Q. I’ve never been very careful about what I eat, and I know my overall health — including erectile function — has suffered as a result. What types of foods should I eat to become healthier overall and perhaps improve erectile function?
A. Try to aim for a diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains and minimizes your consumption of fatty red meats, which should be eaten only once or twice a week. Although many diets incorporate these basics, the Mediterranean diet is perhaps the best model for erection-friendly eating.
This diet, favored by people living in the Mediterranean basin, also features fish and other seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids. Your best choices in the fish-seafood category are wild salmon, Atlantic mackerel, sardines, black cod, anchovies, oysters, rainbow trout, albacore tuna, mussels, Pacific halibut, rockfish, and catfish.
Other key elements in the Mediterranean diet include healthy fats, most notably olive oil; nuts; seeds; legumes; and potatoes. The diet also allows moderate intake of cheese, eggs, and yogurt, as well as some poultry.