Reproductive function disorders in men are a pressing medical problem. Such violations are fraught with a decrease in fertility and a deterioration in a person’s quality of life physically and psychologically. Sexual dysfunction can be caused by many different factors, illnesses, surgeries, poor lifestyle and constant stress. Poor nutrition plays an important role in this, when a man does not receive enough necessary substances and consumes foods that are harmful to potency.
Erectile dysfunction can cause discord in the intimate life of partners and cause infertility in married couples. These problems give rise to psychological discomfort, self-doubt and complexes in men, which prevent them from building harmonious relationships in the future and increase the risk of divorce. In order to prevent the development of sexual dysfunctions, it is necessary to monitor your health, lifestyle, diet and rest.
Reasons for decreased potency
Erection problems in men can occur situationally or permanently for a variety of reasons. If they happen occasionally and have easily identifiable obvious reasons, for example, fatigue or drinking alcohol, then there is no need to worry. But if episodes of erectile dysfunction recur for more than 1 month, you should consult a specialist, as this may be a signal of serious problems in the body and genitourinary system. Men who have certain chronic diseases that indirectly affect potency usually already know the cause themselves and should undergo appropriate treatment.
The erection mechanism involves the largest vital systems of the body. The combination and close interdependence of their work for a man’s sexual function can provide difficulties in diagnosing reproductive disorders. There are several main groups of factors influencing the development of potency problems:
- diseases and disorders in the cardiovascular system affect the erection mechanism through disruptions in blood circulation in the pelvic area, genitourinary organs and the filling of the cavernous bodies of the penis. These can be various kinds of anomalies in the development and functioning of the heart muscle, as well as a hereditary or acquired tendency to varicose veins and fragility of the venous walls. Local compression by neoplasms and the formation of stagnation due to insufficient blood circulation are possible;
- disorders of the nervous system, brain or spinal column due to congenital or acquired causes, as a result of illness, accident or surgery. Ailments such as diabetes, sclerosis, Parkinson's syndrome, infectious infections, ischemia, etc. can lead to the degradation of neural connections. Alcohol and drug abuse also has a destructive effect on the nervous system. Taking certain medications, especially antipsychotics, can inhibit brain activity and indirectly affect potency;
- diseases of the body's endocrine system create hormonal imbalance. The causes are hereditary or congenital abnormalities in the development of the gonads, pituitary gland, etc. The functioning of hormonal secretion organs can be disrupted due to diseases that have external factors, for example, diabetes mellitus, testosterone deficiency, hyperprolactinemia and other disorders. Typically, such ailments have a whole range of symptoms in addition to erectile dysfunction and require serious long-term treatment;
- Inflammatory diseases of the genitourinary organs, including infectious ones, directly affect the state of the reproductive system. Various types of prostatitis, urethritis, and sexually transmitted infections contribute to problems with potency. Inflamed ducts and glands increase in size, causing pain, compression of blood vessels, and circulatory disorders. This can be fraught with suppuration, sepsis, subsequent formation of internal adhesions and obstruction of the seminiferous tubules. Such diseases contribute little to the normal functioning of the genital organs, cause severe discomfort in everyday life and can cause incurable infertility in a man;
- psychological problems in men make up the lion's share of all causes of situational or permanent erectile dysfunction, especially in young and middle age. If no physiological disturbances are detected in the functioning of the organs included in the mechanisms of the reproductive system, the origins must be sought in the emotional state. A man’s sexual life is influenced by upbringing, a social environment with certain moral and religious norms, the general psychological background in relationships with people at home and at work, personal complexes and self-esteem, as well as the possible presence of mental disorders. Constant exposure to stress can develop anxious and phobic conditions that affect the physiology, nervous and vascular systems, and indirectly affect the development of erectile dysfunction.
A man should always remember about the health of the major major systems of the body that take part in the erection mechanism. They can be negatively affected not only by illnesses and injuries, but also by an unhealthy lifestyle, which in itself is stressful for the body. Reduced physical activity contributes to disturbances in vascular reactions and the formation of blood stagnation in the pelvic organs, which has a bad effect on sexual function. Failure to comply with sleep and rest patterns, as well as a lack of essential nutrients, have a depressing effect on all life support systems.
The role of proper nutrition for potency
In order for a man to be able to maintain his body, including his reproductive function, in good condition for as long as possible, there is a very simple set of rules. It is important to maintain physical activity and have a sufficient amount of physical activity. This promotes the preservation of muscle mass and healthy regulation of hormonal levels. The rest and sleep schedule should be established; you should not overload the nervous system, this will sooner or later affect potency.
A healthy lifestyle cannot be imagined without a proper nutrition system. A man should take care of getting the required amount of food corresponding to the load and balancing his diet. A lack of certain vitamins and nutrients can disrupt the functioning of various vital systems and indirectly affect reproductive capabilities. At the same time, excess food consumption leads to obesity, surges in blood sugar levels and malfunction of the pancreas.
Gaining excess weight by increasing the percentage of fat mass negatively affects the condition of the heart, blood vessels, joints, spine and hormonal regulation system. The body is forced to carry additional weight every day, which contributes to the development of hypertension, increased cholesterol and blood sugar, the appearance of varicose veins, shortness of breath and other unpleasant consequences.
Fat itself produces certain hormones, and when in excess it can disrupt the entire balance of the body and negatively affect the functioning of the pancreas and gonads. There may be a decrease in the secretion of testosterone, which is detrimental for the male body in terms of maintaining reproductive function and health in general. Obesity of the visceral type is especially dangerous, which leads to the growth of internal organs, and not just to an increase in the subcutaneous layer. This is fraught with the development of diabetes and other serious diseases that reduce potency.
To correct weight, a man needs to maintain a regular regimen of physical activity, both aerobic and strength. Nutrition should be consistent with daily energy costs and balanced in terms of essential substances and vitamins. Certain categories of foods that are also included in the list of things that are harmful to potency should be excluded from the diet. If necessary, you can additionally use various sports nutritional supplements.
Products harmful to potency
Exclusion from the diet of certain foods and drinks that can indirectly harm a man’s reproductive function is usually due to their general negative effect on the body. First of all, you should follow the recommendations of your doctor when choosing a diet, especially if you have chronic diseases. You need to abstain from food that negatively affects the state of the cardiovascular and nervous systems of the body. They regulate sexual function in men together with the endocrine glands.
The list of what is recommended to be excluded from the diet includes the following categories of foods and drinks:
- fried and fatty foods, since their excessive consumption contributes to the formation of excess weight, problems with the stomach, liver and gall bladder. Such food causes an increase in cholesterol in the blood, the appearance of plaques on the walls of blood vessels, their blockage and subsequent circulatory disorders, including in the pelvic organs. Excessive consumption of regular fried foods and so-called trans fats contained in some foods also causes harm. These include lamb, pork, lard, butter, etc. ;
- foods high in simple carbohydrates provoke a rapid increase in fat mass and frequent surges in blood sugar levels. If you abuse such food, the chances of malfunctioning of the pancreas and the risk of developing diabetes mellitus increase exponentially. In the future, this disease leads to neurodegenerative processes and hormonal imbalance, which always negatively affects a man’s ability to lead a normal sex life. Such products include most sweets and baked goods, fast food, fried potatoes, chips and snacks, drinks with added sugar, some convenience foods, etc. ;
- smoked products from stores in the form of meat, fish, lard or sausages are harmful to the stomach and the body as a whole, since they often contain, in addition to fat, various kinds of flavorings and artificial colors;
- excess caffeine has a depressing effect on the central nervous system, overloads it and increases the risk of vascular spasm. The invigorating effect of this drink is achieved only in strictly limited quantities. An overdose of caffeine, instead of excitement, on the contrary, brings lethargy, drowsiness, tremors and uncontrollable vegetative manifestations in the form of dizziness, surges in blood pressure, palpitations and even panic attacks. Too much of this drink every day creates a permanent effect of fatigue in a man, and in this state it is difficult to lead a normal sex life;
- Alcohol in any form has an inhibitory effect on the central nervous system, especially in large quantities and frequent use. It doesn’t matter whether a man drinks strong or low-proof alcohol; if he does it regularly, the body will still be damaged. There is a myth that among alcoholic drinks, beer is the most harmful for male potency, since it supposedly contains phytoestrogens that affect testosterone levels. But there is not a single study proving the presence of such an effect. The amount of phytoestrogens that gets into beer with hops is very small and cannot have any effect on hormonal levels. But the alcohol contained in this drink is very capable of causing harm not only to potency, but to the entire body;
- Excessive salt intake contributes to the accumulation of water in the body and increases blood pressure. This negatively affects the condition of the vascular walls and blood circulation in the body, including the pelvic organs, as well as the mobility of the joints. Do not overuse pickles, spicy canned food, chips, sausages and other foods high in salt.
All of the above products, of course, need to be excluded from the diet not only for men suffering from problems with potency. When treating any disease of the nervous, cardiovascular, or digestive systems, such food is not recommended or even strictly prohibited. If a man does not take care of his health, moves little, does not follow a rest regime, constantly fills his stomach with anything, is addicted to alcohol, smoking and psychoactive substances, he will quickly be overtaken by difficulties in his sexual life.
Products useful for potency
After listing what is considered harmful to potency in men, you should find out what kind of food it is advisable to eat to maintain libido and sexual health for as long as possible. Based on the content of beneficial vitamins and microelements, as a rule, several groups of products are distinguished:
- containing potassium, magnesium, calcium and zinc, which help form and nourish the nervous system and improve neural activity. These include dairy products, greens, bananas, buckwheat, legumes, oatmeal, some seafood, dried fruits, etc. ;
- products high in polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamins A, C and E, which are involved in the formation of immunity, metabolic processes and strengthening the walls of veins and blood vessels. This is, first of all, food rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6, for example, certain types of fish and vegetable oils: sunflower, olive or flaxseed, nuts and seeds;
- products with sufficient protein and amino acids necessary for building muscles, ligaments and other components of the body. These are lean meats, poultry and fish, fermented milk products, legumes, chicken or quail eggs;
- As natural aphrodisiacs, it is recommended to consume oysters, dark chocolate and strawberries in limited quantities. People believe that bee products, such as honey or beebread, help increase potency.
If a man follows a balanced diet, sleep, rest and has regular physical activity, then his libido can remain at a good level until old age. But in the case of the presence of certain physiological or mental ailments, only diet and routine will not be able to get rid of erectile dysfunction, but will only become an addition to drug therapy. You should not rely on exotic remedies, for example, deer antlers, but it is better to consult a specialist if alarming symptoms appear.