What is the main cause of erectile dysfunction?
Updated 9/27/2023
It’s not just about sex. Even if it is to you, let me assure you… Erectile dysfunction should be taken seriously.
Completely aside from its impact on sexual activity and relationships (which is significant), Erectile dysfunction (ED) is an early indicator of cardiovascular disease. In fact, a 2014 paper in the journal European Urology concludes that ED and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are simply two different manifestations of the same metabolic cause leading to atherosclerosis and reduced blood flow. (Eur. Urol. 2014;65:968–978).
In other words, if you were waiting for a red flag, this should be lighting a fire under you to start taking your health seriously.
“ED represents an early sentinel of a cardiovascular event preceding a coronary event by at least three years. ”
What are the risk factors for erectile dysfunction?
A 2016 review article clearly describes the majority of risk factors for ED as similar to those for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. They also list urinary tract infections and depression. It’s clear that nearly all of these are reversible using diet and lifestyle modifications.
In fact, it’s reported that over 50% of people with diabetes are affected by ED. Diabetes increases the risk of developing ED by 2.5-fold!
The reason for this is the advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can lead to damaged endothelial cells lining our blood vessels. Whenever our blood glucose spikes (high blood sugar), we produce AGE’s which effectively age our blood vessels. It also inhibits NO/eNOS (see figure above) which causes your blood vessels to constrict, reducing your blood flow. Animal studies have shown that tight glucose control in diabetic mice markedly improved erectile function.
Advanced Glycation End Products (AGE)
These are proteins or fats that become glycated (a sugar is added to them) after becoming exposed to high concentrations of sugar. When your blood glucose concentration rises excessively (high blood sugar), it causes these AGEs to form. AGEs are also known as “glycotoxins” and are powerful oxidants and are considered pathogenic in diabetes. They are considered an aging biomarker in chronic diseases. (At the end I’ll share a fun technology that we use to give us 24/7 feedback on our blood sugar.)
How and can erectile dysfunction be cured?
The answer to this is a resounding, “YES!” But how? It depends on the cause and what you mean by “cure”. Where I can help is when there is an underlying metabolic issue like metabolic syndrome. There are a number of medications available that help. Most will be addressing the underlying blood sugar dysfunctions such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. In fact, animal studies have shown that you can reverse ED by healing these metabolic dysfunctions.
“Animal studies have shown that tight glucose control in diabetic mice improved erectile dysfunction.”
How do you treat erectile dysfunction?
We treat it by healing the underlying metabolic disorder. Tight glucose control, exercise, increased intake of antioxidants in foods, and reduced inflammation.
The first step is to get in to see your provider and get some labs done. The next step is probably to see your nutritionist/dietician to learn how to get your blood sugar in order and level up your nutrition followed by some exercise. If you want to get a head start, learn more below about metabolic syndrome.
Learn how to heal metabolic syndrome
I wrote this e-book for you so you could identify it and learn what your next steps are to reverse it. You can also take a quiz that I’ll evaluate for you for free.
What foods help with erectile dysfunction?
While there isn’t a magic bullet food, there are some good foods out there. Aside from tight blood sugar control (the most important), it helps to consume foods that fall into the categories of high in nitric oxide and high in antioxidants.
Colorful vegetables: The colors are where the antioxidants are
Nuts and seeds: Eaten raw or lightly roasted, you’ll benefit from both the nitric oxide present in them, but also the Vitamin E which is an antioxidant.
High nitric oxide foods: Beets, garlic, dark chocolate, leafy green (arugula is my favorite), and citrus fruits.
Tight blood sugar control helps erectile dysfunction
This is where the rubber hits the road. But it’s easier said than done!! You don’t have to have diabetes to benefit from optimizing your blood sugar. This is how we prevent chronic disease, by reducing AGEs. Good glucose control is for EVERYONE.
I held a webinar to teach people my blood sugar hacks. You can access the FREE webinar below.
This video is a replay from a webinar describing some of the blood sugar “hacks” I teach during my 4-week program. It will give you a good start in dialing in your own blood sugar levels.
Dial in your blood sugar using the coolest wearable technology on the market.
We combine education with the use of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to give us 24/7, real-time data on how our food, exercise, sleep and stress levels affect our blood sugar. No more guessing, not more doing ALL THE HEALTHY THINGS. This allows you to see exactly what works and what doesn’t and choose your dose of “healthy” that moves the needle.
Need Additional Support?
Would you like to talk more about blood sugar control and what I can do to help you with yours? Book a FREE discovery call and we can talk about a game plan.