Booze Could Help Erectile Function

this research must not be seen as licence for men to go out and drink to excess

A new survey done on 1500 men in Western Australia shows that a little bit of alcohol consumption could actually be beneficial for erectile and sexual health. The survey saw that the number of men suffering from erectile dysfunction was about 30 percent less among those men who consumed alcohol within guidelines set by The National Health and Medical Research Council when compared to men who had quit drinking completely.

The researchers said that even men who were binge drinkers but stayed within the NHMRC guidelines had better erectile function on the whole than complete teetotalers. The researchers did however say that very heavy drinkers, (well in excess of NHMRC guidelines) did produce much higher rates of erectile dysfunction. The guidelines of the NHMRC state that a man should not drink more than four regular drinks every day over a five day time period.

Dr Kew-Kim Chew at the Keogh Institute for Medical Research based in Perth said that doctors should advise men to make sure that they keep within the guidelines for low risk alcohol consumption because not only would it protect their hearts over the long term but would also lower the risk of them suffering from erectile dysfunction. Dr Chew also said that this did not mean that men who were not drinking should suddenly start to consume alcohol because for some men alcohol “might not be ideal”.

It is very important to stress that the benefits to erectile function from alcohol are only relevant when the alcohol consumption is mild and this research must not be seen as a licence for men to go out and drink to excess.  Men who drink to excess often suffer from a condition nicknamed “Brewers Droop” which is when they suffer from erectile dysfunction due to a lack of sensitivity caused by the alcohol.

The research was published in the respected medical Journal of Sexual Medicine.