Save More Than Your Sex Life

I was listening to a call-in radio show the other day, and one of the callers asked about erectile dysfunction. He was in his 40’s, had been taking vitamin V (you know – Viagra), but it had stopped working for him. The show wasn’t a medical one, but the host gave a great answer. He told the caller to stop treating the symptom (in this case, plumbing that didn’t work right), and start treating the cause. How? By exercising, eating healthfully, and losing weight.

There is a strong relationship between being overweight, chronic disease, and limp-member syndrome, yet most men don’t put 2 and 2 together to come up with 4. In the process, they could be jeopardizing their lives. With weight gain, the body’s hormones begin to change, and these hormonal shifts bring about undesirable effects. Blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides increase because of high insulin levels. Eventually blood sugar can become abnormally elevated if the pancreas can’t keep up with insulin production. All of these factors lead to hardening of the arteries, and decreased circulation to the organs – all of them, not just the heart. Yes, THE organ of most concern for males is also affected, and an organ without proper blood supply isn’t a happy one. In addition, testosterone levels decline with increasing weight. As you can imagine, that doesn’t help at all if you want to be the stallion you once were.

Approximately 30 million American men suffer from chronic erectile dysfunction. Conditions such as diabetes, hardening of the arteries, and kidney disease cause about 70% of cases. What are the most common causes of these diseases? Being overweight and smoking. In many instances, ED will precede the diagnosis of other related chronic conditions by several years. And while ED isn’t fatal, the diseases it’s associated with certainly are.

Developing ED isn’t a natural phenomenon of aging, and it shouldn’t be accepted as such, or taken care of by reaching for the medicine bottle. It’s a warning sign that there are serious processes going on inside your body you don’t want to have happening. If you smoke, stop. If you’re overweight, lose the pounds and you’ll probably find you can get rid of many medications you may be taking, including vitamin V. Cut down on those “manly” portions of meat, and eat foods high in antioxidants and phytochemicals – they happen to be the same ones that are high in fiber – fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, and whole grains. Exercise regularly. As you do these things, you’ll find yourself toning up and getting firmer in all the right places.

What you have to gain is more than just your sex life, but hey – that’s not a bad place to start!


The author submits this blog posting as a health educator and not in any other capacity. You should seek the advice of your physician regarding a personal health condition or before undertaking any diet, exercise, or other health program.