|
|
Please discuss everything with your doctor first.
How to Improve Erectile Dysfunction
I have great news for you. If you are struggling with erectile dysfunction and
impotence, it's almost for sure not the end of your sex life in spite of how you
may feel. In the last few decades science has provided many solutions that
will help you improve and very likely reverse your erectile dysfunction.
(Discuss everything with your doctor of course.) And please don't feel
alone: Erectile Dysfunction affects about half of all men between the ages
of 40 and 70! [32]
I hope you will consider this page your Erection Bible. The items on this page will help you
improve and even permanently get rid of your erectile dysfunction. (For
other supplement-based solutions, try the
Erectile Dysfunction Supplementation Guide.)
15+ Ways to Improve Erectile Dysfunction
- Pomegranate Juice. Drink between 2 and 8 oz. of Pomegranate Juice each day.
Pomegranate
Juice
is King of Cardiovascular Repair: this magic juice
is
so powerfully loaded with antioxidants that it has actually partially
reversed artheriosclerosis. Furthermore, there is a recent study that
shows that Pomegranate Juice actually improves erectile dysfunction and
impotence. How does it work its magic? Besides clearing out your
arteries, it also lowers inflammation and, most pertinent to your sex life,
boosts Nitric Oxide. My advice is heed the words of these researchers, who
concluded: "Plasma nitrate and nitrite (NO(x)) levels were significantly
increased by PFE (Pomegranate Food Extract) and PJ (Pomegranate Juice)". Yes,
Pomegranate Juice should probably be called "Viagra in a Bottle" or "Liquid
Sex". For more information, read this link.
Do you know the foods and drinks that increase erection-boosting
Nitric Oxide? Check out the
Peak Erectile Strength Diet where I show
you how to dramatically and naturally improve your erectile strength.
CAUTION: Pomegranate Juice has several drug
interactions, especially with statins. Consult your physician if you are
taking any medications. -
Sex. You probably don't want to hear this, but
you really need to have sex. That is correct -
Lack of Sex is a recently
discovered strong risk factor for erectile dysfuntion. So what are you
waiting for? Time to get busy! (Actually, I know that some of you
need some practical ideas for how to get more sex from the woman in your life.
Well, it's not as hard as you might think in most cases. Here are a few
ideas that will definitely help:
Oxytocin,
Massage,
Pelvic Angle,
Tease Her and
Increase Her Libido.)
-
Supplements. Remember that researchers have
found a number of inexpensive herbal Supplements that can generally very significantly
improve your Erectile Dysfunction, including Pycnogenol,
Arginine,
Horny Goat
Weed, Maca and
Ginseng. There are also some less exotic
Supplements, such as CoQ10 and Vitamin C, that
will help somewhat as well. Some of these boost Nitric Oxide directly and some
keep Nitric Oxide in your system longer. Either way, they have proven clinical
results to help reverse erectile dysfunction (and in some cases libido boosters
as well). Read
here for more details.
-
Foods and Drinks. There are many foods and drinks that dramatically
improve Nitric Oxide output and will strongly improve your erections. For more
details read
here.
When does low testosterone
cause erectile dysfunction or harden your arteries? 300 ng/dl? 400?
Find out what the studies say in Low
Testosterone By The Numbers.
-
Exercise. In terms of importance and effectiveness for improving erectile
dysfunction, this should probably
be at the top of the list.
A 2007 John Hopkins Medical School study recently found that men who watched television over five
hours per day increased their odds of erectile dysfunction by 300 percent! [2] A study from that same year actually found that lack of exercise
was the number one commonality behind the erectile dysfunction and impotence of 388 men.
[3] The authors of the study found that
"lack of exercise was the most frequent risk factor (82.2%), followed by smoking
(55.9%) and the regular use of medications (43.6%). Diabetes was reported by
29.6% of the patients and 14.7% reported hypertension. Other risk factors
included drug addiction (7.7%), alcohol consumption (12.6%) and cardiac diseases
(5.2%)". 82% of those with erectile dysfunction did not exercise! As I
show, one could
easily write the formula, Exercise=Viagra.
-
Gutless. Get rid of your gut
and those love handles. Obesity is one of the biggest risk factors for erectile dysfunction. For example, a Chinese study found that a BMI of just 23-25
leads to twice the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure) and high blood pressure
is one of the leading indicators for erection problems. [12] Other
studies have directly
found that obesity is a risk factor for erectile dysfunction. [41] In addition, fat cells churn out inflammatory chemicals, which also lead to poor endothelial function and heart disease. Just as bad,
fat cells also pump out extra aromatase leading to excess estrogen,
the "female hormone". The testosterone to estrogen ratio is one of the critical
ratios for males and this is one denominator you don't want to mess with. Need some ideas on how to
lose weight? Then read here about
How to Lose Weight. Or need some
more motivation to lose that spare tire and get rid of your erectile dysfunction? Then read this link.
-
Kegel Exercises. These exercises, for your muscles
down under,
are not just for women: they can dramatically improve Erectile
Dysfunction and impotence. A regimen of
Kegel Exercises can have the Little Guy standing tall and proud
in the bedroom.
- Mediterranean Diet.
The Mediterranean Diet is an extremely heart healthy, cancer-fighting and erectile improving diet. Research
has verified the power of this way of eating over and over again. It is
also the diet that is probably the easiest for the typical omnivore to
transition into since it does allow some meat and dairy. It is also has many
delicious recipes and food combinations. For more
information, please see read my link about the Mediterranean Diet. CAUTION:
Please be cautious about Olive Oil.
See below: this is the one aspect of a Mediterranean Diet that could injure your sex life.
- Blood Pressure. High blood pressure (hypertension) is a strong risk factor for erectile
dysfunction (and of course heart disease). One study of Greek men with high
blood pressure found that 35.2% of males with high blood pressure had erectile
dysfunction compared with 14.1% with normal blood pressure. [13] Yet another
study showed that
nearly 70% of men with high blood pressure have some kind of erectile dysfunction. [1]
If you have High Blood Pressure, don't expect to
improve your erectile dysfunction without dealing with it first.
Fortunately, there are many natural (and scientific) ways to improve your
situation and battle this menace to your sex life and I talk about it
here. Again, this shows the all important, Zen-like principal about erectile dysfunction:
the heart
and the penis are one. And this is the mantra you need to repeat a hundred times a day:
"If it's good for the heart, it's good for the penis; if it's bad for the heart,
it's bad for the penis." Please, please get your
High
Blood Pressure under control: it leads to damage of your arterial
walls and accelerates arteriosclerosis (among other nasty things). Blood
pressure is such an important topic that I have devoted an entire link to
How to Reduce Your Blood Pressure Naturally.
- Depression.
Depression
can create
or exacerbate erectile dysfunction in many ways, including lowering libido and diminishing testosterone. (Depression will also literally eat away your
brain.) But, even more importantly,
Depression
has been linked by
researchers to heart disease. In other
Depression
actually does damage to
your erectile strength by damaging your cardiovascular system. Furthermore, many of the drugs associated with treating
Depression
are strongly correlated with erectile dyfunction. Read
this link for more details.
Metabolic Syndrome.
This disease
would better be named Castration Syndrome. I cover
Metabolic Syndrome several times
on this site because it is so critical to the health of your
heart and your penis.
Metabolic Syndrome is a set of symptoms that includes insulin
resistance, high cholesterol,
high triglycerides, low HDL (good cholesterol) and high blood
pressure. And, if you have it, you are at much greater risk for both low
testosterone and erectile dysfunction. It is unlikely you will experience
significant improvement in your erectile dysfunction unless you tame this beast.
So if you have any of the signs of Metabolic Syndrome, please read this link
on Metabolic Syndrome.
HRT. If you are low testosterone, get on HRT (hormone replacement therapy).
If Nitric Oxide is King in the Land of Erections, Testosterone is Queen. The problem
is that low testosterone guys do not fully activate the dense network
of androgen receptors at the base of the
penis and then those muscles get out of shape. And trust me - you do not want flabby
penile muscles. It is these muscles that constrict and hold the blood in the penis
once Nitric Oxide has done its job. If you're not getting nightly erections, you are also
not oxygenating the penile tissue, which is also
critical for the health of your sex life. Again, get to the doctor
and start now if you're low on this precious
hormone. Remember that it will probably take anywhere
from one to three months
for these muscles to build up once you get your testosterone
levels to where they should be and actually improve any erectile dysfunction that
you may be experiencing. CAUTION: If you are overweight, have
apnea or are trying to have a child, be sure to pin down your doctor about
issues surrounding each of these conditions. Read the above link for more
details.
ADMA. If you want to improve erectle dysfunction,
you must consider ADMA. Researchers have found a direct and strong
correlation between increased erectile dysfunction and ADMA (Asymmetrical
Dimethylarginine ) levels. ADMA is a Nitric Oxide inhibitor
- just that
phrase should send a shiver down your spine - and one recent study [20] found
that levels were significantly elevated in males with both cardiovascular
disease and erectile dysfunction. That is no surprise to anyone on this site,
where we emphasize that cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction more
often that not go hand-in-hand. (Many researchers think that the ratio of
arginine to ADMA is a super-critical marker of erectile dysfunction.) But realize that ADMA is a double edged sword to
your sex life: it increases artherosclerosis, by aiding LDL to damage the lining
of your vascular system, and decreases your biolavailability of Nitric Oxide. This is
as ugly as it gets: ADMA sabotages your
erections from almost every possible angle - no pun intended. What are the
primary causes of elevated ADMA levels? First of all, being
overweight. Several
studies have found a relationship between weight and ADMA levels and one study
found obese women who lost weight reduced their plasma ADMA levels by 25%! [21]
It will probably not surprise you then to learn that Metabolic Disorder has been found
recently to be a significant risk factor for increased ADMA levels. [22] Please
read my link on Metabolic Disorder
for how to diagnose and defeat this
multi-tentacled monster. One last risk factor we should mention: elevated
homocysteine levels, i.e. make sure you are eating a good diet with plenty of
B-vitamins or supplementing with Folic Acid.
LDL. This Bad Boy of the lipid profile world has been
implicated in a
study with erectile dysfunction. And it's no wonder:
LDL is a well-know arterty clogger. [42]
Cycling. Watch out for those bike seats! Yeah,
the urban legend is really true: several studies have shown that biking
can injure the arteries supplying blood to the penis. Recent research
shows that a no nose seat significantly protected bicycle officers who rode many
hours throughout the week as part of their job. [24]
Smoking. I almost didn't want to put this one in here.
After all, what person
in the 21st century doesn't know that smoking wreaks havoc throughout the body?
But I changed my mind, because what a lot of guys don't know is that cigarrettes greatly increase your risk of erectile
dysfunction. For example, two meta-analyses showed basically that erectile dysfunction was
TWICE as common in smokers versus non. [19] If you won't quit the habit to save your own life, at
least do it for the Little Guy downstairs and improve your erectile dysfunction
while you're at it!
Marijuana. Please read this link on How
Marijuana Can Destroy Your Hormones, Fertility and Lead to Impotence.
Probiotics. This has not been proven, but probiotics will likely improve
erectile strength. See my link
What Are Probiotics Good For for
more
details.
Mouthwash. Watch out for those mouthwashes - they
may sabotage your nitrite levels, which are critical for nitric oxide
production. See my link on Mouthwash and Your Sex Life for more information.
Citrulline. L-Arginine is the precursor for nitric oxide and so one would
think this would be an ideal supplement for men struggling with erectile
dysfunction. However, study results have been disappointing and even dangerous
for this amino acid. Intrepid scientists have apparently discovered a way around
the Arginine-related difficulties by giving study particpants L-Citrulline, a
precursor of L-Arginine.[43] The L-Citrulline (1.5 grams/day) increased
overall hardness factor and led to a 70% increase in the number of times of
intercourse.
Well, there you have it. I have given you the most important points about how to
greatly improve your erectile dysfunction and eliminate impotence.
This is incredibly good news for most of us middle aged and beyond guys who assumed
that we had hit the Ultimate Wall. And notice something else important:
the research is showing you do not have to spend a
fortune to heal your erectile dysfunction:
it is almost all at the grocery store (and your gym).
REFERENCES:
1)
Intl Journ Impot Res, (19)296-302, 2007
2)
Amer Jour Med 128:151-157,2007
3)
Eastern Med Hea J,May 2001,7(3):510-518
8)
JAMA. 2007 Jul 4;298(1):49-60
9)
Amer J Clin Nutr, Vol. 81, No. 3, 611-614, March 2005
10)
Amer J Clin Nutr,Mar 2005,81(3):611-4
12)
Obesity Reviews,2002 Aug,3(3):167-172
13)
J of Andrology, May/June 2006,27(3)
16)
JAMA,Sep 13 2006,296(10):1255-65
17)
J Biol Chem,Nov 5 2004,279(45):46637-43 [Epub 2004 Aug 27];
J Nutr,2003;133(10):3293S-3297S;Circulation,2001,104(2):151-156;Clin Sci
(Lond),2002,102(2):195-201;Am J Clin Nutr,2005,81(1 Suppl):292S-297S;Am J Clin
Nutr.2005;81(1 Suppl):292S-297S;Circ J,2006,70(8):1052-1057; Am Coll
Nutr,2007,26(2):95-102
19)
J of Urol,2001,166:1624-32;British J of Nursing,2001,10:455-65
20)
Eur Urol,Dec 2005,48(6):1004-11
21)
J Clin Endocrinol Metab,Dec 2004,89(12):6277-81
22)
JAMA,Mar 20 2002,287(11):1420-6
23) Altern Med Rev,Oct 1999,4(5):360-370;Mutat Res,Feb-Mar 2003,523:201-208
24) J Sex Med,2008 Aug;5(8):1932-40
27) Nitric Oxide,Aug 2007 ;17(1):50-4. Epub 2007 May 5
28) Nippon Eiseigaku Zasshi,Oct 1993,48(4):864-72
29) Chinese Geographical Science,Mar 2001,(11):87-91
31) Am J Clin Nutr, Jan 2005,81(1):64-8
32) Am J Epidemiol, 2002, 156:1035-1042
33) Eur J of Clin Nutr, 2005, 59:1059–1063
39)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520090619.htm
41) J of Urol, Jul 2006, 176(1):217-221, "A Prospective Study of Risk Factors
for Erectile Dysfunction"
42) Urol J, 2005, 2(1):, "The Relationship between Lipid Profile and Erectile
Dysfunction"
43) Urology, Jan 2011, 77(1):119-22, "Oral L-citrulline supplementation improves
erection hardness in men with mild erectile dysfunction"
|
|