Erectile dysfunction is one of the most frustrating medical conditions for men. Now, a new study carried out by scientists from the University of East Anglia (UK) and the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston (USA) have concluded that eating more fruits rich in flavonoids such as blueberries , strawberries, blackberries, or citrus fruits, may reduce your risk of erectile dysfunction.
The researchers analyzed data based on a sample of more than 50,000 middle-aged men: their ability to obtain and maintain an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse, and their diet data. This information was collected every 4 years since 1986, the start date of the study.
The results revealed that middle-aged men who ate foods rich in flavonoids – especially anthocyanins, flavones, and flavanones – had a 14% lower risk of erectile dysfunction than men who did not consume these types of foods. This percentage rose to 21% in the case that they exercised frequently compared to those who did not eat these fruits and had little physical activity.
These figures continued to hold even taking into account factors such as body weight, caffeine and tobacco consumption.
“ We already knew that eating certain foods rich in flavonoids could reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This is the first study to examine the association between flavonoids and erectile dysfunction , which affects almost half of all middle-aged and older men, ”explains Aedin Cassidy, leader of the study.
The study, which shows that eating more foods of this type is as beneficial as walking briskly for about 5 hours a week, has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
