Nutrition and Erectile Dysfunction: Foods That Support Sexual Function

There is a saying that goes, ‘We are what we eat.’ While there are multiple factors like lifestyle, stress, and financial burden contributing impacts on health and wellbeing, eating would definitely be at the top of the list forming who we are. This blog post shares ideas on how nutrition links with erectile dysfunction, along with seven foods that support sexual function.

Welcome to the Holmen’s Health dietitian blog post, I am dietitian Oscar and here we talk about foods, drinks, snacks, desserts, anything that you can think of when it comes to eating. I personally love eating and am passionate about assisting others in finding their most suitable diet pattern while promoting maximum health benefits. Before we delve into the nutritional part, let’s break down the components of erectile dysfunction so that you can have a clearer picture of what is happening.

Erection is a physiological phenomenon that involves different internal body systems, including hormones, blood vessels, nerves, muscles, and the brain. If any of these body systems are not working well, erectile dysfunction might occur. Let’s take a closer look at each of them. Testosterone, one of the commonly known male sex hormones, is produced by the testicles. Some cases of erectile dysfunction are caused by low testosterone levels. Although the full mechanism is not yet known, some men can maintain normal sexual function despite having low testosterone levels. Another hormone involved in erectile dysfunction is prolactin, which is produced by the brain. Some conditions might cause high prolactin levels, inhibiting the production of testosterone and predisposing to erectile dysfunction.

Have you ever looked at the veins on the back of your hand? If not, take a good look. Those veins are roughly 9 mm in diameter, while the blood vessels of the penis are typically 1 to 2 mm in diameter. Imagine how thin they are to carry blood to and from the penis. During an erection, the blood vessels expand to bring more blood flow into the penis to fill the two spongy tissues in the penis. Therefore, poor blood flow or blockage of blood vessels could lead to erectile dysfunction.

So far, we have talked about hormones and blood vessels, separately. However, our body works more like a factory, where one single problem can impact all other parts, eventually affecting the whole system. When it comes to the brain, nerves, and muscle, they are similar. In the case of erection, the brain and nerves work together as a system called the autonomic nervous system. The nerve signal travels all the way from the brain to the penis through the nerves, causing the contraction of muscles and leading to a rigid penis.

Therefore, keeping the brain, nerves, and muscles healthy is essential for erection.
Now you have a clearer picture of the whole process of erection. Let’s talk about our main point: nutrition. In short, maintaining a healthy diet could facilitate the production of hormones, prevent blockage of blood vessels, improve brain and nerve function, and build muscles. An anti-inflammatory diet is one of the most popular diets, involving foods that can alleviate the body’s inflammation rate. A study conducted in 2022 has suggested that a pro-inflammatory diet was around 1.5 times more likely to cause erectile dysfunction. Another research study conducted in the United States suggested that low-fat, low-calorie diets might potentially improve erectile function and testosterone levels.

When we move on how actual food improves sexual function, we need to first identify which part of the system you want to work on – is it the blood vessels or the muscles? Here are 7 foods that support sexual function.