A Cardiologist Tells You Why What’s Good For Your Heart Is Good For Your Sexual Health

Dr. Joel Kahn is a cardiologist (watch Dr. Joel Kahn’s bio video on his home page) and colleague I know, who I correspond with, talk to at conferences and actually have done a podcast with who incorporates almost everything I envision in approaching erectile dysfunction – from the need and type of vascular screening, to treating ED and your heart with diet, supplements, exercise and acoustic wave therapy for the ED part, in combination with lifestyle. I think listening to his entertaining 23:05 min podcast will be enjoyable and have a lot of good take home information.

Joel Kahn, MD is a whole food plant-based cardiologist who uses diet, supplements, lifestyle, cardiopreventive testing and acoustic wave therapy (shock wave therapy) to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). He elaborates on the very clear data that most ED patients should be worked-up and treated for heart disease as well as for erectile function. ( RE: Need for Cardiovascular Work-Up in ED Patients) The Princeton III Consensus recommendations for the management of erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. Mayo Clin Proc. 2012 Aug;87(8):766-78. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3498391/

The health of the endothelium, the inner lining of the artery, and endothelial glycocalyx, the jelly like substance protecting the endothelium, is enhanced by the consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and legumes and a green seaweed product called Arterosil. This product helps maintain the endothelial glycocalyx which then enhances endothelial function and improves blood flow to the coronary arteries and can improve erectile function. (We carry this product at our office. It can only be purchased through health professionals)

Mediterranean diet improves erectile function in subjects with the metabolic syndrome. Int J Impot Res. 2006 Jul-Aug;18(4):405-10. CONCLUSION: Thirty-five men with metabolic syndrome followed a Mediterranean style diet compared to 30 similar patients on a control diet. After 2 years men on the Mediterranean diet consumed more fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains and olive oil. The endothelial function score and the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein improved on the Mediterranean diet and there was improvement with erectile function as well. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16395320/

Effects of Mediterranean diet on sexual function in people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: The MÈDITA trial . J Diabetes Complications. 2016 Nov-Dec;30(8):1519-1524. CONCLUSION: Over 8.1 years in 215 men and women with type 2 diabetes who consumed either a Mediterranean diet (n=108) or a low-fat diet, the Mediterranean diet reduced the deterioration of sexual function over time in both sexes and reduced inflammation (C-reactive protein was reduced). NOTE: This dietary pattern helped women’s sexual function as well, probably from increased blood flow to female sexual organs. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27614727/
( Note: The low fat diet used in this study wasn’t a healthy low fat diet. The low fat diets used in the links below are low fat whole food plant-based diets showering reversal of known coronary artery disease – http://dresselstyn.com/JFP_06307_Article1.pdf and https://www.ornish.com/wp-content/uploads/Intensive-lifestyle-changes-for-reversal-of-coronary-heart-disease1.pdf )

Dietary flavonoid intake and incidence of erectile dysfunction. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Feb;103(2):534-41. CONCLUSION: In a study among 25,096 males from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study during 10 years of follow-up 35.6% reported having ED. A higher intake of specific flavonoid-rich foods was associated with a reduced ED incidence in men less than 70 years of age. Higher total fruit intake, a major source of anthocyanins and flavanones, was associated with a 14% reduction in risk of ED. Higher habitual intake of specific flavonoid-rich foods was associated with reduced ED incidence. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4733263/

Organic Diet and Intermittent Fasting are Associated With Improved Erectile Function. Urology. 2020 Oct;144:147-151. CONCLUSION: In 271 patients seen primarily for ED an organic diet and intermittent fasting was protective against ED. https://www.goldjournal.net/article /S0090-4295(20)30879-7/full text ( Note: This is one of the reasons I encourage my ED patients (and really all my patients) to do the Fasting Mimicking Diet from Prolon at least 3-4 times per year ( https://prolonfast.com/ ) and/or at least do a 12-16 hr fast daily. In other words eat all your food within an 8-12 hr time period daily.

Association of Diet With Erectile Dysfunction Among Men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Nov 2;3(11):e2021701. CONCLUSION: This study found that adherence to a healthy diet pattern (Mediterranean Diet, i.e. more fruits and vegetables, nuts whole grains and fish instead of meats) was associated with a lower risk for erectile dysfunction, which implies that a healthy dietary pattern may play a role in maintaining erectile health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5510347/

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