A Med diet means men can hang on to love lives

Researchers believe olive oil is the key

EATING a Mediterranean diet could give men the best chance of maintaining a sex life well into old age, new research suggests.

Consuming plenty of olive oil, vegetables, fruit, fish and beans cuts the risk of erectile dysfunction by 40%, a study has found.

The findings, presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference in Munich, suggests a healthy diet in middle age could pave the way for an active drug-free love life well into their late 60s and 70s.

Researchers from the University of Athens believe olive oil is key – with men who consumed at least nine tablespoons a week less likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction.

Experts studied 670 men with an average age of 67 from the Greek island of Ikaria. As well as olive oil, they found men tended to be protected if their diet also contained about 13 portions of veg a week, six pieces of fruit, three servings of fish and two portions of beans.

The scientists believe this diet helps men maintain a healthy heart and clear blood vessels, which results in a good flow of blood to the groin.

A Mediterranean diet is already proven to improve cardiovascular health, but the researchers have now shown it could extend sexual function. The cardiologists also found men who followed this diet had higher testosterone levels because they had lower levels of body fat, which can interfere with hormones.

Study leader Dr Christina Chrysohoou said men can reduce their chance of needing impotence drugs if they change their diet in middle age.

‘Viagra does not improve something long-term, it can only give some short effect in order to have sexual capacity,’ she explained.

‘Modifying your diet can help, add some olive oil instead of butter. Have some nuts, fruit, vegetables, or some beans. This is a drug-free solution that allows men to keep their sexual function.’

The findings could prove useful for men reluctant to take pills in order to have sex in later life. Erectile dysfunction affects 52% of men aged between 40 and 70. Medical firms have long sought to come up with ways to treat the problem – knowing an effective treatment could generate a fortune.

When drugs giant Pfizer launched Viagra in 1998 its share price doubled within days.

And sales of the drug, which is manufactured in Cork, soared again earlier this year when restrictions were lifted to make them available over the counter in the UK – rising 60% in the first three months after the rule change in March.

But not all men respond to the drug, and many others dislike having to take a pill during romantic moments.

Dr Chrysohoou said just 20% of the men she studied had erectile dysfunction – well below the 52% expected in that age group. And those who had the diet closest to the Mediterranean ideal were protected even further. She added the key lies in the health of the aorta, a large artery which distributes blood from the heart to the body.

‘What we found here is that the Med diet has a positive effect on aortic dilatation,’ she said. ‘It keeps your blood vessels healthy and helps men maintain sexual function.

‘And of all of the components of the Med diet, it is the olive oil that has a specific effect on aortic dilatation and sexual function as well.’

Professor Mike Wyllie, one of the team who developed Viagra, said: ‘The message that you can affect your sexual function by modifying lifestyle and diet is a valid one. Erectile dysfunction is usually about 80% a cardiovascular disease condition. Altering cardiovascular status you get an improvement in erectile function – this study reinforces that message.’

But Professor Wyllie, formerly of Pfizer and now at sexual health company Plethora Solutions, said many men want a quick fix. ‘Unfortunately we are in a society where people want to take a pill,’ he added. ‘They can’t be bothered to change their lifestyle.’