erectile dysfunction

Topic summary contributed by volunteer(s): Rob

Erectile dysfunction may be an early warning sign for potential cardiac problems, but a plant-based diet could improve both erectile function and heart health as well as increase testosterone (See also here). More specifically, eating pistachio nuts and watermelon as well as avoiding BPA plastics may result in visible improvements. Low-carb diets may be particularly harmful. The same disease mechanisms are involved in women and similarly, female sexual function maybe improved on a plant based diet.

For substantiation of any statements of fact from the peer-reviewed medical literature, please see the associated videos below.

Image Credit: Nick Torontali / Unsplash. This image has been modified.

34 videos

All Videos for Erectile Dysfunction

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Do Ashwagandha, Ginseng, and Maca Root Have Benefits for Female Sexual Dysfunction?

Which of these three works, which doesn’t, and which may be too toxic to take safely?

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Exercise Is Medicine

The evidence supporting the overall health benefits of physical activity is overwhelming.

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The Pros and Cons of Testing PSA Levels for Prostate Cancer

Given the clear harms and the small and uncertain benefits, most men would presumably decide to decline PSA testing if they knew all the facts, but that’s up to each man to decide.

Ginseng root and supplement capsules on a white surface

The Benefits and Side Effects of Ginseng

What do more than 100 clinical trials on red ginseng, white ginseng, and American ginseng show?

middle aged man with hair loss looking in mirror

Pills for Hair Growth

What are the pros and cons of finasteride (sold as Propecia) and minoxidil (sold as Rogaine) for hair loss?

Natural Dietary Treatments for Enlarged Prostate BPH

Cranberries and pumpkin seeds are put to the test for benign prostatic hypertrophy.

half pomegranate and ripe pomegranate fruit on white wooden rustic background

Pomegranate: A Natural Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Pomegranates are put to the test for weight loss, diabetes, COPD, prostate cancer, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Mixed Nuts Put to the Test for Erectile Dysfunction

Walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts are put to the test for erectile and sexual function, sperm count, and semen quality.

The Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

B12 deficiency is known as “The Great Masquerader.”

Benefits of Flaxseeds for Inflammation

Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory, aging-associated oxylipins can be normalized by eating ground flaxseed.

Are Apples the Best Food for a Better Sex Life in Women?

Addyi (flibanserin), the drug marketed for “hypoactive sexual desire disorder,” is ineffective and unsafe. What about dietary approaches for female sexual dysfunction?

Viagra and Cancer

What is the role of erectile dysfunction drugs like Cialis and Levitra in the promotion and progression of prostate cancer and melanoma?

Saffron for Erectile Dysfunction

What are the effects of both oral and topical application of the spice saffron for impotence in men?

Best Food for Antidepressant-Induced Sexual Dysfunction

The spice saffron may not only work as well as SSRI antidepressant drugs like Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft without the side effects, but it may even be able to treat the adverse sexual side effects that occur in up to 70 percent of people taking the drugs.

Best Foods to Improve Sexual Function

Selecting foods to improve pelvic blood flow and decrease inflammation both immediately after a meal and for the long term may improve sexual functioning in men and women.

Do Men Who Have More Sex Live Longer?

When done right, love may protect your lover’s life.

Changing a Man’s Diet After a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Might appeals to masculinity and manhood help men with prostate cancer change their diet to improve their survival?

Oxygenating Blood with Nitrate-Rich Vegetables

Vegetables such as beets and arugula can improve athletic performance by improving oxygen delivery and utilization. But, what about for those who really need it—such as those with emphysema, high blood pressure, and peripheral artery disease?

How to Treat High Blood Pressure with Diet

The first-line treatment for hypertension is lifestyle modification, which often includes the DASH diet. What is it and how can it be improved?

Dietary Pollutants May Affect Testosterone Levels

Endocrine-disrupting industrial toxins in the aquatic food chain may affect genital development of boys and sexual function in men.

Back in Circulation: Sciatica and Cholesterol

Back in Circulation: Sciatica & Cholesterol

Atherosclerotic plaque clogging the arteries feeding our spine may lead to low back pain, disc degeneration, and sciatic nerve irritation.

Saving Lives by Treating Acne with Diet

Over-activated TOR signaling may help explain the link between acne and subsequent risk for prostate and breast cancer.

Pistachio Nuts for Erectile Dysfunction

Men eating pistachio nuts experienced a significant improvement in blood flow through the penis accompanied by significantly firmer erections in just three weeks—perhaps due to pistachios’ antioxidant, arginine, and phytosterol content.

50 Shades of Greens

Since both coronary heart disease and impotence can be reversed with a healthy diet, sexual dysfunction can be used as a motivator to change poor lifestyle habits.

Survival of the Firmest: Erectile Dysfunction and Death

Because penile arteries are only about half the size of the coronary arteries in the heart, erectile dysfunction can be a powerful predictor of cardiac events—such as sudden death.

More than an Apple a Day: Preventing the Most Common Diseases

Dr. Greger has scoured the world’s scholarly literature on clinical nutrition, and developed this brand-new live presentation on the latest in cutting-edge research on how a healthy diet can affect some of our most common medical conditions.

Plant-Based Diets: Oral Health

Plant-based diets may help protect against oral cancer and periodontal (gum) disease, a leading cause of tooth loss.

BPA Plastic and Male Sexual Dysfunction

Canned foods and sliced turkey were found to be contaminated with the plastics chemical BPA, which has been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and erectile dysfunction.

Watermelon as Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction

Watermelon is a rich source of citrulline, which has been found to improve erection hardness in men with mild erectile dysfunction (impotence).

Cholesterol and Female Sexual Dysfunction

The buildup of cholesterol in pelvic arteries can lead to sexual problems among both men and women via a similar pathway (erectile dysfunction).

Atkins Diet: Trouble Keeping It Up

A case report in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly Journal of the American Dietetic Association) of a man who went on the Atkins diet, lost his ability to have an erection—and nearly lost his life.

The Power of NO

Antioxidants protect NO synthase—the enzyme that produces the artery-relaxing signal, nitric oxide. This may explain why those who eat especially antioxidant-rich plant foods have improved flow-mediated dilation of the brachial arteries.

Rosy Glow

Erectile dysfunction may be an early warning sign for heart disease.

Eliminating the #1 Cause of Death

How to essentially eliminate the great scourge of the Western world.