-analysis of trials and prospective studies: surgery (ligation or embolization) improves sperm concentration and motility and pregnancy rate compared to observation (Eur Urol Focus, 2023) | Urological consultation; surgery is simple, outpatient; the natural program before and after to improve sperm quality |
| Asymptomatic varicocele, normal sperm | No demonstrated benefit from surgery | Monitoring, lifestyle measures, natural program |
| Varicocele with altered sperm, surgery refused or postponed | Meta-analysis of six trials: oral antioxidants increase sperm concentration and motility in men who have not had surgery (Andrologia, 2022); the Cochrane review on antioxidants in male infertility points in the same direction, with evidence of modest quality (Cochrane, 2014) | This is the territory of the professor's program: three months of dietary and supplemental antioxidants, then a follow-up semen analysis |
| Pain, discomfort | Supportive underwear, avoiding standing and heat; surgery relieves it if discomfort persists | Comfort measures; venotonics as a supplement |
The professor's program, put in context
- Red foods and citrus fruits (red fruits, strawberries, beets, oranges): anthocyanins, lycopene, vitamin C, all antioxidants; beet juice also provides nitrates that improve circulation. One glass a day, with the jujube (sidr) honey that the professor mentions, said to be the richest in antioxidants among honeys; one teaspoon.
- Cruciferous vegetables in soup (cabbage, broccoli, carrot) with black seeds: sulforaphane and thymoquinone, two studied antioxidants; black seed also has its own data on sperm quality in small trials.
- Vitamins A, E, and C, plus zinc, selenium, coenzyme Q10, and L-carnitine: these are the antioxidants from the meta-analysis trials; available at pharmacies, taken as a three-month course (the time it takes to produce a sperm cell), at usual doses, not megadoses (excess vitamin E or zinc is harmful).
- Ginkgo biloba, "among the best remedies" according to the professor: it improves microcirculation and tones veins, with data on venous insufficiency in the legs; no trials on varicocele. It is taken as a supportive venotonic, 120 mg of standardized extract per day, for two to three months, avoiding it with anticoagulants.
- Ginseng: a general tonic, with a few trials on sperm quality; in the morning, not the evening, short courses.
- What costs nothing: no hot baths or sauna, no laptop on the lap, loose or supportive underwear depending on comfort, treating constipation (avoid straining), losing weight, quitting smoking, staying active without lifting heavy loads.
The professor's duration, two to three months, is the right one: it matches a sperm production cycle, and it matches the trials. Progress is judged with a semen analysis before and after.
Contraindications and precautions
A varicocele that appears suddenly, on the right side, or in a man over 40 with no prior history, calls for investigating an underlying cause (a kidney mass compressing the vein): an ultrasound without delay. Acute testicular pain is an emergency (torsion), not a varicocele. In adolescents, a varicocele with a smaller testicle on the affected side needs close monitoring and is sometimes operated on. Ginkgo should be avoided with anticoagulants and before surgery; ginseng should be avoided with anticoagulants and in cases of uncontrolled high blood pressure; vitamins A and E should not be taken in megadoses. And no man should be promised he can "cure" his varicocele with plants: the veins do not close back up; what can improve, and this is what matters for having a child, is sperm quality.
Frequently asked questions
Can a varicocele be cured naturally?
No: dilated veins do not close back up with plants. What the natural program improves, and this is measured, is sperm quality, through antioxidants. For the varicocele itself, only surgery works, when it is indicated.
Should a varicocele be operated on?
Yes if it is visible or palpable, sperm quality is altered, and you want to have a child: surgery improves sperm quality and the chances of pregnancy. No if it causes no discomfort and sperm quality is normal.
Do antioxidants improve sperm quality in cases of varicocele?
Yes: a meta-analysis of six trials shows better concentration and motility in men who take them without having had surgery. This is the foundation of the professor's program: red fruits, cruciferous vegetables, black seed, vitamins A, C, E, for three months.
Is ginkgo biloba effective for varicocele?
It tones veins and improves microcirculation, with data on varicose veins in the legs; no trials on varicocele. As a supplement, for two to three months, avoiding it with anticoagulants.
Which honey is best for varicocele?
The professor mentions jujube (sidr) honey, the richest in antioxidants among honeys. One teaspoon in beet or red fruit juice, every morning.
