Nature's Viagra: 8 Foods That Can Help ED
If your love life has become lackluster of late due to what is colloquially referred to as not being able to "get it up," then you're undoubtedly (dare we say hopefully?) looking for ways to remedy the issue.
You've watched television, and you know that there are dozens of different pharmaceutical products aimed at helping you fight the good fight against erectile dysfunction. Nearly every other commercial is for an erection-promoting pill or supplement. There's even a spray called Promescent, an over the counter brand that can "bridge the orgasm gap" by easily helping men manage penile sensitivity and maintain optimum sexual satisfaction. Since men can reach the point of orgasm within five minutes (while women can take up to 17), Promescent is designed to take effect in as little as 10 minutes. Most of the following ED remedies probably won't allow couples to achieve the type of longer-lasting sex that the spray does, but they still have some great sexy aspects. For some people, however, sprays, pills, and powders are a last resort if they're even an option at all.
Click here for 11 things sexually active men should know about their diets.
If you haven't heard, flavonoids help men avoid the trials and tribulations of ED. As you'll see in the following list of 8 foods that can help with this unfortunate burden, many of them contain powerful flavonoids, while others contain similar antioxidants. By incorporating the foods below into your diet, you're doing everything you can to eat your way out of ED.
Beets
Beets are full of nitrates, which are natural vasodilators — compounds that help increase blood flow (hopefully to the areas of the body where you need blood the most).
Dark Chocolate
Remember when we said that flavonoids help those suffering from ED? You may have heard that dark chocolate is an aphrodisiac — this is part of that rumor. Dark chocolate also eases cholesterol levels and blood pressure, two factors that can detract from a man's ability to become erect.
Leafy greens
Similar to beets, dark, leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale contain high levels of nitrates. These nitrates are converted to nitrites by mouth bacteria when eaten. The stomach turns nitrites into nitric oxide, which also helps get that blood flowing.
Oats
Oats of the Avena sativa variety have been shown to increase testosterone's activity in your body. By freeing bound testosterone in your blood, Avena sativa does its best to make your love life functional again.
Oysters
If you want to get your daily dose of zinc, oysters are one of the best places to start. Zinc helps to ramp up your testosterone, and higher levels of testosterone decrease the chances that you'll have an encounter with ED.
Pistachios
Could it really be as simple as eating pistachios every day? It could, and that's because pistachios contain plenty of arginine, a blood vessel-relaxing amino acid.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes (and pink grapefruits, while we're on the topic) are high in lycopene. Lycopene can not only help with blood circulation and sexual desires, but it may also help fight prostate cancer and male infertility as well.
Watermelon
Arginine strikes again! Watermelon is high in L-citrulline and, when eaten, this amino acid converts to arginine. Watermelon also contains other blood vessel-relaxing antioxidants.