Remember that fat is required for function of the brain but excessive intake of fat causes fat to build up in the arteries as well as small veins in the penis and brain. That is also the reason that some experts indicate that erectile dysfunction in men is one of many symptoms of heart diseases and stroke. In this article, we will discuss the causes, risk factors, prevention and treatment of sexual dysfunction.
I. Causes
1. Aging
Starting at the age of 40 the levels of prolactin increases, stimulating the conversion of dihydro-testosterone, causing enlarged prostate and erection difficulty in some men.
2. Uncontrolled diet
Uncontrolled diet that is high in saturated fat and trans fat causing excessive fat build up in the arteries and veins in the penis. Remember that fat is required for function of the brain but excessive intake of fat causes fat to build up in the arteries as well as small veins in the penis and brain. That is also the reason that some experts indicate that erectile dysfunction in men is one of many symptoms of heart diseases and stroke.
3. Smoking
Nicotine is a stimulative, it causes the depletion of oxygen in the bloodstream resulting in the heart to beat faster than usual so that it can carry more oxygen to the cells in our body. It also causes the deduction of the amount of nitric oxide (the substance that relaxes or dilates blood vessels, enabling them to open up and bring more blood to the penis and helping to create and maintain an erection) released from the head of the penis resulting in erectile dysfunction. Cigarette fume contains high amounts of cadmium, the harmful and toxic substance causing calcium to stick on the arterial wall resulting in blocking blood flow to the penile veins creating erectile problems.
4. Excessive alcohol drinking
Excessive alcohol drinking over a long period of time not only damages the liver but also raises the levels of triglycerides in the blood. It also leads to high blood pressure, heart failure and an increased calorie intake causing the arteries and vessels in the penis to be clogged up by harmful cholesterol resulting in erection difficulty.
5. Enlarged Prostate
Studies found that there are strong relations between lower urinary tract symptoms and the rate of erectile dysfunction in men with symptoms of enlarged prostate. The main role of the prostate gland is to squeeze fluid into the urethra as sperm moves through during sexual climax. As the prostate enlarges, the layer of tissue surrounding it stops it from expanding, causing the gland to press against the urethra like a clamp on a garden hose resulting in prostate gland muscles surrounding the prostate making it contract and shrink down, increasing the erectile problem.
6. High levels of LDL
The hardening and narrowing of the arteries, causes a reduction in blood flow throughout the body including the vessels in the penis, leading to impotence.
7. Hormone imbalance
Testosterone deficiency can result in a loss of libido and loss of erection. An excess of the hormone prolactin also reduces levels of testosterone. Hormone imbalances can also result from kidney or liver disease.
8. Diabetes
Chronic high levels of blood sugar often damages small blood vessels and nerves throughout the body, impairing the nerve impulses and reducing the blood flow needed for erection.
II. Risk factors
1. Chronic health conditions
People suffering from chronic diseases have a high risk of erectile dysfunction. Chronic diseases such as:
a) Heart diseases are caused by cholesterol building up in the arteries and blood vessel resulting in inadequate blood flow into the penis.
b) Diabetes with unhealthy diet causes high levels of glucose build-up in the bloodstream resulting in narrowed arteries and blood vessels that prevent adequate blood from entering the penis.
c) Prostate enlargement and chronic prostate: Inflammation of the prostate also reduces the blood flow entering the penis resulting in erectile dysfunction.
Other chronic diseases affecting organs like the lung, liver, and kidney also can lead to erectile dysfunction because of inflammation, inadequate blood flow or hormonal imbalance.
2. Aging
Aging results in more testosterone to be converted to dihydro-testosterone causing erections to take longer to develop and to need more direct touch to the penis.
3. Nerve damage
It is obvious that any damage to the nerve that directly controls erections can cause temporarily erectile dysfunction.
4. Medication
The side effects of some medications used to treat high blood pressure, depression, and prostate enlarged may interfere with nerve impulses and reducing the blood flow to the penis.
5. Prolong cycling
Prolong cycling over an extended period and pressure from a bicycle seat compresses nerves and blood flow to the penis, leading to temporary erectile dysfunction.
6. Psychological conditions
Other psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety and stress also contributes to some cases of erectile dysfunction.
7. Substance abuse
Substance abuse such as smoking, alcohol, marijuana or other drugs often causes erectile dysfunction.
There are many other risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides that can cause erectile dysfunction.
III. Prevention and Treatment
A. Foods
1. Garlic
Garlic contains allicin, an ingredient that increases blood flow to the penis and stimulates sexual desire and production of semen.
2. Celery
Celery is a stimulant. It contains high amounts of androsterone, an odorless hormone released through male perspiration.
3. Banana
Bananas contain the bromelain enzyme and potassium that help to increase libido in men.
4.Watermelon
Watermelon contains high amounts of phyto-nutrients called citrulline. It works with nitric oxide helping to relax or dilate blood vessels, enabling them to open up and bring more blood to the penis and helping to create an erection.
5. Avocado
Avocado contains high amounts of folic acid, which helps metabolize proteins. The vitamin B6 in avocado helps to stimulate the growth of testosterone.
6. Tomatoes
Tomato contains high amounts of bio-active phyto-nutrients, lycopene and beta carotene that help to bring more blood flow into the penis and to create an erection.
7. Egg
Eggs contain high amounts of vitamins B5 and B6 that helps to balance the hormone levels in our body and fight stress.
8. Chocolate
Chocolate contains theobromine and phenylethylamine chemicals that are believed to drive sex desire.
Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have any kidney diseases, since many of the above may do more harm than good to your chronic kidney condition.
B. Herbs
1. Astragalus
Astragalus boosts the immune system, increases the body's resistance to infections, strengthens the spleen, blood and encourages the kidney to release more sodium into the urine indirectly reducing the risk of enlarged prostate, prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction.
2. Damiana
Damiana contains alkaloids that helps to stimulate the blood flow to the genital area resulting in a stronger desire for sex and firming erection.
3. Cnidium monnieri
Cnidium seed contains voumarins osththol, imperationgludcides and hepatopprotective sesquiterpenes that helps to drive sexual desires and enhances stronger and harder penis erection.
4. Saw palmetto
Saw palmetto not only helps to balance the natural hormone production but also helps to boost testosterone in men as well as estrogen in women if needed by our body resulting in a healthy, normal sex drive.
5. Yohimbe
Yohimbe contains yohombine that helps to block alpha-2-adrenergic nerve
activity, thereby the vessels are allow to dilate. The increasing of blood flow is the result of stronger, harder and longer erection to penis. Yohimbe deserves the reputation it has achieved as a sexual stimulant. Recent study shows that yohimbe may be effective in the treatment of male organic impotence and diabetes.
6. Ginko Biloba
Ginkgo biloba generally had a positive effect on sexual desire, excitement that causes erection in men, and orgasm, because ginko biloba helps to increase blood flow to the genitals, the levels of nitric oxide and dilates the veins which carry the blood. Men reported a seventy five percent increase in sexual satisfaction after taking ginko biloba.
7. Wild Oats and Plumtree Berry are often used to increase Testosterone levels in males and females.
C. Chinese Herbs
1.Tribulus terrestris
Tribulus terrestris grows in many tropical and moderate areas of the world. It contains saponins, the ingredient used in Chinese medicine as a testosterone enhancer and a variety of liver kidney and cardiovascular diseases. Studies shows that it works very well when stacked with DHEA and androstenedione.
2.Cordyceps Sinensis
Cordyceps Sinensis is a hormone stimulator. Study shows that treatment with cordyceps significantly increased the sex drive of patients with low libido. Another study shows that after treatment with cordyceps, more than one-third of the patients were able to engage in sexual intercourse and more than one-half experienced improvement.
3. Siberian Ginseng
Siberian ginseng helps to decrease the prolactin secretion and to direct nitric oxide-mediated resulting in increased strength, energy, stamina, libido and sexual function. The effect of Siberian ginseng at the level of the anterior pituitary supports the use of ginseng in the treatment of sexual dysfunction.
4. Horney Goat Wort
Horney goat wort contains a number of flavonoids that affect the cortisol levels resulting in a increased sexual desire and hardened penis erection in men.
5.Chinese licorice root
Chinese licorice root is composed of a glycoside called glycyrrhizin helping the production of testosterone and suppressing sexual libido.
6. Dodder seed
Dodder seed is known as a kidney yang tonic and is widely used to treat sexual problems such as impotence, nocturnal emission, and premature ejaculation. It helps to nourish the kidney, boost energy levels as well as helping others symptoms of kidney deficiency such as low back pain, tinnitus, diarrhea, dizziness, and blurred vision.
7. Cinnamon Bark
The sweet and spicy taste of cinnamon bark is considered to have a very hot energy. In Chinese medicine, cinnamon bark increases the Yang energy and sexual vitality. The best cinnamon bark in the world comes from Southeast Asia from trees where the bark is, at its best, almost a half inch thick and over twenty years old.
C. Nutritional Supplements
1. Hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
DHEA is effective with low levels of testosterone due to age. Study shows that intake of proper amounts of DHEA significantly improves both erectile function and sexual desire in men.
2. L-arginine
L-arginine increases the production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide relaxes or dilates blood vessels, enabling them to open up and bring more blood to the penis and helping to create an erection. Study shows that Arginine supplementation was found to be particularly effective in improving ED in men with abnormal nitric oxide metabolism.
3. Propionyl-L-Carnitine
Propionyl-L-carnitine together with acetyl-L-carnitine were found to enhance the effective assildenafil. It helps to treat erectile dysfunction by increasing blood flow to the penis during sexual stimulation resulting in improvement of erectile function, sexual intercourse satisfaction, orgasm, and general sexual well-being.
4. Chrysin
Chrysin is a bioflavonoid that helps to to boost testosterone by inhibiting the aromatase enzyme, resulting in less testosterones to be converted into estrogen. Chrysin also helps to promote prostate health, the reason why it is effective in enhancing sex as a healthy prostate is essential for penis erections.
5. Yohimbe bark extract
Yohimbe bark extract comes from the bark of the corynanthe yohimbe tree.It contains ingredients called yohimbe that helps to block the alpha-2-adrenergic nerve activity, which normally constricts the blood vessels resulting in increased blood flow to the penis, helping stronger and harder erection. Study shows that it seems to be as effective as sex and marital therapy for restoring sexual(erection) function.
6. Nettle extract
Nettle extract helps in increasing levels of free testosterone. If testosterone becomes bounded to serum globuline, it will not be available for cell receptor sites thereby failing to stimulate sexual desire and erection.
7. Pepper extract
Pepper extract called piperine helps to enhance chrysin function. Study shows that pepper extract taken together with chrysin reduces the serum estrogen and increases free testosterones significantly in 30 days or less.
There are many other supplements such as garlic, gingko boliba,muira pauma, and ginger root. These can help to increase blood flow to the penis and/or the production of free testosterone.
D. Vitamins and Minerals
1. Vitamin A
The gonads are a combined gland that provide both exocrine and endocrine functions requiring proper amounts of vitamin A to produce gametes that help to maintain our sexual hormones in men and women. It also helps to maintain eyesight, skin membranes, immune function and healthy sperm counts.
2. B complex
B complex helps to increase the levels of testosterone, the fuel of the sex drive in both men and women. It keeps the thyroid, nervous system and adrenal glands content. Vitamin B6 helps to manufacture and maintain our body's sexual hormones. Improper amounts of B complex in our body may cause either over-producing of testosterone or estrogen resulting in liver cirrhosis, enlarged adrenals, kidney damage and nodules, and hyperplasia.
3. Vitamin C
Recent studies suggest that vitamin C taken with other vitamins helps the L-enantiomer of ascorbine acid to regulate the stress reactivity, anxiety and prolactin release, improves vascular function, as well as increasing oxytocin release. These processes are relevant to sexual behavior and mood. It also keeps our skin smooth and supple, helps prevent miscarriages, keeps sperm from clinging together in immobile clusters, and enables you to enjoy more intense, longer-lasting orgasms.
4. Vitamin E
These hormones regulate men's sexual desires and erectile function. Vitamin E contains oestrogenic, androgenic that interacts with ovarian hormones and testosterone. If a man's erectile dysfunction is related to heart disease, vitamin E helps to improve blood vessels of the penis. It also helps the blood to carry more oxygen, nourishes the pituitary gland and keeps testosterone from breaking down in men. Nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits and vegetables are all good sources for Vitamin E.
5. Minerals salts
Minerals salt are important to our body function in proper amounts. Decrease of sodium chloride causing the decreasing of cellular and blood volume insults in kidney disease. If this kidney problem is left untreated, it will lead to erectile dysfunction.
6. Zinc
Zinc is essential for the production of testosterone. The prostate gland contain high amounts of zinc that helps to regulate prostatic fluids and the production of semen. A zinc deficiency can cause growth failure, infertility, and impotency.
7. Selenium
Helps to increase male potency and sex drive. Selenium deficiency may cause testis atrophy and decreased testicular contents of selenium and glutathione peroxidase.
8. Magnesium and calcium
Calcium is also an important nutrient in sexual functioning. It keeps the link between the brain, hormonal glands, and their mechanical processes active. Magnesium acts as a calcium channel blocker and counteracts the negative effects of calcium in sustaining an erection.
I hope this information will help. If you need more information of the above subject, please visit my home page at:
Kyle J. Norton
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