Mediterranean Diet May Save Men From Erectile Dysfunction

Photo: Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common type of male sexual dysfunction. It is when a man has trouble getting or keeping an erection. Many factors including smoking, diseases, medication etc. may cause this disease.

Now,a study, published in JAMA Network Open says that Mediterranean-style diet along with other lifestyle factors may help reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction.

The study conducted by Dr. Scott R. Bauer, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California in San Francisco, said that the study was observational and need to be confirmed with randomized trials. Still, he said, “Men who want to maximize their erectile function should be aware of the possible contribution of diet in addition to other lifestyle factors.”

To conduct the study researchers at the University of California observed almost 21,469 men aged 40 to 75 who stick to the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet — high in vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish and unsaturated fats, and low in meats and whole-fat dairy foods.

The researchers found that those who follow the diet was associated with a lower incidence of erectile dysfunction. The study controlled for smoking, self-reported disease, medication use and other factors, a New York times report said.

Compared with the one-third of men under 60 who were least compliant with the diet, the one-third who were most compliant had a 22 percent lower risk of erectile dysfunction. The most compliant men aged 60 to 70 had an 18 percent reduced risk, and those 70 and over had a 7 percent risk reduction, the report said.

Mediterranean-style diet  includes:

• fish
• olive oil
• avocados
• fruits
• vegetables
• nuts
• beansprout
• whole grains