Encouraging men to eat a healthier diet may have just got a bit easier. Epidemiological evidence now clearly supports a role for several dietary factors in the pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction.

The prevalence of erectile dysfunction is surprisingly high. A review of general practice patients in Perth, Australia in 2000 found almost 40% of men reported some erectile difficulties. Figures on prevalence vary but before the age of forty it is uncommon, however it more than doubles for men over 50 and continues to rise quickly as men age. Over 70% of men over 70 are having problems.

Exercising regularly and staying lean are clearly beneficial. Now diet is proving its potency. Men with a dietary pattern high in fruit, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and fish but low in red and processed meat and refined grains are less likely to have difficulty achieving and maintaining an erection.

The Mediterranean diet has been proposed as a healthy dietary pattern based on evidence that it is associated with lower all-cause and disease-specific survival. The assumption is that these beneficial effects are primarily due to improved cardiovascular function although other mechanisms are likely to contribute.

Type 2 diabetic men whose diets most closely match the Mediterranean style of eating have the lowest prevalence of erectile dysfunction and are also more likely to be sexually active.

We can now show that the prescription of a healthier diet for men with erectile difficulties improves performance, especially in men with obesity of metabolic syndrome. In clinical trials, the Mediterranean diet was more effective than a control diet in ameliorating erectile dysfunction or restoring absent erectile function.

Reference

Dietary Factors, Mediterranean Diet and Erectile Dysfunction. Esposito K, Giugliano F, Maiorino MI, Giugliano D. J Sex Med. 2010 May 4. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123415825/abstract