Separating the Fact from Fiction on Erection-Harming Foods

There are many theories out there as to how the food a man consumes can play an active role in the development of erectile dysfunction. While there are some foods that researchers believe can ease the symptoms of erectile dysfunction (like beets and foods high in vitamin D for example), there are also foods that some experts believe can stifle strong erections or promote the development of ED.

According to one report, foods that are known to be detrimental to a man’s overall heath are the foods you should be looking to stay away from. This is not the first time you will hear advice to avoid these particular foods, because they are known to cause other health issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Essentially, food high in fat and those that bring about or contribute to higher cholesterol levels in the body are also correlated with ED. Why? The underlying cause of male impotence is largely the result of slower blood flow within the small blood vessels. It is essentially an issue with the normal, healthy flow of blood.

So, the same things that cause this blood flow issue, also correlate to heart disease. The medical community agrees that a man developing ED may very often find it to be the first sign he has developed heart disease.

There are several medical conditions that will affect how blood flows within the body, like atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) for example, high blood pressure, and even high cholesterol. All of these conditions can be a primary cause for the physical reasons a man develops ED. These conditions affect the blood flow to the heart, to the brain, and even to the penis.

We now know that anything that is bad for a man’s overall heart-health can also play a role in erectile dysfunction. But what about other foods? What about sugar?

Doctors believe that excessive consumption of sugar, be it in the food we eat or the beverages we drink, can lead to obesity, which is a risk factor for diabetes. It is a chain reaction for sexual dysfunction because diabetes can also impact male fertility, partially if it is not well controlled.

Also, a diet high in sugar can lead to obesity, which according to experts, can cause changes to many hormones including testosterone, which can also lower fertility.

What Does Research Tell Us?

According to the National Institutes of Health, around 5% of 40-year-old men and between 15% and 25% of 65-year-old men suffer from erectile dysfunction on a regular basis. Many of these men could benefit from filling their shopping cart with different, healthier foods, like fruits, vegetables, and lean meats like fish.

Essentially, the take-away from all the research so far is that healthy erectile function is a product of your overall health. According to one report, the physical causes of ED can be related to the messages the nerves in the body convey and receive from the penis, the spine and even the brain, as well as the response from muscles, veins and arteries. Some health conditions can affect the way the sequence of messages gets conveyed, and diet can contribute to the development of these conditions.

One sugary soda or eating a fatty meal once in a while will not bring about ED, but if your diet regularly contains these types of foods and drinks, then you are putting your health and sexual function at greater risk.

So what are some of the foods that you should limit or avoid?

• Meats in general are high in fat and fat is a key issue. A diet rich in fish and low in red and processed meat is a better choice because it has been proven to benefit the heart and therefore support sexual health. According to a 2011 study from the Medical College of Georgia, obesity that is brought about by a high-fat diet is one of the most important risk factors for the development of erectile dysfunction. Processed meats are higher in nitrates which are not good for your health or heart.

• Soy is suspected to negatively impact sexual function in males. Researchers believe that soy isoflavones boost the body’s levels of estrogen and may lower testosterone levels. A 2011 study from Beth Israel Medical Deaconess Center, Harvard Medical School found that when a 19-year-old male test subject consumed a vegan diet rich in soy-based products, he suffered a sudden loss of libido as well as erectile dysfunction and low testosterone levels.

• Licorice has been linked to lower testosterone levels and to impact ED. In a study back in 1999 conducted by the University of Padua, Italy, researchers found that licorice was a testosterone-inhibitor. The findings are backed by another study at the university in 2003, where results showed that licorice reduced serum testosterone values by 26 percent after one week. Low testosterone levels can contribute to erectile dysfunction.

• Alcohol can contribute to erectile dysfunction. Drinking is well known to cause of temporary problems maintaining an erection. If you already suffer with symptoms of ED you are further supporting the sexual dysfunction by consuming alcohol. Though the jury is out on whether long-term drinking will cause ED, there is research to back up the effects. A 2010 study from The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China looked at 816 men and found those who drank more than three typical alcoholic drinks per week were more likely to experience erectile dysfunction.

• Sugary soda and energy drinks can be bad for the body for several reason, but may also impact healthy sexual function when it comes causing long-term health issues. This is because the level of sugar they contain is in direct correlation to the development of diabetes- which can go hand-in-hand with developing ED.

In 2004, the Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Indiana University-Bloomington conducted a study and concluded that diabetes was “prevalent” in patients with erectile dysfunction. Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the levels of sugar in the blood become too high, caused by inadequate amounts of insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas to monitor blood sugar), a resistance to insulin, or both.

Lowering any sources of “added” sugar to your diet is one of the best preventive measures you can take. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion guidelines for Americans states that soda, energy drinks and sports drinks are “the major sources of added sugars in the diets of Americans,” comprising 36% of added sugar intake. The University of California-Davis did a study and reported that drinks like Full Throttle, Monster, Red Bull, and Rockstar all contain close to 30 grams of sugar per serving.

What Can You Do?

First, choose to eat healthy. In a study conducted by Australian researchers and published in the May 2014 The Journal of Sexual Medicine, the finding proved that even if medication is required to treat ED, it’s likely to be more effective if you implement certain lifestyle changes, including eating a heathy diet low in fat and sugar. Essentially, what you put into your body and how healthy you are has a big impact on sexual function, especially as you age.

Second, you can also speak to your doctor about trying prescriptive medication to treat ED. You doctor can help you decide if medication, like Viagra is right for your condition, partially if you have medial conditions that limit blood flow. It is all about a healthy body and normal vascular functioning. Viagra, the number one prescribed ED medication, was discovered accidently, while focusing on treatments for heart conditions.

According to Drugdatabase.com, Pfizer Inc., the makers of Viagra, originally looked to produce a drug to treat cardiovascular conditions and were looking to find one that could expand blood vessels and therefore treat angina, a heart condition where the vessels supplying the heart with blood become constricted. They discovered it produced a strong erection in the test subjects and it eventually became the first, and the number one, FDA approved treatment for ED.

Clinical trials show that Viagra (sildenafil) is effective for up to 80 percent of men and its safety and effectiveness have been well proven since it was first approved by the FDA in 1998. It works regardless of age, or the length of time you have experienced male impotence, even if it has been for several years.