Coffee May Help Reduce Erectile Dysfunction

By Jane Farrell

Good news for men who drink coffee: two to three cups a day will reduce your chances of erectile dysfunction, according to researchers from Men who drink the equivalent caffeine level of two to three cups of coffee a day are less likely to have erectile dysfunction (ED), according to researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

The results of a study published recently in PLOS ONE found that men who consumed between 85 and 170 milligrams of caffeine a day were 42 percent less likely to report ED, while those who drank between 171 and 303 milligrams of caffeine a day were 39 percent less likely to report ED compared to those who drank zero to seven milligrams a day, according to a news release from the university.

This trend was also true among overweight, obese and hypertensive men.

“Even though we saw a reduction in the prevalence of ED with men who were obese, overweight and hypertensive, that was not true of men with diabetes. Diabetes is one of the strongest risk factors for ED, so this was not surprising,” said David S. Lopez, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., lead author and assistant professor at UTHealth School of Public Health.

According to the journal article, caffeine appears to trigger a series of pharmacological effects that lead to the relaxation of the penile helicine arteries, ultimately increasing penile blood flow.