Eating fruit prevents impotence

Luise Heine has been an editor at since 2012. The qualified biologist studied in Regensburg and Brisbane (Australia) and gained experience as a journalist in television, in the Ratgeber-Verlag and in a print magazine. In addition to her work at , she also writes for children, for example for the Stuttgarter Kinderzeitung, and has her own breakfast blog, “Kuchen zum Frühstück”.

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Prevention can also be delicious, because various berries and citrus fruits help men to maintain their stamina in bed. The main reason for this are the secondary plant substances.

Erectile problems are a dreaded phenomenon in men that every man would like to prevent. "Interestingly, the same mechanisms that trigger heart disease seem to be responsible for erectile dysfunction," explains Professor Aedin Cassidy to. A lot can be done for heart health with the help of the right diet - but what about the reliability of the stamina in bed? Cassidy and her team at the University of East Anglia and Harvard University have now investigated precisely this influence.

Around a third had erectile dysfunction

The basis was the data of over 50,000 men. They were asked whether and for how long they had or could keep an erection during sexual intercourse. At the same time, data on the nutritional behavior of the test subjects was also collected.

The result: around a third of the men reported having had problems with potency at some point during the ten-year study period. When the researchers compared the diets of the men, it was found that those who ate the most citrus fruits, berries and the like were 14 percent less likely to experience dropouts in their sex life than those who consumed the least. Statistically, this value was also retained when the researchers included other risk factors for erectile problems, such as obesity, smoking, or lack of exercise.

Berries and citrus fruits

The researchers make the secondary plant substances (flavonoids) responsible for the effect. "Flavonoids are mainly found in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, teas, herbs and wine," explains Cassidy. Basically, you can remember that particularly beautiful red or blue colored fruit or even citrus fruits help best.

It has long been known that the secondary plant substances can reduce the risk of diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. Men who mainly ate anthocyanins (blueberries, cherries, blackberries, radishes, black currants), flavanone (citrus fruits) and flavones (citrus fruits) had fewer problems with impotence.

And: Already a little helps! “In terms of quantity, we're talking about only three or more servings a week!” Says Cassidy. This corresponds roughly to the same positive effect that a small fitness program, namely moving five hours a week, can have on erectile function.

Strong combination

Incidentally, men under the age of 70 benefited particularly strongly from the flavonoid-rich diet. And - not a big surprise - the men who not only ate plenty of fruit but also lived an active lifestyle had the fewest problems in bed - they even reduced their likelihood of erectile problems by 21 percent.

Erectile dysfunction and heart disease share many risk factors, such as high blood pressure, obesity or smoking. For this reason, sufferers should take erectile dysfunction seriously, according to the researchers. "Erectile dysfunction can be an early warning sign of poor vascular function and thus provide a good opportunity to take timely action against cardiovascular disease," advises Cassidy. A healthy diet with lots of fresh fruits is therefore not only good for sexuality, but also prevents cardiovascular problems in the long term.

Source: Cassidy A. et al: Dietary flavonoid intake and incidence of erectile dysfunction, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, published online 13 January 2016.

Tags:  medicinal herbal home remedies stress palliative medicine