Do Foods Treat Erectile Dysfunction?

Multiple potential causes

Question: Are there any foods that help to manage and/or correct erectile dysfunction (ED)?

Answer: No specific food is known to manage or correct ED, though ginseng may help some men a little. The good news, however, is that your overall diet can play a big role.

The causes of ED

ED has multiple potential causes, including psychological (depression, anxiety), trauma, medications, alcohol, and nerve damage. Diabetes is a well-known cause, and we all know proper diet and exercise can better control and sometimes prevent it.

But the cause that overall diet can help is arteriosclerosis, which is a hardening and thickening of the artery walls from cholesterol and calcification. This results in poor blood flow to the body part it supplies.

Arteriosclerosis is usually not regional but affects all the arteries supplying all your organs and tissues. It can restrict blood flow to your kidneys, brain, heart, and penis, to name a few. Many doctors actually think ED is a warning sign that you may be at risk for a heart attack from arteriosclerosis of your heart vessels (coronary artery disease).

Relieving ED with dietary changes

Since there's no penile artery bypass surgery, it's wise to pay attention to the risk factors that cause widespread arteriosclerosis. Obesity happens to be one. Another is increased cholesterol, so a diet full of vegetables, fruit, and whole grains and low in saturated fats makes sense. So does treating hypertension with weight control, low salt, and medications if needed. (Ask for the ones that don’t have impotence as a side effect.)

Other factors known to help are regular exercise, but always check with your doctor first. (Remember the risk for a heart attack that can come with ED.) And you just have to stop all tobacco products pronto.

By James Hubbard, MD, MPH
My Family Doctor Blog

[Last updated and/or approved February 2009, James Hubbard’s My Family Doctor Web site.]