3 Common Causes of Erectile Dysfunction +Tricks to Fix ED Naturally
By Ali Kuoppala | Last reviewed Mon 24 September 2018
Medical Review by Dr. Stefano Pizzo, MD
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is an embarrassing condition affecting millions of men.
Some think its natural to happen at older age, while some men can have it even in their early adulthood and teens.
The reality is that the inability to produce an erection is not natural at any age.
And resorting to the blue pill when your body naturally can’t make the magic happen, is definitely not natural. It’s a chemical wood.
In this article I will be going through the three most common causes of ED in men, and after that, some simple fixes that are guaranteed to work.
Let’s get to it:
#3. Obesity and Lack of Activity
One of the leading causes of ED has been proven to be obesity.
There are many reasons as to why heavier guys often have problems with their sexual function.
One is that increased fat mass suppresses testosterone production.
Another is that it reduces the bioavailibity of nitric oxide (main vasodilator of the body) to the smooth muscle cells.
And lastly, being fat is very strongly correlated with increased bodily inflammation, which is hazardous for erectile performance.
Lack of exercise, which is obviously correlated with obesity, also – as you might guess – is linked to poor erectile function.
#2. Poor Diet and Low Nitric Oxide Production
Nutrition plays a huge part in our health.
When it comes to erectile health, you have to focus on optimizing two key factors.
- Production of testosterone (T).
- Production of nitric oxide (NO).
The former maintains libido and interest in sex, while also having some effects in the actual production of an erection. While the latter is responsible of smooth muscle relaxation and arterial expansion.
Unfortunately, our modern day diets effectively suppress the production of both NO and T.
We eat too much unstable polyunsaturated fatty-acids (PUFA) which cause inflammation, slow down thyroid function, and decrease testosterone levels.
We eat too little pro-metabolic carbohydrates (simple sugars, potatoes, fruit, etc), and too much anti-metabolic gluten rich carbs that distress the gut and cause issues with endotoxin and too high serotonin production (cereal grains).
Lastly, we consume too little leafy green vegetables, beets, and dark berries that would supply our bodies with nitrates, which would then convert to nitric oxide in the gut by the probiotic bacteria (which we also don’t consume enough).
Simply put, the modern Western diet is ass-backwards when it comes to hormonal health and erectile quality.
#1. Low Testosterone Levels
Testosterone, as briefly mentioned above, is required for normal functioning of the libido and to some extent necessary in maintaining an erection.
Sadly, ever since the 60’s men’s testosterone levels have been on a rapid decline.
This decline is evident even when the studies examining it account factors such as smoking and obesity…
…Something is still crushing our testosterone levels. And this affects erectile function in a whole lot of guys.
My bet is that the cause is a combination of man-made chemicals that act as estrogen mimics, our poor nutrition choices, and the global “pussification” of men and masculinity.