Could your diet really impact erectile dysfunction?

It’s a common health complaint with many possible causes, but could ED be helped (or hindered) by what you’re eating?

By Imran Rahman-Jones

It’s something that happens to lots of men at one point or another in their lives. Erectile dysfunction (ED) – the medical term for being unable to get or maintain an erection – can happen for a number of different reasons. But could what you eat be one of those factors?

How common is ED?

“Most men occasionally experience ED, especially after drinking too much alcohol or during stressful periods,” says Dr Neel Patel, a GP from LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor.

Estimates vary of just how common it is: a 2019 review of studies by King’s College London suggested that it affects about one in five men in the UK, while a study from 2022 put it at two in five men. The number rises among older men, too.

“If ED persists for more than a few weeks, you should see your GP,” says Patel. “It can be the first sign of more serious health conditions, such as heart disease, so it’s important to assess your general state of health.”

While the thought of talking to a doctor might feel embarrassing at first, it’s important to remember the experts really have seen it all before – they won’t judge.

How can food help or hinder ED?

There are a number of conditions and lifestyle factors which might cause or contribute to ED, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity and drinking alcohol. But some studies have found a direct link between ED and diet.

“Ultimately, there’s no harm in trying to live a healthier lifestyle,” says Patel. “Ensuring you’re eating a balanced diet with the recommended amount of fruit, vegetables and whole grains is a brilliant place to start.”

In terms of preventing ED, many studies highlight that adhering to the Mediterranean diet (characterised by fresh fruit and veg, whole grains and fish) could help, in part because it could, when combined with exercise, increase blood flow and help lower blood pressure.

Beyond that, scientists have looked into individual foods which could bring benefits.

A 2016 study found that eating more fruit can lead to a reduction in risk of ED, with men who ate the most fruit 14% less likely to experience it compared to those who ate very little.

“We know that fruits and vegetables are good for our health. But we probably need more targeted advice, because they’re not all created equally,” says Queen’s University Belfast’s Prof Aedin Cassidy.

Essentially, it’s not just about getting your five a day – it’s about the type of fruit and vegetables you are eating. So which ones could help with ED?

To investigate this, biological scientist Cassidy and her colleagues looked at a particular type of a compound found naturally in fruit, called flavonoids. Flavonoids, she says, are “like a sunscreen for plants” and are linked to positive outcomes for men with ED. To drill down even further, the team even looked at which specific kinds of flavonoids seemed to help the most.

“It was the anthocyanins which are responsible for that lovely red-blue colour that you get in fruit like blueberries, blackberries and blackcurrants,” she says, recalling how she found her local supermarket empty of blueberries on the day her paper made headlines. Could it have been that enough men had read the news and decided to try a blueberry over a little blue pill?

On top of this, another type of flavonoid called flavanone – found in citrus fruits – was also linked with improving ED. Before you stock up on OJ though, Cassidy is keen to stipulate, it’s about “eating oranges and mandarins and grapefruit, rather than drinking the juice.”

Some other drinks may help though, as flavonoids can also be found in tea and coffee. There’s also something to be said for red wine (we’ll come back to that later).

Flavonoids are known to benefit the cardiovascular system – so their ability to help combat ED makes sense given we are talking about the flow of blood around your body, here.

ED can be seen “as a kind of barometer of heart health,” and could be an “early warning that you may have heart health problems,” says Cassidy. “The mechanisms are interconnected.”

To help patients with ED, doctors may try ways to open up the blood vessels – something that a chemical called nitric oxide can help with. The good news is that there are certain foods which help your body to produce this – specifically, “foods that are rich in L-arginine,” explains Dr Vikas Mehta, a GP at Mayo Clinic Healthcare who has a special interest in preventative medicine and sexual health.

“Think about poultry, red meat, dairy products, nuts,” he says, adding that leafy greens such as spinach and rocket are also thought to help.

How about foods to avoid?

There’s little to suggest that taking shortcuts like drinking juice instead of eating fruit will get you results, and Cassidy also points out that, “there’s no good evidence that supplements work,” either.

“Essentially, erectile function is tied to blood flow,” says Patel. “Eating too many unhealthy foods that cause high cholesterol, high blood sugar or obesity can impact blood flow and, as a result, the ability to get and maintain an erection.”

While it may be a good idea to “avoid eating large amounts of processed or fast food, as this is often high in fat and sugar which can contribute to obesity,” Patel says it’s less about cutting out foods completely, and more about focusing on “choosing foods that promote vascular health.”

You may also have read online about red wine helping with blood flow due to those flavonoids. But before you pop that cork, Mehta is keen to point out that that the alcohol counters any benefit you might get. A glass every now again is fine, but many men will know first hand the effect too much booze can have in the bedroom.

So, when it comes to helping ED, you won’t be surprised to learn that eating a bunch of grapes is a far better call than opening a bottle of wine.

Originally published November 2023