When erectile dysfunction is a three-alarm warning for your heart

Erectile dysfunction is a subject most men don’t want to talk about.

After all, many men take it as a sign that they’re getting older, along with those laugh lines and wrinkles and a receding hairline.

But if you’re experiencing problems in the bedroom that you’ve been ignoring, the results of a study of over 95,000 men in Australia has a wake-up call for you.

And the message comes down to this…

If you can’t get it up, it’s time to get a checkup!

How heart problems can play havoc down below

So why should you be worried if your erections are softer than they used to be or if you’ve been swapping time between the sheets for time in front of the television?

Because bedroom problems could be a signal that you have a serious heart problem.

In fact, the two most common causes of erectile dysfunction or ED are poor blood flow and plaque buildup within the arteries (which leads to poor blood flow in the first place).

Makes sense, right?

If you don’t have the blood flow you need, it can’t give you the lift and firmness you want in the bedroom. And here’s where things get worrying for you beyond sex.

Blood flow problems due to the plaque that clogs arteries also cause problems for your heart — increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. That’s why studies have proven that erectile dysfunction is a risk factor for eventual heart disease in men 55 years of age and younger.

However, for far too long, we didn’t know just how closely the two were connected and how big a warning sign ED really is…

The 3-alarm warning you should NOT ignore

And that’s where that study out of Australia comes in.

The researchers followed 95,038 men over age 45 for up to three years. They delved into all aspects of their health from their weight and age to blood pressure, smoking and drinking habits and the ability to get and maintain a strong erection.

And by the end of the study, they found that men with ED and had a 35 percent greater risk of hospitalization due to heart disease and a massive 93 percent higher risk of death from ANY illness!

In other words — that soft erection may not just keep you out of the bedroom, it could put you in the grave!

Consider bedroom problems heart problems

This means that if you have problems with ED, now is the time to act to protect your heart and your life. Visit your physician and get checked out. Get serious about lifestyle changes that can improve your vascular and heart health. That might include starting a regular exercise routine if you aren’t already staying active, as well as eating foods that promote a healthy heart — particularly ones know to boost blood flow.

Those are foods that contain flavonoids and anthocyanins, like blueberries and red cabbage. You’ll also need nitric oxide (beets are an excellent source) and vitamin K2, found most abundantly in natto, a fermented Japanese dish, and in good quantity in egg yolks, aged and curd cheeses, butter and organ meats.

Vitamin K2 and nitric oxide have lots of research that support their healthy properties…

#1 – Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 is a health powerhouse that can help you live your best life.

That’s because its particular health properties promote heart and blood vessel health.

In fact, a study of almost eleven thousand volunteers over a decade found was that participants with the highest vitamin K2 intake had low calcium in their aortas — the biggest blood vessel in the body.

Plus, higher intakes of K2 led to:

• A 57 percent lower risk of death due to heart disease
• 52 percent lower risk of calcification of the arteries

To top it off, the results of the study showed that vitamin K2 also boosted arterial flow (that’s the blood flow we were talking about earlier), reduced total cholesterol, and raised good cholesterol.

#2 – Nitric oxide

The nitric oxide you get from beets can also deliver powerful support for blood flow and better heart health.

One study found that simply drinking beet juice lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure while improving blood vessel dilation for better blood flow.

This makes beets one of the top 10 foods to combat ED while promoting heart health.

Remember, if you have ED, don’t let it keep you down, or worse, allow a serious health issue to brew.

Sources:

How Does Atherosclerosis Cause Erectile Dysfunction? — USA Vascular Centers

Erectile Dysfunction Linked To Heart Disease — MedicalNewsToday