MEN: Nutrition for Impotence

Men both young and old, all around the country, are dealing with the difficulties of erectile dysfunction on a daily basis.  Aside from the physical set-backs, E.D. can cause emotional distress and concern, heightening stress levels and making it more difficult for guys to focus on the joys of life.  Erectile dysfunction can occur in response to specific illnesses or medical conditions and treatments, often resulting in reduced body image, loss of confidence and depression.  In much a cyclical manner, mental health problems and added stress can often cause or worsen E.D.  Typically, it’s a combination of both physical and psychological issues that lead to erectile dysfunction in men.  A few common causes and health factors that contribute to such condition include heart disease, clogged blood vessels, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, low testosterone, tobacco use, alcoholism and metabolic syndrome.  Metabolic syndrome includes a multitude of these factors and is a condition involving increased blood pressure, high insulin levels, body fat around the waist and high cholesterol.  Since many of these conditions evolve around lifestyle choices, the resulting complications of E.D. can be mitigated by healthier diets and proper nutrition that promote better blood flow and decreased body weight.

In terms of preventative health measures, here are a few tips from celebrity personal trainer Lucas James and nutrition expert Jason Apfel that may help augment your lifestyle and current quality of life!

For a start, if you smoke, quit. Vaporizers smoking reduces blood flow by causing thickening and loss of elasticity in our arteries.  Aside from the obvious health detriments of smoking, it can actually reduce ones penis size by up to one centimeter in the long term.

Second, if you’re inactive, exercise.  Incorporating regular physical activity can help increase flood flow, but also help with weight loss. Being overweight can cause, or worsen, erectile dysfunction.  Exercise can help with the underlying problems that play a part in promoting erectile dysfunction by.  Aside form the physical benefits, exercise will help reduce stress and mitigate the emotional ties associated with E.D.

Third, eat healthy foods that promote better blood flow.  Some specific foods to avoid are foods high in sodium, which can lead to high blood pressure and cause problems with circulation.  Also stay away from foods that contain trans-fats, which clog arteries and cause heart disease.  These cardiovascular generally translate to insufficient or diminished blood flow, which contribute to erectile dysfunction. Foods that are high in cholesterol also cause clogged arteries and heart disease, similar to trans-fats.  As discussed previously, cardiovascular disease can lead to insufficient flood flow, a primary cause of erectile dysfunction. Watch out for foods that are high in sugar.  A diet high in sugar can lead to weight gain, obesity and diabetes. Weight gain puts pressure on the heart and vital organs making it more difficult to function properly and ultimately increases one’s blood pressure.  The added physiological stress due to diet can significantly decrease blood flow to the penis.

Some specific foods that can help reduce the severity of E.D. are fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe, oranges and watermelon which help to both reduce body fat and overall weight. The Lycopene from tomatoes also helps to relax blood vessels and increase flow. Dark green vegetables such as spinach and kale are a good source of zinc, which has been proven to improve blood flow to the major organs, as well as the penis.

Pistachio nuts are relatively high in the non-essential amino acid arginine, which helps to maintain elasticity in arteries. It also is believed to enhance blood flow by boosting endogenous nitric oxide levels, a compound that relaxes blood vessels.  One recent study published in the International Journal of Impotence Research: The Journal of Sexual Medicine showed improvements in men for erectile function, sexual intercourse satisfaction, orgasmic function, overall satisfaction and sexual desire in men who ate a diet high in pistachios.  It also reported increased blood flow to the penis by 22 percent, as measured by ultrasound, which is useful for people with a sexual active life.

Eating foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids is essential to controlling heart disease, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and more.  Since heart disease and hypertension are leading causes of sexual dysfunction, foods high in Omega-3 such as fish, flaxseed, walnuts, and eggs can help mitigate these factors in a preventative manner.