We all try to eat healthy. A couple vegetables here, some whole grains there. But making healthy choices consistently can be hard when temptation from delicious, fatty foods hangs over your head. After all, a bushel of fresh strawberry’s may be nice, but a giant cheeseburger with a milkshake might taste a little better. But making the occasional un-healthy choice isn’t exactly the end of the world; it’s when these unhealthy choices become the only choices a person makes that the alarm bells begin to go off. After all, consistently eating poorly means that a weight gain is on the horizon. And with that weight gain comes a litany of issues, including potential heart problems, circulatory issues, and, yes, erectile dysfunction.
Research has found a strong connection between weight gain and erectile issues. That’s not to say putting on a couple pounds spells the end of your sex life, though. No, erectile dysfunction is more prominent in men who put on large quantities of weight; if a man puts on an additional 50-100 pounds, he is more likely to develop ED.
But it is not the actual weight piling up on your waistline that will cause your erection to suffer. In fact, putting on weight is just the catalyst for erectile dysfunction. As the pounds pack on, the newfound fat in your body can lead to a litany of issues internally, which ultimately affect your erection.
First, weight gain is caused by eating poorly, and these fatty foods bring cholesterol with them. As a man’s cholesterol levels rise, cholesterol deposits will begin to pop up in blood vessels, impeding the flow of blood. This means the body will struggle to supply blood to vital parts of the body, including the penis.
Secondly, weight gain is associated with a decline in testosterone. Testosterone is a vital part of the erection, as it helps to regulate sexual function. As a man’s testosterone levels drop, the body will struggle to supply nitric oxide, a blood vessel dilator necessary for achieving an erection, to the penis, resulting in missed erections and, ultimately, erectile dysfunction.
So it isn’t the newfound weight that will do your sex life in; rather, it’s all the issues that come with that weight. So work to lose those pounds, make positive lifestyle choices, and your erection should be back to normal in no time.