Men’s health is vitally important. Your Erectile Dysfunction (ED) might be a sign of Coronary Vascular Disease (CVD) and even early stage Dementia! Our vascular system is an amazing thing. It runs throughout our entire body. When we have an issue in one area, it means we have issues everywhere. Your “ED” is not performance anxiety, but is a sign that your vascular system is damaged, and in need of a plant based intervention!
Find your way around:
ED means “Early Death”
ED for men is a very embarrassing thing, and is a sign of poor men’s health. Men like to think they are invincible. However as we age a good proportion of men experience problems “in the bedroom.” If men announce the problem to a doctor, they will prescribe a little blue pill. Pills mask symptoms, but do nothing to cure the underlying disease. ED to a Cardiologist stands for “Early Death.” Why? Because ED is a sign that the bodies vascular system is failing. Cardiologists often know if a man has ED, it is only a matter time before he has a heart attack, because he also has Coronary Vascular Disease.
Brief intro into Male Anatomy
Don’t worry, we’ll leave the pictures out of this section…
The arteries in the male member are some of the smallest in the body. When a man gets excited, blood-flow is increased to that area. The arteries entering the male member are only 1mm in diameter. The coronary arteries are 5mm in diameter. The small arteries are damaged by artery clogging from plaque buildup, and damage to the lining of the blood vessels. This plaque and blood vessel damage comes from decades of poor diet and lifestyle choices. The plaque and damage builds up in different parts of the vascular system. Over time, decreased blood-flow results in ED. ED is a “canary in the coal mine”. It is an early warning that your heart, and even your brain, is in trouble.
What causes ED?
Aside from rare genetic mutations, the body creates all the cholesterol it needs. No excess cholesterol (through your diet) is needed. Cholesterol is only found in animal products and ingesting excess cholesterol and saturated fat contribute to both CVD and ED.
The Standard American Diet is high in cholesterol and saturated fats due to the pervasiveness of animal products. Plant based diets have no cholesterol (due to the lack of animal products), and very little saturated fat content overall. However, beware of coconut oil as it is over 50% saturated fat! Save this for your lotion rather than your skillet.
Decades of eating excess cholesterol and saturated fat cause blockages in, and damage to your arteries, that can lead to ED.
Is my fate sealed?
If you are man suffering from this disease, there is hope! Here is an example that adopting a plant based diet is good for your arteries:
The picture above showcases how plaque buildups can be shrunk with plant based nutrition.
What if I’m young and healthy?
Men’s health during youth is critical to long term health. Youth has the ability to mask problems. Young men may say “it’s not a problem for me.” There is truth to this statement, and it all has to do gas… Nitric oxide gas of course! Nitric oxide is produced by enzymes in the endothelial wall our blood vessels.
When we are young, our bodies make plenty of nitric oxide. Around age 30 however, production of this important molecule starts to decrease. However this is about long term health, not just bedroom performance. Adopting a plant based diet will ensure that less damage occurs. This disease takes decades to notice effects. The damage starts young:
A 1999 autopsy study of young adults in the US between the ages of 17 and 34 years of who died from accidents, suicides, and homicides confirmed that coronary artery disease (CAD) is ubiquitous in this age group. The disease process at this stage is too early to cause coronary events but heralds their onset in the decades to follow.
-Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn. Plant-based diet and coronary artery disease
Researchers found a strong association between Coronary Vascular Health (CVH) and Erectile Dysfunction. High Vascular health equals lower ED incidence.
CVH is associated with future erectile dysfunction, even after adjustment for baseline FMD. Maintaining high CVH may improve quality of life for men.
American Journal of Hypertension: Cardiovascular Health and ED
Mental Health
Mental health is vitally important for men’s health. Age and mental health play a role in ED as well. Men in their 20’s and 30’s experiencing this issue often are having pyschological issues. Men in the their 40’s and 50’s will have both a mental and a vascular component to their ED. Stress plays a large role in the development of ED. The biologic underpinning is adrenaline. Adrenaline moves blood away from the extremities and into the core, which is essential for survival. (Brain Health and Beyond Podcast: Link below).
The stress response is designed to handle a tiger in the bush, not a work deadline. The body does not know the difference, and produces adrenaline in either scenario. This adrenaline is enough to cause a temporary case of ED. Then the thought of “What if it happens again” is enough to trigger another episode. This cycle becomes a viscous negative feedback loop until you find yourself at the doctors office (Brain Health and Beyond Podcast: Link below).
Exercise
As men exercise more, their rate of ED decreases. ED sufferers can actually improve their ED symptoms through exercise. One study found that men with hypertension and ED, who exercised, were able to reverse their ED. Another study found that while both aerobic and weight resistance training improved ED symptoms, aerobic training at a moderate intensity was best. Losing weight through exercise and diet change decreases the chances of getting ED, as well as potentially reversing ED if you already have the disease.
For a great in depth documentary on the benefits of a plant based diet for health and athleticism, check out The Game Changers documenary on Netflix!
Investing in Future Men’s Health
We often are concerned with outside issues that we do not have a degree of control over. But we control down to the day, every bite of food we consume. A quote that stuck out to me comes from Dr. Spitz:
“We invest in our 401k in our 20’s and 30’s. It’s time we start investing in our biological 401k in our 20’s and 30’s as well.”
Urologist: Dr. Aaron Spitz on the Brain Health and Beyond podcast
Brain Health and Beyond with Team Sherzai, MD
Sexual Health An Early Predictor of Brain Health in Men with Dr. Aaron Spitz
Listen in to hear an overview of Dr. Spitz’s book on how what you eat can impact men’s health!
Are there foods to eat that can help?
All whole plant foods help the body in various ways, including men’s health. Whole grains, legumes (beans), Vegetables, and Fruits should be the staple of your new healthy diet.
Nitric oxide has been well studied in relation to men’s health. This is a gas formed during the breakdown of nitrogen rich foods, which vegetables have far greater quantities of then animal based foods. The following plant based foods can be eating for men’s health: beets, green leafy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables. These foods are high in NO2 precursors, which the body breaks down to create nitric oxide.
Cholesterol
Reduce cholesterol intake! Eating more plants is a great way to help crowd out your plate and limit the amount of cholesterol you eat. Instead of eggs and bacon for breakfast, swap it out for a bowl of oatmeal. Oatmeal can help to lower your cholesterol by binding to the excess and flush it out of your system. A goal of total cholesterol of under 150 almost eliminates entirely your chances of having a coronary event (Dr. Esselstyn’s book : Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease).
Take Away
If you or a loved one is experiencing ED, don’t reach for that little blue pill. Instead, take this as a warning of future heart disease that can be reversed with diet and lifestyle changes. Switching to a plant based diet along with exercise, will help add more life to your years!
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Resources:
- The Penis Book by Dr. Aaron Spitz
- Plant Based Diet for CAD
- Association Between Cardiovascular Health and Endothelial Function With Future Erectile Dysfunction: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
- Erectile Dysfunction, Physical Activity and Physical Exercise: Recommendations for Clinical Practice
- Relation of Postexercise Reduction of Arterial Blood Pressure and Erectile Dysfunction in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease
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