Regardless of age, erectile dysfunction is fairly common. In fact, nearly 30 million men experience ED regularly – and that’s just in the United States.
While prescription medications can help you achieve an erection, making certain lifestyle changes can naturally increase blood flow to your penis while benefiting your overall well-being. Over time, these adjustments can enhance your ability to maintain an erection and improve sexual function.
#1: Improve Your Diet
The phrase ‘you are what you eat’ certainly holds some truth. Your diet has a huge impact on your physical and physiological functions.
After all, the foods that you consume are broken down and used to create, repair, and nourish the cells in your body.
Check out these great food options that can help keep health problems at bay and give your penis a boost in blood flow.
-
Apples, berries, onions, and dark chocolate contain anthocyanins, flavanones, and flavones which can help to make arteries more flexible and increase the volume of blood flow.
-
Avocados, nuts, and oils such as canola and olive are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids that can stimulate blood flow. They’re also high in vitamin E, which can help to improve the overall quality of sperm in men.
-
Bananas, carrots, cantaloupe, and grapefruit contain potassium, which can help your nerves and muscles contract and function properly, helping to increase blood flow.
-
Chili peppers such as cayenne, jalapeno, and habanero have high concentrations of capsaicin– which can lead to increased blood flow throughout your body.
-
Cinnamon and honey can help to increase blood flow, lower cholesterol, and boost overall libido.
-
Garlic contains allicin, which can help to improve blood flow in your body and reduce inflammation.
-
Salmon, mackerel, tuna, and cod liver oil contain omega-3 fatty acids that can help lower cholesterol and reduce high blood pressure.
-
Spinach, broccoli, asparagus, and brussels sprouts contain folate and nitrates which can greatly benefit blood flow and the creation of nitric oxide, respectively.
-
Watermelon, pumpkins, and cucumbers contain lycopene and L-citrulline, which can help to naturally relax your blood vessels and can boost the production of testosterone.
In order to maximize blood flow, you should also avoid foods with high concentrations of the following ingredients
Sodium
Processed meats, canned foods, and other salty foods like pretzels, mixed nuts, or french fries can contribute to high blood pressure (or hypertension). With hypertension, blood vessels become more stiff and narrow, decreasing the flow of blood and oxygen in the body. Men with high blood pressure are nearly two times more likely to experience erectile dysfunction than men with regular blood pressure.
Sugar
Desserts, sodas, and energy drinks are high in sugar and can cause blood sugar levels to spike.
This can increase the odds of type two diabetes – a common underlying cause of erectile dysfunction. High blood sugar can also damage nerves and blood vessels. This can decrease penile sensitivity, making it harder to achieve an erection.
Fat
While some fats are good for you, you should limit your intake of trans fat and saturated fat as both can raise cholesterol levels and contribute to heart disease. High cholesterol can clog your arteries, reducing blood flow and increasing the likelihood of suffering from erectile dysfunction.
#2: Get More Exercise
A sedentary lifestyle can affect blood flow and cause serious health conditions associated with erectile dysfunction. Fortunately, exercise can help strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system, leading to improved blood flow to your penis and an enhanced ability to achieve an erection.
Aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, running, cycling, or rowing are some of the best ways to strengthen your cardiovascular system.
Studies have shown that doing 40 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise four times for six months can significantly decrease erectile issues.
#3: Eliminate Bad Habits
Unless you’re also taking prescription medication, most of the items on this list won’t improve your sex life overnight. It may take a few months before you notice improvements to your erection quality. However, by eliminating some of your bad habits, you may notice improvements more quickly.
Tobacco
Add sexual dysfunction to the long list of reasons to quit smoking.
Smoking tobacco products is the number one cause of erectile dysfunction in men under the age of 40.
This statistic is hardly surprising considering just how bad smoking is for your cardiovascular and circulatory systems. The chemicals and smoke damage your heart, brain, and lungs, while the nicotine constricts and hardens blood vessels.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol can relax arteries and veins. While relaxed blood vessels can actually help blood flow into the penis, it can also prevent blood from staying there.
As a result, alcohol can make it easier to achieve an erection, but harder to keep one at the same time. Two or three drinks shouldn’t have much of an effect, but frequently drinking in excess can lead to short-term and long-term ED problems.
#4: Improve Your Mental Health
Although erectile dysfunction is commonly associated with physical causes, your psychological state plays a role too. Stress, anxiety, and depression are all well-known causes of erectile dysfunction.
These intense emotions can disrupt the messages sent from your brain during the normal erection process. Without these messages it can be nearly impossible to achieve an erection. That’s because the blood vessels, tissues, and muscles in and around your penis won’t relax, the volume of blood flowing to the penis won't increase, and arousal might not be possible.
Eating a healthier diet, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, and undergoing therapy are common strategies for reducing stress, improving mental wellness, and enhancing sexual performance.
#5: Drop the Extra Weight
Studies have shown that the higher your BMI, the higher your odds of experiencing erectile dysfunction. For example, a BMI of 30 or more, which indicates clinical obesity, can make you three times more likely to experience erectile dysfunction.
The good news is that by exercising and eating right, you should be able to drop the excess pounds and lower your BMI to a more healthy range.
How Rex MD Can Help
Eating a healthier diet, getting more exercise, losing weight, eliminating bad habits, and improving your mental health are natural ways to reduce your risk of experiencing erectile dysfunction. Still, it may take time for blood flow to increase enough to improve erection quality.
In the meantime, ED medications like Viagra®, Cialis®, or Levitra® can help you achieve an erection strong enough for satisfying sexual activity. You can easily get prescription ED treatments through Rex MD.
Click here to learn more about how we’re reimagining men’s health with virtual consults, medication delivery, and customized, discreet treatments.
