Alcohol consumption has been identified for centuries as a cause of erectile dysfunction. In William Shakespeare's "Macbeth," written in the early 1600s, a character observes that among the many effects of alcohol, "It provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance." Research, however, suggests that in the long term, the converse may be true: Moderate alcohol consumption may actually help prevent erectile dysfunction.
Definition
Erectile dysfunction, or ED, is the inability of a man to achieve an erection or to sustain one long enough to engage in sexual activity. This condition is sometimes referred to as "impotence," although the National Institutes of Health points out that the latter term encompasses other conditions that affect sexual performance, such as lack of desire or trouble with ejaculation.
Function
In strictly biochemical terms, an erection begins with nerve impulses in the brain that travel down the spinal cord to the male genitals, where they're translated into responses by muscles, blood vessels and other tissues. The argument in favor of a link between alcohol use and ED often centers on alcohol's role as a central nervous system depressant. Although drinking alcohol lowers sexual inhibitions and can indeed provoke desire, the thinking goes, regular use interferes with these nerve messages, making erection more difficult to achieve or sustain.
Research
Some research has found that heavy alcohol use does in fact correlate with a higher chance of experiencing ED. But it also finds that total abstinence from alcohol also correlates with higher ED rates. A study of nearly 2,000 men by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that the lowest rates of erectile dysfunction occurred among men who were "moderate drinkers." A "meta-analysis" published in the "International Journal of Impotence Research" in 2007 looked at 11 studies and found that "regular consumption" of alcohol may reduce ED. A 2009 study in the "Journal of Sexual Medicine" came to the same conclusion.
Theories
An erection can't occur without ample blood flow to the penis, so good circulation is critical. Alcohol consumption's ability to increase circulation has been demonstrated in several studies. This fact could also explain the higher ED rates among "teetotalers"--those who abstain from alcohol entirely. As for evidence of higher ED rates among chronic alcoholics, this may be attributable to the general deterioration of health such people experience, according to the authors of the 2007 meta-analysis.
Other Factors
In some cases, alcohol may be getting the blame for ED caused by something else. According to the National Institutes of Health, "psychological factors" are responsible for 10 percent to 20 percent of ED cases, and medicine side effects may account for an additional 25 percent. Ailments such as diabetes, kidney disease, multiple sclerosis and atherosclerosis are major risk factors, as are smoking and being overweight.
References
- National Institutes of Health: Erectile Dysfunction
- State University of New York-Potsdam: Alcohol and Impotence
- International Journal of Impotence Research: Alcohol Consumption and Erectile Dysfunction
- Journal of Sexual Medicine: Alcohol Consumption and Male Erectile Dysfunction
- Family Doctor: Erectile Dysfunction
