Erectile Dysfunction And Death: Survival Of The Firmest?
Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as a recurrent or persistent inability to attain and/or maintain an erection in order for satisfactory sexual performance.
Erectile dysfunction is present in 30 million men in the U.S. and approximately 100 million men worldwide.
There are various causes of erectile dysfunction like nerve damage, but the most common and fixable condition that leads to ED is atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which an artery wall thickens as a result of the accumulation of fatty materials such as low-density lipoproteins (LDL cholesterol) and triglycerides.
The arterial blood vessel wall thicken because of a chronic inflammatory response to the build up of cholesterol and triglycerides on the arterial wall, and the body releases macrophages and white blood cells to combat the buildup because it is seen as and attack on the body.
A plaque of LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, macrophages, and white blood cells build on the arterial wall, hardening the artery and restricting blood flow.
Erectile Dysfunction And Atherosclerosis
Hardening of the arteries can lead to erectile dysfunction and softening of the penis, because the hardened and stiffened arteries in the penis can’t relax properly and let the blood flow properly. The proper blood flow in the penis is what causes and maintains an erection.
Erectile Dysfunction And Coronary Artery Disease
Erectile dysfunction and coronary artery (heart) disease are two manifestations of the same disease, atherosclerosis. Dr. Greger points out in his video and article that atherosclerosis is a systemic disorder that uniformly affects all major blood vessels in the body.
Though erectile dysfunction is a devastating, it is a predictor of a more serious condition called coronary artery disease and death. The arteries in the penis are half the size of the arteries in the heart, and since atherosclerosis uniformly affects the blood vessels in the body, the same amount of plaque that would build in the arteries in the penis and heart can cause erectile dysfunction but may not be enough to be felt in the heart and chest.
Though the plaque buildup in the heart may not be enough to cause pain, slow chronic damage is being done to the heart. By measuring blood flow in the penis you can predict the results of a cardiac stress with an accuracy of eighty percent.
Forty percent of men over forty have erectile dysfunction. Men aged from forty to forty nine with erectile dysfunction have a fifty fold increased risk of having a cardiac event, like sudden death.
How To Cure ED?
Most cases of erectile dysfunction are caused by atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is caused by a chronic inflammatory response to the buildup of cholesterol and triglycerides in the body.
Cholesterol levels in young men predict erectile dysfunction later in life, which predicts heart attacks, strokes, and a shortened life.
It is simple. Want to cure ED caused by atherosclerosis? Reduce or remove cholesterol containing foods from the diet. All I can say is, I am glad I eat a plant based diet!
Erectile Dysfunction And A Plant Based Diet
A plant based diet doesn’t contain cholesterol, because plant life doesn’t contain cholesterol. Eating a plant based diet is a natural and healthy way to remove cholesterol from the body and to strengthen and maintain an erection.
Using pills like Viagra only cover up the symptoms of ED and does not address the underlying problem, atherosclerosis and the damage it is doing to the heart.
The next best thing to eating a plant based diet to support your healthy living and to remove excess cholesterol from the body to fight erectile dysfunction, is to increase the amount of plant life you eat, while reducing greasy foods, meat, and dairy.
Tags: coronary artery disease, erectile dysfunction, erection
