Erectile dysfunction(ED) makes it hard for a person to get or keep an erection.

Alcohol and saturated fat are two food groups that have been shown to increase the risk of ED.

This article will cover the worst foods for ED and then discuss the best diet for ED.

person eating burger

Dusan Stankovic / Getty Images

Dusan Stankovic / Getty Images

How Common Is ED?

ED is a prevalent condition within the United States.

It is more common in middle-aged and older people but can happen anytime.

Alcohol

Alcoholhas been proven to negatively affect ED.

Long-term heavy alcohol use changesblood vesselsand nerves, including those in the penis.

Research has shown that this change in the vasculature, or blood vessels, can cause ED.

Too much saturated fat causes a buildup within the blood vessels, this is called atherosclerosis.

Researchers have found that ED is a risk factor for CVD.

Fried Food

Fried foods are a common food that is also high insaturated fat.

Fried food can also cause obesity, which is another risk factor for ED.

Sodium

In today’s world, most of thesodiumconsumption comes from eating prepackaged, processed foods.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium or less per day.

Those withhypertension(high blood pressure) should have 1,500 mg or less.

It encourages people to eat the following:

Talk to a healthcare provider before making major dietary changes.

Certain foods could have an impact on your medications and should be reviewed before being implemented.

Summary

Erectile dysfunction is a common condition.

The best diet to prevent ED is the Mediterranean diet.

This diet is full of fresh, unprocessed foods.

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