Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFoods to Avoid for EDBest Foods for ED
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Foods to Avoid for ED
Best Foods for ED
Erectile dysfunction(ED) makes it hard for a person to get or keep an erection. While there is no one, specific food that will causeED, certain foods can increase the risk of developing ED or make it worse. Alcohol and saturated fat are two food groups that have been shown to increase the risk of ED.
This article will cover the worst foods for ED and then discuss the best diet for ED.
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How Common Is ED?ED is a prevalent condition within the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 30 million people in the United States have ED. It is more common in middle-aged and older people but can happen anytime.While ED may be difficult to discuss with a healthcare provider, it is important to do so as ED can be a sign of blood vessel changes within the body.
How Common Is ED?
ED is a prevalent condition within the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 30 million people in the United States have ED. It is more common in middle-aged and older people but can happen anytime.While ED may be difficult to discuss with a healthcare provider, it is important to do so as ED can be a sign of blood vessel changes within the body.
ED is a prevalent condition within the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 30 million people in the United States have ED. It is more common in middle-aged and older people but can happen anytime.
While ED may be difficult to discuss with a healthcare provider, it is important to do so as ED can be a sign of blood vessel changes within the body.
Foods to Avoid for Erectile Dysfunction
ED is a complex condition that is not based on a single dietary choice. Several factors increase the risk of ED including:
Below is a list of foods that increase the likelihood of developing ED, along with why these foods are a poor choice and how they increase ED risk.
Alcohol
Alcoholhas been proven to negatively affect ED. Long-term heavy alcohol use changesblood vesselsand nerves, including those in the penis. Research has shown that this change in the vasculature, or blood vessels, can cause ED.
Red Meat
Red meat,which is defined as animal flesh such as beef that is red when raw, is high in saturated fat and have been shown to increase the risk of ED.
What this means is that if the body is unable to properly get blood to the penis, it may also have difficulty getting blood to other areas of the body like the brain and coronary arteries.
Fried Food
Fried foods are a common food that is also high insaturated fat. Popular fried foods are:
Just like red meat, eating too much fried food will increasecholesterol levelsand increase the risk of atherosclerosis. Fried food can also cause obesity, which is another risk factor for ED.
Sodium
In today’s world, most of thesodiumconsumption comes from eating prepackaged, processed foods. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium or less per day. Those withhypertension(high blood pressure) should have 1,500 mg or less.
High blood pressure is one of the risk factors for ED.As a result, people who consume a large amount of sodium may be increasing their blood pressure and, in turn, raising their risk for ED.
Best Foods for Erectile Dysfunction
When choosing a diet to help reduce the risk of ED, research has shown theMediterranean dietto be a good choice.TheMediterranean dietfocuses on whole, unprocessed foods. It encourages people to eat the following:
Talk to a healthcare provider before making major dietary changes. Certain foods could have an impact on your medications and should be reviewed before being implemented.
Summary
Erectile dysfunction is a common condition. There are numerous risk factors for developing ED, including a diet that consists of saturated fats, fried foods, alcohol, and sodium. The best diet to prevent ED is the Mediterranean diet. This diet is full of fresh, unprocessed foods.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Grant P, Jackson G, Baig I, Quin J.Erectile dysfunction in general medicine.Clin Med. 2013;13(2):136-140. doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.13-2-136Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes and men.Li S, Song JM, Zhang K, Zhang CL.A meta-analysis of erectile dysfunction and alcohol consumption.Urol Int. 2021;105(11-12):969-985. doi:10.1159/000508171Yafi FA, Jenkins L, Albersen M, et al.Erectile dysfunction.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016;2(1):16003. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2016.3American Heart Association.Shaking the habit to lower higher blood pressure.American Heart Association.What is the Mediterranean diet?
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Grant P, Jackson G, Baig I, Quin J.Erectile dysfunction in general medicine.Clin Med. 2013;13(2):136-140. doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.13-2-136Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes and men.Li S, Song JM, Zhang K, Zhang CL.A meta-analysis of erectile dysfunction and alcohol consumption.Urol Int. 2021;105(11-12):969-985. doi:10.1159/000508171Yafi FA, Jenkins L, Albersen M, et al.Erectile dysfunction.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016;2(1):16003. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2016.3American Heart Association.Shaking the habit to lower higher blood pressure.American Heart Association.What is the Mediterranean diet?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Grant P, Jackson G, Baig I, Quin J.Erectile dysfunction in general medicine.Clin Med. 2013;13(2):136-140. doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.13-2-136Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes and men.Li S, Song JM, Zhang K, Zhang CL.A meta-analysis of erectile dysfunction and alcohol consumption.Urol Int. 2021;105(11-12):969-985. doi:10.1159/000508171Yafi FA, Jenkins L, Albersen M, et al.Erectile dysfunction.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016;2(1):16003. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2016.3American Heart Association.Shaking the habit to lower higher blood pressure.American Heart Association.What is the Mediterranean diet?
Grant P, Jackson G, Baig I, Quin J.Erectile dysfunction in general medicine.Clin Med. 2013;13(2):136-140. doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.13-2-136
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes and men.
Li S, Song JM, Zhang K, Zhang CL.A meta-analysis of erectile dysfunction and alcohol consumption.Urol Int. 2021;105(11-12):969-985. doi:10.1159/000508171
Yafi FA, Jenkins L, Albersen M, et al.Erectile dysfunction.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016;2(1):16003. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2016.3
American Heart Association.Shaking the habit to lower higher blood pressure.
American Heart Association.What is the Mediterranean diet?
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