Impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction, prevents a man from having or maintaining an erection. Heart ailments and diabetes may directly contribute to impotency, MayoClinic.com indicates. If you continually have high blood sugar, you can suffer from poor sexual function. Your penis will not receive the blood flow it needs to carry out a normal erection. The circulation to the penis suffers when circulation in your arteries and veins become affected. Plaque buildup in your blood vessels can contribute to problems with impotence.
Low-Fat Diet
When arteries and veins become blocked because of a high-fat diet, your sexual performance abilities suffer. Because blockages in your blood vessels prevent proper blood flow, you may not have or maintain normal erections, medical author Gale Malesky states in her text, "The Definitive Guide to Health Supplements." You need to eat more salads and consume less harmful fats in your diet.
A Healthy Heart Diet
Adding omega-3-acid ethyl esters such as fish oil can help lower cholesterol and increase your sexual stamina. You can ingest omega-3 by eating fish as well as some nuts. Heart disease contributes to impotence, the MayoClinic.com reports. Talk to your physician first if you experience problems with impotence. Before starting fish oil supplements, obtain the advice of your doctor.
Herbal Supplements
Malesky, a doctor of natural healing, states adding herbal supplements to your diet will boost your capabilities to have an erection. Yohimbe, the bark from a West African tree, can boost your sex drive. It increases blood flow to the penis, making it possible for you to maintain a proper erection. Do not take this herbal supplement for impotence if you have heart problems. Talk to your doctor before starting this herbal supplement.
Ginkgo Biloba
Add a ginkgo biloba supplement to your food intake. Ginkgo biloba, another herbal supplement that increases circulation to the penis, can prove effective for the treatment of impotence. Blood circulation improves in about six to eight weeks, states Dr. Thomas A. Kruzel, an herbal specialist, in "The Definitive Guide to Health Supplements." The dose of ginkgo biloba for improving penile erection is 60 to 240 mg/day, states Dr. James A. Duke, Ph.D., a botanical consultant and former ethnobotanist with the United States Department of Agriculture who specilizes in medicinal plants. He is the author of "The Green Pharmacy."
Vegetables
Known for their stimulating effect regarding sex drive, carrots and asparagus also serve as generally helpful foods, reports the "Sexual Health Guide: Increasing Consumption of These Two Vegetables Will Help Promote a Better Sex Life and Aphrodisiac for You and Your Partner."
Asian Ginseng
Asian ginseng, also known as panax, brings increased circulation to the penis, Malesky reports. It restores your vitality and desire for sex. It also acts as an aphrodisiac. A study performed in Korea with 90 men showed that 60 percent of the men who received ginseng experienced increased rigidity of their penises.
Ginger
Adding ginger to your juice as a daily bedtime routine will help increase your sex drive and stamina, the "Sexual Health Guide" reports. It helps in the prevention of ejaculation problems associated with premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction.
Alcohol Consumption
Remove alcohol from your diet. It interferes with your ability to perform in the bedroom and to keep your erection, states Dr. Douglas Whitehead, a professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York City, and contributor to the book "The Definitive Guide to Health Supplements."
References
- Sexual Health Guide: Stop Sexual Impotence -- A Healthy Diet Can Help Maximize Potency And Provide Greater Sexual Health
- MayoClinic.com: Erectile Dysfunction
- "The Definitive Guide to Health Supplements"; Gale Malesky, et al.; 1999
- "The Green Pharmacy: New Discoveries in Herbal Remedies for Common Diseases and Conditions from the World's Foremost Authority on Healing Herbs"; James A. Duke Ph.D.; 1997
