Hugh O'Neill,
Best Life
None of the following information about erection excellence is of the slightest personal interest to me. Even though I'm on the back nine of life, I'm blessed with function every bit as effervescent as I had when I was at JFK High. Really. I swear. It's true. Really. But apparently, studies show that lots of men my age just aren't stallions like me. And apparently, some men are ashamed to admit it.
"By age 40, about 40 percent of men have some erectile dysfunction, and the number goes up about 10 percent with each advancing decade," says Richard Spark, M.D., an associate clinical professor of medicine at Harvard medical school and author of Sexual Health for Men. Of course, the degree of the problem varies greatly. For most, Ol' Reliable still shows up, but he's not as quick to the ready position and a bit less stiff than when he wowed Annette from Theta Delta.
"Virtually all men see some age-associated decline," says Culley Carson, M.D., a professor of urology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "But if you lead a healthy life, you can stay sexually vigorous for a long time." So, purely in the interest of public service, I asked experts how the warranty on Wonderboy could be extended.
What's that? Why worry, there's always Viagra? Well, no. It's a great drug, but it's not for everybody. Some men can't take it because it's dangerous in combination with heart medications. It also has side effects, works only in some cases, and costs about $10 a pop, so to speak. Further, Daddy's little helper takes about an hour to kick in--by which time the plane often has landed. But there's an even more compelling reason to go natural: If you live an erection-friendly life, you'll fortify most every other body part.
Four New Erection Protectors
Urologists believe that the well-tested principles that protect blood vessels also give erections their best shot at remaining bodacious. Further, because the gradual erosions of aging seem to play a role in erection strength, slowing the processes that make us old should also keep us hard. You already know the importance of exercise, weight control, and cholesterol management in staying healthy, so we won't lecture you again about them. Instead, here are some new strategies.
1. Control blood pressure.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is both more common and more severe in men with high blood pressure. According to a study published in the Journal of Urology, chronic hypertension is the biggest threat to Iron John because it puts vessels under constant stress. "Over the years, higher pressure steals elasticity from the vessel walls, including the ones in your penis," says Ridwan Shabsigh, M.D., an associate professor of urology at Columbia University. "This makes them less able to dilate and fill with blood."
Working out and maintaining a healthy weight are the most obvious ways to moderate blood pressure. But certain foods also affect it. Avoid simple carbohydrates, such as cakes, refined pasta, and white breads. These burn quickly, which spikes blood sugar, which creates a surge of insulin, which raises blood pressure.
Instead, eat complex carbohydrates, including colorful fruits and vegetables--strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, dark green leafy vegetables, oranges, grapes, apricots, yams, and watermelons.
All these burn more slowly and evenly.
Oatmeal's good, too: There are compelling studies linking oatmeal and oat bran to lower blood pressure. Top it with a banana, and you're set for the day. Bananas are good sources of potassium, a shortage of which has been linked to high blood pressure.
The other big factor influencing blood pressure is stress. "When you're chronically anxious, stress hormones such as epinephrine and adrenaline narrow your blood vessels and raise the pressure inside them," says Dr. Carson. "And anything that does this works against your erection."
2. Make more nitric oxide.
This is a signaling substance that starts the process of blood-vessel dilation. "It increases bloodflow, prevents fatty deposits from sticking to arteries, and reduces constriction," says John P. Cooke, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at Stanford University medical school. "An inability to produce it has been linked to impotence." Low levels of nitric oxide are seen in diabetics, smokers, and men with low levels of testosterone. There are a number of things you can do to ensure an adequate supply.
* Eat foods rich in L-arginine. This is the amino acid necessary to form nitric oxide. While there's no conclusive evidence, it can't hurt to eat foods that contain L-arginine, such as beans, fish, soy, egg whites, chicken, lean red meat, and peanuts.
* Swallow more omega-3s. These are fatty acids that improve blood pressure. Salmon and olive oil are good sources, as are walnuts.
* Build muscle. For older men, Dr. Cooke recommends isotonic exercise. Jogging, walking, and swimming rather than pushups, pullups, and bench presses are part of a pro-erection plan.
3. Defend against free radicals.
These are damaging molecules that your cells produce in the normal course of burning oxygen. They undermine the resiliency of blood vessels and, thereby, your potency. To keep them from running amok, trim the steak. The saturated fat in beef burns fast, oxidizes quickly, and produces more free radicals than our systems can handle.
Also, eat more antioxidants. Nutrients lycopene, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E are the scourge of free radicals. Carrots, tomatoes, spinach, grapes, and zucchini are especially full of them, as is soy.
4. Stem the decline of sex hormones.
In our middle years, levels of two key cell-spackling hormones--human growth hormone (HGH) and DHEA, a precursor to testosterone--decline.
So does testosterone. Their waning leaves our cells more vulnerable to assault from free radicals and less able to repair themselves. To boost testosterone naturally, adopt these habits and maintain them for life:
* Get more sleep. Since most of our HGH is secreted while we sleep, snoozing may help you stay young and sexually sterling. Aspire to 8 hours a night.
* Have more sex. In one of life's great feedback loops, testosterone makes us want sex, and sex raises our level of testosterone. So the more erections you have, the more erections you'll have. Plus, every time fresh oxygen-rich blood enters the penis, it flushes away harmful collagens that cause scar tissue, says Dr. Shabsigh.
* Lift more weight. Generally, the more muscle mass you have, the higher your level of testosterone.
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