Much to our own surprise, drinking booze might not actually be all that bad for men looking to get a little frisky!
Discover our latest podcast
Moderate drinking can help with ED
As it turns out, a study published in the journal Urologia Internationalis found that drinking moderate amounts of beer might actually help fight erectile dysfunction. The global study looked into a sample of 210,000 men and their alcohol-drinking behaviour to see the impact it could have on their sex life.
Scientists found that alcohol increases nitric oxide levels which causes blood vessels to expand and helps regulate circulation, which are two necessary components for achieving an erection. Shen Li of Anhui Medical University in China said that the popular belief that booze kills boners isn't entirely accurate:
We have shown that regular alcohol consumption was significantly associated with a reduced risk of erectile dysfunction.
However, his claim is true insofar as the person consuming alcohol does not surpass the recommended amount. Those who consumed moderate amounts of alcohol—no more than 14 units per week (about six pints of beer or six standard 175ml glasses of wine) displayed an 18% lower risk of experiencing problems getting it up.
ED in the UK
Erectile dysfunction can affect just about anyone with a penis and more recently, studies shave found that more and more younger men are struggling with the disorder. In the UK alone, 50-55% of men between 40 and 70 years of age suffer from ED. That's about 4.3 million men across the nation. One in ten men will go through waves of ED at some point in time in their lives, and the contributing factors are wide and varied.
Genetic disorders, underlying mental and physical conditions, stress-related reasons and substance addiction are typically the cause for ED.
