Skip lunch to boost your love life, chaps

FOR millions of men with troubles in the bedroom, pills such as Viagra are usually the first port of call.

Yet many could achieve the same results simply by skipping lunch or dinner two to three times a week, research suggests.

Scientists found that intermittent fasting substantially reduced a man’s risk of impotence. Those regularly missing meals were twice as likely to have a healthy love life, they found.

They think occasional calorie restriction reduces damage to the body’s circulation which can lead to problems performing.

Erectile dysfunction affects one in ten men at any given time. According to the Irish Heart Foundation, 18% of men aged 50 to 59, 38% of men aged between 60 and 69 and 57% of men aged over 70 suffer from the condition.

Although drugs such as Viagra have revolutionised treatment, around 35% of men who take them see no improvement. A healthy diet and lifestyle are known to sustain a strong libido.

Experts at the University of California Irvine compared different dietary approaches.

They looked at erectile function in men who were vegetarian or vegan, those who stuck to organic, whole food or low-fat diets, and those who fasted regularly. Intermittent

fasting has become a hugely popular weight loss remedy in recent years.

One of the most high-profile techniques is the 5:2 diet, where calorie intake is normal for five days of the week – at 2,500 for men and 2,000 for women – but restricted to 500 to 600 calories on the remaining two days.

The researchers tracked 271 middle-aged and elderly men over a year. The results, published in the journal Urology, revealed those indulging in intermittent fasting were twice as likely to be free of erection problems as men who were vegan or vegetarian, or who had whole food or low-fat diets.

The scientists said they cannot be sure fasting is the secret, rather than other healthy lifestyle measures. But they added: ‘Intermittent fasting has been shown to improve blood sugar control, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes – a common cause of erection problems.’

Dr Geoff Hackett, chairman of the British Society of Sexual Medicine, said fasting for a couple of weeks was unlikely to help. ‘It may depend on how long you do it for,’ he said. ‘And it may also be more likely to work if you intermittently abstain from alcohol as well.’