Health Benefits of Caffeine: Reduced Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is common in the United States.

18% of men over 20 years old in the US have ED. Among older man, these numbers increase significantly.

At age 40, approximately 44% are affected and by 70 years old nearly 70% of men are affected.

We all know possible causes of ED. Physical inactivity, alcohol, and smoking have been suggested to increase the risk of ED.

Even your cell phone could cause erectile dysfunction. I covered that in a recent blog post:

https://www.ninjaonlinedating.com/blog/cell-phones-erectile-dysfunction/

Even though the possible causes of ED are known, less is known about what could help you actually fight ED.

Until now.

A recent study found one of the health benefits of caffeine intake is that it could help reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction.

Caffeine Facts

Caffeine is consumed by 85% of US adults by “dietary fluid sources” such as coffee, tea, soda, and energy/sports drinks.

Two-thirds of American adults drink coffee on a daily basis.

52% of US males drink at least one glass of soda per day.

50% of US males drink tea on any given day.

17% of men drink energy and sports drinks more than three times per week.

There are health benefits of caffeine due to the rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds contained in it.

Health Benefits of Caffeine Study

As mentioned earlier, caffeine is consumed by more than 85% of adults and little is known about its role with erectile dysfunction (ED).

The study, Role of Caffeine Intake on Erectile Dysfunction in US Men: Results from NHANES 2001-2004, investigated the health benefits of caffeine and the association of caffeine intake and caffeinated beverages with ED.

3,724 men participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

The men were in a private room and asked the following questions through a computer assisted self-interview system:

“Many men experience problems with sexual intercourse. How would you describe your ability to get and keep an erection adequate for satisfactory intercourse?”

The following answers were provided, “would you say that you are… always or almost always able, usually able, sometimes able, or never able?”

The men were asked to recall their caffeine intake the previous 24 hours.

Health Benefits of Caffeine Study Results

The results of the study were that total caffeine intake was associated with a reduced likelihood to report ED.

The study found that men who consumed between 85 and 170 milligrams of caffeine a day were 42 percent less likely to report ED, while those who drank between 171 and 303 milligrams of caffeine a day were 39 percent less likely to report ED compared to those who drank zero to seven milligrams a day.

This reduction of ED was mainly observed when the amount of caffeine intake was between 170 and 375 mg/day, which is approximately equivalent to 2–3 cups of coffee per day.

In addition, total caffeine intake seemed to reduce the odds of ED among men who were overweight/obese, hypertensive and non-diabetic.

The study authors believe that caffeine may help “thwart impotence because it relaxes certain arteries and muscles in the penis, improving blood flow and the ability to have an erection.”

Final Thoughts

According to the results of the study, one of the health benefits of caffeine is that it can help reduce the risk of ED.

The amount of caffeine is equivalent to 2-3 cups of coffee a day.

Is coffee a cure for ED?

No.

But it may help and that’s good enough for me.

I drink coffee already so this is good news to me.

The likelihood we’ll have erectile dysfunction sometime in our life increases as we age.

So go ahead and have a couple of cups of coffee.

Add some daily exercise….cut out smoking…limit your intake of alcohol and you will help reduce the risk of it even more.

Make lifestyle choices that will help curb this.

And remember, keep your cellphone out of your pocket.