Erectile Dysfunction

Erections are all about strong circulation. To have a hard erection, your heart has to be in excellent shape. Anything that harms your heart, such as obesity or smoking, will have a detrimental effect on your sexual health. Testosterone can also have an impact on the quality of your erections. The items on this list may cause weak erections and low testosterone.

Printed receipts
Thermal paper contains bisphenol-A (BPA), a molecule that can make your body produce more estrogen. Excess estrogen can have a negative impact on your erections. Grocery store receipts, ATM slips, airport baggage tags, and even lottery tickets are all printed on this type of toxic paper. Also be sure to stay away from canned foods and plastics that contain BPA.

Sugar
Refined sugar can spike your blood glucose levels and trigger the release of insulin. Excess insulin decreases testosterone production, making it more difficult for you to get a hard erection. The connection between sugar, insulin, and testosterone also accounts for morning erections, which occur when you haven’t eaten for hours.

Lack of sleep
A study from the University of Chicago found that sleeping less than 5 hours per night can lower your testosterone levels by as much as 10 percent, even if you’re young and otherwise healthy. Experts say that sleep is critical for testosterone production. If you don’t get at least 8 hours of quality sleep per night, it can have a negative impact on the strength of your erections.

A baby in the bedroom
Sleeping close to your newborn baby can lower your testosterone production by more than 7 percent. Is sleep disruption to blame? Researchers at Northwestern and Notre Dame University found evidence that indicates that this hormonal shift is caused by laying next to a newborn baby at night.

Eating soy
If you’re a vegetarian, you may eat a lot of soy products. Unfortunately, soy products aren’t good for your erection health. A study from Harvard University found that soy has properties that mimic estrogen inside the body. If you eat soy on a daily basis, it could give you troubles in the bedroom.

Too much time indoors
Vitamin D, which comes from the sun, is essential for testosterone production. If you don’t get enough vitamin D, your testosterone levels can decrease by as much as 20 percent. The good news is that a Harvard study found that as little as 15 minutes of sun exposure per day could provide enough vitamin D for sexual health.

Excessive running
If you run more than 40 miles per week, your testosterone levels can decrease by as much as 17 percent. Researchers at the University of British Columbia found that running disrupts communication between your brain and hormone-producing glands. Without adequate testosterone, you may not be able to get a hard erection.

Too much alcohol
You were probably hoping that alcohol wouldn’t make the list. But a University of Oklahoma study found that too much alcohol could lower your testosterone levels. The good news is that you have to drink a lot to impact erection health. A study from the University of Wisconsin found that two drinks or less per day should be safe.