A recent study may have men reaching for some delicious kale — it turns out that improving heart health may improve erectile function as well.
CNN/Health.com reports that the connection between heart and dick may not be well-publicized, but it’s there: “The arteries in the penis that expand during an erection can become weakened and clogged with cholesterol in the same way as the arteries that surround the heart.” This sounds pretty upsetting, but there’s hope — in a review of recent research, scientists found that lifestyle changes to reduce heart attack risk also improved erectile function. The effects were modest, but the study authors say that even small changes would make a difference to men who struggled with occasional ED.
Urologist Dr. Kevin Billups told Health.com that the link between heart health and ED “hasn’t become the public health message that it should be,” and explained that “doctors and other experts need to do a better of job of informing the public that a healthier heart often means better erections.” So here’s our public service announcement for the day, dudes: eat vegetables and get some exercise! Your dick will thank you.
Targeting Heart Health May Improve Sex Life, Too [CNN/Health.com]