Erectile dysfunction (ED) and high cholesterol levels seem to go hand in hand. Luckily, managing your cholesterol can help improve erections.
Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and quitting smoking can all help lower your cholesterol. Certain medications can also be effective, including lipid-lowering drugs. However, some people find that these medicines can hurt their erections.
1. Eat a Healthy Diet
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that occurs naturally in your blood and performs important functions, such as aiding in tissue formation and forming hormones. However, too much bad LDL cholesterol can increase your risk for heart disease and other health problems, including erectile dysfunction. Eating a healthy diet, low in saturated fats and trans fats, can help reduce your cholesterol level.
Incorporate more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins into your diet. Avoid fried foods, refined sugar, and salty snacks. Opt for healthier fats, such as those found in nuts, olive oil, and canola oil. Incorporate fish into your diet at least twice a week, as it is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids may help raise good HDL cholesterol levels and decrease your risk of heart disease.
Aim for a minimum of two servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Try to add more dark-green leafy vegetables, peppers, and tomatoes. Also, eat more fresh or frozen fruits, such as berries and apples. Consume a variety of vegetables and fruits for the nutrients they provide, especially those that are rich in dietary fiber.
Treatments for erectile dysfunction can assist, as can diet and additional cholesterol-lowering medications like Vidalista 20 mg and Vidalista Black 80mg. It can also lengthen your coitus life while enhancing your overall fitness and maintaining muscle mass so that you don’t become frail as you age.
Limit your consumption of meat, which can be high in saturated fats. Opt for skinless chicken and turkey instead of red meat. If you are a fish lover, consume it two to three times per week.
Make sure you are getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. Try brisk walking, biking, and swimming to burn calories and build muscle. If you can’t get enough cardio workouts into your schedule, incorporating resistance training exercises like squats and lunges into your routine can also burn calories and lower cholesterol.
2. Exercise Regularly
Getting plenty of heart-pumping physical activity is essential for everyone. It keeps your body healthy, helps you sleep better, and improves libido. But it’s even more important for people with high cholesterol levels. Exercise lowers cholesterol by delivering more oxygen to the body’s tissues, decreasing blood pressure, and improving blood flow.
Regular exercise also helps you manage your weight, which can help reduce your cholesterol levels. If you’re overweight, losing just 5 to 10% of your total body weight can dramatically improve your cholesterol numbers. Exercise also boosts your levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and decreases unhealthy triglycerides. It’s best to get at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Try brisk walking, swimming, cycling, and yoga, but you don’t need to go to the gym every day. Even taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking during your lunch break can be enough to help you reach your goal.
Cholesterol is a natural substance produced by the liver, and it has a few important jobs in the body, including lubricating joints and making some hormones. However, too much cholesterol can build up in the blood vessels, restricting blood flow and causing many health issues, including erectile dysfunction.
Having trouble getting or keeping an erection could be a sign of a serious health problem, so it’s always best to check in with your doctor. But if your problem stems from dietary choices or is related to a chronic disease, making some simple changes in diet and exercise can help you feel better. For example, if you have diabetes, getting your glucose under control can help prevent damage to the nerves and blood vessels in your penis.
3. Quit Smoking
If you’re a smoker, quitting can significantly lower your cholesterol. Smoking decreases your HDL cholesterol and increases your triglyceride levels. It also speeds up the formation of blood clots, which can cause stroke. It’s best to quit smoking for good. If you’re having trouble quitting, try cutting down the number of cigarettes you smoke or using nicotine patches or gum. You can also help yourself quit by finding healthier ways to cope with stress and negative feelings. Exercise, yoga, meditation, deep breathing, massage, or writing in a journal may work well.
Almost immediately after you quit smoking, your heart rate will drop and your blood pressure will improve. The carbon monoxide level in your blood will also drop, allowing more oxygen to reach the heart and other organs. The lungs will start to clear out mucus and the sense of smell and taste will improve.
After a few weeks, you should notice that your coughing has diminished. You may even be able to breathe more easily and you’ll find that you no longer smell like cigarettes. In addition, the immune system will begin to function better and your circulation in the hands and feet should improve. Within five years your risk of dying from tobacco-related diseases will be similar to that of nonsmokers and your lung function will improve even more.
If you have trouble quitting, remember that it takes a lot of willpower to overcome the addiction to cigarettes. It’s also helpful to get support from family and friends. Some people have found it useful to use motivational techniques, such as calculating the monetary savings they’ll realize by stopping smoking. If you relapse, don’t give up – just start over with your stop-smoking plan.
4. Cut Down on Alcohol
Alcohol is a big contributor to high cholesterol. When you drink, your liver breaks down and reconstructs cholesterol and triglycerides into what it calls “waxy fat.” High levels of triglycerides and cholesterol are bad for your heart and can increase your risk of a stroke or coronary disease. But there’s some good news about alcohol and cholesterol: light to moderate drinking has been shown to raise HDL, the good kind of cholesterol that reduces inflammation in your arteries and lowers your risk of heart disease.
However, as soon as you start drinking more than 14 drinks per week for men and 7 drinks per week for women, the benefits of HDL disappear. That’s because heavy drinking raises triglyceride levels and decreases the level of good cholesterol in your blood.
Besides lowering your cholesterol, cutting back on alcohol has other perks for your body and health: no hangovers; better skin; more energy; and less weight on your belly are just a few of the bonuses that can come from drinking fewer alcoholic beverages.
If you want to cut down on alcohol, try starting by sticking with a single glass of wine or beer a day. It’s important to talk to your doctor before making any lifestyle changes, especially if you have any medical conditions or take any medications. They’ll help you find the right balance of a healthy diet, exercise, and activity to achieve your goals. They can also refer you to an erectile disorder specialist, like BetterHelp, to help you with sex problems that may be related to your cholesterol and heart health. They offer affordable online counseling and therapy via phone, video, or live chat.
5. Lose Weight
Having too much cholesterol can narrow blood vessels and reduce blood flow, which may make it harder to get an erection. Erectile dysfunction can also be a sign of a health problem like high blood pressure or heart disease, so if you’re experiencing ED, it’s important to see your doctor.
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is made in your liver and found throughout the body. It’s important for your health, as it helps form cell walls and is used to make vitamins and hormones. But too much cholesterol can build up in blood vessel walls and lead to heart disease and stroke. You can lower your cholesterol by eating a healthy diet low in saturated and trans fats and high in fiber, whole grains, beans, and oily fish.
Try to avoid foods that are high in saturated fat, such as full-fat dairy, fried foods, and red meat. Choose unsaturated fats instead, such as plant-based oils and spreads, yogurt, oily fish, nuts and seeds, brown rice, and wholewheat rotis. Avoid consuming foods that are high in sugar and added salt.
Trying to lose weight and exercise regularly can also help you improve your cholesterol. If you’re overweight, losing just 10 pounds can significantly improve your cholesterol levels. Try to get active by walking, cycling, swimming, or dancing for at least 30 minutes a day. Also, cut down on processed foods and go for healthier options like fresh fruits, vegetables, lean protein, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, and unsweetened yogurt. Eat more soluble fiber, too, as this can bind to bile (which is high in cholesterol) and help remove it from the body. Examples of soluble fiber include oat bran, barley, psyllium, flax seed, and dried fruit.
