Diet and erectile dysfunction

We all know the story of the little blue pill. Once a source of much giggling and snickering, Viagra is now a monster drug for its maker, Pfizer, and has resulted in numerous spinoffs that all promise men a never-ending sexual youth. And while these medications are generally considered safe, the presence of erectile dysfunction, or ED, should not be taken lightly.

The path by which one develops ED actually has many of the same points of origin as heart disease, which has resulted in some researchers calling ED something of a harbinger of cardiovascular disease. In other words, if the plumbing isn’t working down there, it could be a sign it’s not working somewhere else, too.

Taking a pill to manage ED is one option, but the best bet is to also take a serious look at diet and lifestyle. Researchers in Italy have demonstrated that losing a bit of weight (about 10% of your initial weight, or about 20 lbs on a 200 lb man) and adopting a Mediterranean-type diet, can improve sexual function in about one-third of men with ED, without the use of medications. Need a refresher on the Mediterranean diet? [ read about diet and erectile dysfunction ]