We laugh and joke at the commercials – but the fact is 18 million americans suffer from Erectile Dysfunction.

If that number doesn’t impress you, consider up to 39% of 40-year-old men report some degree of erectile dysfunction, and after age 70 that number jumps to over 66%.

But of course, Big Pharma has a solution …  (don’t they always)?

Take a pill.

It may be Orange, or it my be Blue – but whatever color it is, the results will be the same – it will get you ‘ready‘ ……. for ….. ‘when the time is right‘.

Eli Lilly & Co said sales of it’s ED drug, Cialis, exceeded $1 Billion in 2007.

One. Billion. Dollars.

All that from a couple of bathtubs on the beach?  Give me a break.

 

The Hard Facts About ED

 

 

The Real Problem

What many people don’t realize is that these pills just band-aid the problem.

The problem of course is decreased blood flow.

The way Cialis works is by blocking PDE5, the chemical that reverses an erection. When this chemical is blocked, the arteries in the penis are able to open wider.    Wider arteries means increased blood flow.  Increased blood flow means there will more going on that just bathtubs on that beach.  

Happy times!

__________

So problem solved….. as long as you don’t mind the possible side effects which may include:

… headache, facial flushing, indigestion, back pain, nasal congestion, muscle pain, pain in arms and legs, angina, high blood pressure, dry mouth, insomnia, vertigo, unexplained rash, blurred vision, seeing a blue tinge to objects or not recognizing the difference between blue and green, decrease or loss of hearing, migraines, prolonged erection lasting more than four hours, or painful erection lasting more than six hours, heart attack, chest pain, heart palpitations, stroke, or sudden death.

Oh – and one more thing they fail to mention.  

Absolutely nothing has been done to fix the underlying problem that caused all of this in the first place! 

Clogged arteries!

 

Atherosclerosis

According to the American Urological Association, atherosclerosis accounts for up to 70% of ED cases due to physical causes.

Think of it as the canary in the coal mine.

If that artery is clogged – chances are others are too.

“Studies have shown that impotence is often a sign of blocked arteries, and artery blockages are commonly caused by the consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy products, which are high in cholesterol and saturated fat,” says Dr. Neal Barnard of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

“Animal products increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood. This cholesterol enters the blood vessels and creates plaque on the interior walls, which narrows the passageway for blood flow.”

Dr. John McDougall , in an article titled “Eat Yourself Impotent”, says the same thing,

“The same diet that closes the arteries to the heart (heart attacks) and brain (stroke) also closes the arteries to the penis.  The result is erectile dysfunction (ED) – which means a delay in time for maximal erection, reduced rigidity, and decreased ability to sustain an erection.”

All because of Food.  It always comes back to food doesn’t it?

Fortunately there’s hope.

 

Vegan is the New Viagra

Dr. Barnard suggests people get to know vegetarian foods.   “Simple foods.  Beans, vegetables, fruits and legumes.

The good thing is, we’re having people who’ve had erectile dysfunction saying, ‘I didn’t realize that was reversible by changing your diet and getting circulation back again.'”

Dr McDougall says diet and lifestyle changes are at the top of the list to alleviate ED problems.

“Fortunately, with a change in diet and a little exercise most of our patients are able to lower their blood pressure and get off of their ‘erection deflating’ medications, and they are able to reduce their ‘plaque burden’ by reversing the underlying atherosclerosis.   My male patients, and sometimes their mates, often share with me tales of renewed vigor and vitality”.

Now there’s a good reason to eat your veggies!

 

 

Image Source: Flickr/C.P.Storm