Eat More Fruits to Lower Erectile Dysfunction Risk: Study

In a new study conducted by the University of East Anglia and Harvard University, it was found that men who consume more fruits as part of their diet have a lower risk of developing erectile dysfunction.

The findings, which was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was based on a large-population study composed of around 50,000 middle-aged men who were surveyed since the 1980s regarding their sexual health and diets. Those who consume more fruits have a reduced risk by about 14 percent, Newsweek reported.

"We already knew that intake of certain foods high in flavonoids may reduce the risk of conditions including diabetes and cardiovascular disease," said lead researcher Professor Aedin Cassidy from the University of East Anglia. "This is the first study to look at the association between flavonoids and erectile dysfunction, which affects up to half of all middle-aged and older men."

Cassidy said that flavonoids can be found in most plant-based foods and drinks, such as fruits, vegetables, tea, herbs and wine. And, while fruits, in general, have been known to reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction among men, citrus fruits and different types of berries, such as blackberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, grapes and cherries, are the most effective.

Among the different types of flavonoids, the study found that anthocyanins, flavanones and flavones are the three most potent and those who eat food that contains a lot of these three types of flavonoids have a lower risk of erectile dysfunction by 10 percent.

The positive effect of including these fruits in one's diet is comparable to walking five hours a day in a week, according to the Daily Mail. The study further suggested that those men who eat fruits and engage in an active lifestyle by doing exercises on a regular basis have a 21 percent lower risk of developing the condition as compared to those who aren't into the healthy lifestyle.

"Our data strengthen the knowledge that a healthy diet together with increased physical activity and maintenance of body weight are important for sexual health and in the longer term will prevent" heart disease, Cassidy added.

As per Dr. Eric Rimm, senior author on the study and a Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, other than improving the reproductive health among men, he also cited another importance of finding ways to prevent having such condition.

"As well as improving sexual health for middle-aged men, there is another important benefit linked to heart health," he said. "Erectile dysfunction is often an early barometer of poor vascular function and offers a critical opportunity to intervene and prevent cardiovascular disease, heart attack and even death."