One of the easiest and most natural ways to improve your sexual health is through a change in the diet. Though it might sound unconventional, there are a lot of foods that contribute towards Erectile Dysfunction (ED). One of the principal causes of erectile dysfunction is fatty foods. Fat damages the arterial system that is responsible for carrying blood to all parts of the body including the penis. Thus, the best way to not fall prey to this life-wrecking disorder is to avoid foods that cause Erectile Dysfunction as well as other lifestyle changes.
What is Erectile Dysfunction?
This is a disorder where a man has a regular difficulty in getting and maintaining an erection which is firm enough to facilitate sexual penetration. There are several causes of Erectile Dysfunction, which may be medical and psychosocial in nature. There are different courses of therapy to treat this disorder, among which a change in diet is the easiest way.
5 Top foods that causes erectile dysfunction
- Red meat: Fat from red meat and cholesterol is not only bad for your heart, but it also has adverse effects on your performance in the bedroom. This is because your Heart health and Sexual health are interrelated. If you do not have a good heart health due to poor blood circulation, you would have a much harder time achieving and maintaining an erection. A good cardiovascular health is critical in order to prevent this disorder. In fact, erectile dysfunction is an early sign of upcoming heart troubles. Thus, cutting down on red meat is a good first step towards improving your cardiovascular health and thus your sexual health.
You can do this by replacing the meat in your diet with other healthier sources of protein such as plant protein sources and fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids. There are several fats which are actually beneficial for your heart’s health such as the fats which are found in avocados and nuts. - Fried Foods: Fried foods are another leading cause of heart troubles and thus is also bad for sexual health. Cooking oils, when heated to high temperatures while cooking is one of the unhealthiest foods for your heart and are one of the main causes of heart diseases. They have also been known to cause a few types of cancers and complications related to high cholesterol. Fried foods rich in oil cause you to gain weight which further leads to hormone imbalances leading ultimately to erectile dysfunction.
Therefore, foods like French fries, doughnuts, fried meats and a majority of the fast foods are very detrimental to your sexual health, and you are better off avoiding them altogether. Fried foods are also known to be a cause of prostate cancer benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It is indeed hard to give up on fast food but making fast foods a daily part of the diet is severely damaging and makes you prone to erectile dysfunction. - Foods packed in Cans and Plastic: Bisphenol-A (BPA) found in the linings of canned products and plastic products is a chemical that is known to contribute towards ED. BPA is known to cause inhibition of sexual hormones, which leads to highly decreased sex drive in men. There are lots of researches that link this chemical to Erectile Dysfunction and decreased sexual desire. BPA can even lead to infertility and other hormonal imbalances. Thus, it is best for you to avoid canned vegetables and meat which are stored in plastic.
While most vegetables are good for the heart’s health as well as sexual health, veggies that are stored in cans have high levels of BPA. BPA can also be found in most plastic containers such as water bottles and other stuff in which we store food. Therefore, look for products which are “BPA free” and it is advisable to use ceramic and glass containers for the purpose of storing food. - Soy: Soy and other similar foods are processed foods that are rich in carbohydrates and have lots of unhealthy fats. These can have an estrogenic effect which means that these foods contain substances that mimic estrogen. Estrogen is a female hormone which men have in trace quantities. It is essential to maintain a good balance of testosterone and estrogen to achieve ideal sexual health and strength, but foods like Soy completely mess up this balance and highly increase chances of falling prey to erectile dysfunction. Thus, you should avoid Soy completely as well as flaxseed which is another food high in estrogen.
Flax seed has 379,380 micrograms of estrogen per 100 grams and soy has 103,920 micrograms per 100 grams which are ridiculously high amounts. An exception to Soy is fermented Soy, which is popular in Asia and is a much healthier form of Soy. - Alcohol: Alcohol not only lowers your inhibitions but it also reduces your performance in bed as well as your erection. Drinking regularly (more than 2 drinks in one day) can rapidly lower your testosterone levels and almost eliminate it from your bloodstream by decreasing the production of testosterone. You might have noticed performance issues after a night of heavy drinking. Alcohol not only causes this disorder but also leads to issues regarding arousal and achieving a satisfying sexual health.
Abusing alcohol leads to a deficiency of Vitamin A which in turn might cause erectile problems and even sterility. While heavy drinking is already proven to be a major cause of ED, research is ongoing on whether moderate drinking might also lead to ED. So it is best to keep the drinking on a low to avoid problems with an erection as well as a lot of other health issues.
Other foods you should avoid
Foods which have very high sugar contents should be avoided to reduce the risk of ED. Dairy products, cream are some foods that are rich in sugar and is best avoided or consumed in moderate amounts. It is also advisable to avoid foods that are rich in sodium.
Sodium rich foods increase the blood pressure and thus lead to complications in cardiovascular health. Also, smoking is one of the leading causes of erectile dysfunction and lung cancer, thus should be avoided.
Read about erectile dysfunction treatment options here.