Penile erectile dysfunction, also known as impotence, is a widely known health condition in males. The condition causes the penis to be incapable of being erect or raised to an erect position. Erectile dysfunction affects approximately 18 million men in the United States alone. Often times, erectile dysfunction is reversible with some simple lifestyle changes.
Causes
Erectile dysfunction has many possible causes such as:
- Diet
- Medication
- Illness
- Alcoholism
Diet is an easily changed factor that can affect erectile dysfunction. When blood flow is limited to the male penis, its ability to become and stay erect is limited. One factor that decreases blood flow in the body is cholesterol. When we have high levels of cholesterol, our arteries become blocked and blood flow is decreased. This causes many dangerous conditions in the body including heart attacks. Blocked arteries also lead to erectile dysfunction.
Eating a diet low in cholesterol is important to our overall health and reversing erectile dysfunction. Foods high in cholesterol like meat and dairy products should be eliminated from your diet. Switch to a plant-based diet, rich in healthy green foods. These foods will help to lower your cholesterol levels and allow blood to flow properly to all parts of the body.
Studies have shown that diet plays a key role in reversing clogged arteries. Green foods happen to be rich in blood-cleansing nutrients that can help dissolve cholesterol buildup.
Alcohol use has also been attributed to erectile dysfunction. Alcohol use can cause blood vessels to expand, but not close. This prevents an erection. Over use of alcohol can cause great damage to the blood vessels and can contribute to hypertension and heart disease, both of which are contributing factors to erectile dysfunction.
Moderate alcohol consumption should not cause erectile dysfunction in healthy men. Keep drinking to a minimum for optimum health.
Some diseases interfere with sexual performanceas well. As mentioned earlier, Cardiovascular diseases are a larger contributing factor to erectile dysfunction. Hypertension and Peripheral Vascular Disease both affect circulation and therefore limit the blood flow to the male penis. The result is erectile dysfunction. Other diseases that have been linked to erectile dysfunction are:
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Prostate Cancer
Prostate Cancer does not directly cause erectile dysfunction, but treatments for the disease often result in the condition. Surgery, hormone therapy and radiation are common treatments for prostate cancer, all of which can affect sexual health.
Depression causes the brain to have a chemical imbalance, including chemicals that promote our sex drive. This causes our sexual desire to be lowered or nonexistent. Also, when neurotransmitters are lowered to the brain, our senses can be dulled. This causes a loss in the feeling of pleasure we normally experience.
Natural Healing
Herbs can be wonderful in counteracting erectile dysfunction. Some herbs to incorporate into your daily life include:
- Yohimbe Bark
- Damiana
- Muira Puama
- Oats
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Cayenne
- Glangal
- Horny Goat Weed
- Lycii
- Sarsaparilla
- Licorice
- Saw Palmetto
- Gingko Biloba
- Horse Chestnut
- Butcher’s Broom
- Black Walnut Hulls
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
