Link Between Erectile Dysfunction And Coffee Consumption
Consuming two cups of coffee daily could reduce a man’s risk of erectile dysfunction. This is with respect to a new research reported in the journal PLOS ONE.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence is the incapability to get and sustain an erection that is firm sufficient for sexual activity. It is the very common type of sex-related dysfunction in men, impacting more than 17 million men aged 20 and above in the US.
Erectile dysfunction can be a harmful condition for men, resulting in lack of confidence, tension and relationship issues. The greater part of ED situations are triggered by physical issues, which includes high cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, though it can also be induced by psychological problems.
The investigators of this recent research, led by Dr. David Lopez, note that earlier research have hypothesized that caffeine – generally taken via coffee, soda and energy beverages – may enhance ED, however there is a lack of population-based studies examining this connection.
As such, Dr. Lopez and colleagues used 2001-04 information from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) – a program of research evaluating the health and nutritional position of Americans – to examine the role of caffeine consumption in ED.
Up to 42% decreased ED risk with two to three cups of coffee everyday
The data evaluated involved 3,734 males aged 20 and above whose ED status was recognized while in a computer-assisted interview. Of these men, 51% had high blood pressure, 40.9% were overweight, 12.4% were diabetic and 30.7% were obese.
The investigators predicted the men’s caffeine consumption by examining 24-hour dietary recall data, collected from questioning individuals to report all food and beverages taken in the previous day. The caffeine sources evaluated included coffee, soda, sports and energy beverages and tea.
All round, the team identified that men who taken 85-170 milligrams (mg) of caffeine everyday were 42% less probably to report ED, while those who taken 170-303 mg of caffeine daily were 39% less probably to report ED, in comparison with men who taken 0-7 mg of caffeine a day.
The team notices that the caffeine levels taken among men with decreased risk of ED were the equivalent to consuming two to three cups of coffee a day.
In addition, higher caffeine consumption was also identified to decrease risk of ED in men who were obese or overweight and those who had high blood pressure – all of which are regarded risk aspects for the ED.
However, Dr. Lopez notices that caffeine did not decrease the risk of Erectile dysfunction for men with diabetes. “Diabetes is one of the strongest risk aspects for Erectile dysfunction, so this was not surprising,” he adds.
Still, the team indicates that their results display a decreased possibility of ED among men with a everyday caffeine consumption the equivalent to taking two to three cups of coffee a day.
While the exact mechanisms driving this connection are not clear, the investigators hypothesize that caffeine causes a series of pharmacological effects that leads to relaxation of both the penile helicine arteries and the cavernous smooth muscle of the penis, escalating blood flow.
The investigators point to the large, nationally representative sample involved in their research as a major strength, but they admit there are some restrictions.
They point out that some risk aspects for Erectile dysfunction – like as cardiovascular problems – were not addressed. In inclusion, they note that since NHANES is a cross-sectional research, their results cannot indicate a causal association between caffeine consumption and decreased risk of ED. As a result, further research evaluating this connection is warranted.
Coffee has been confirmed as having several other health advantages. Last month, Clinical Research Society reported one study, which identified regular coffee consumption can decrease the risk of liver cancer.