Eat Like An Italian, Make Love Like A Stallion

Diabetic men following the Med diet were also more likely to be sexually active

A new study done by scientists at the Division of Urology, Department of Geriatrics and Metabolic Diseases at the Second University of Naples in Italy has looked into the link between following a Mediterranean diet and rates of erectile dysfunction in men suffering from Type 2 diabetes. The researchers say that their study is the first one to specifically look at the correlation between diet and erectile dysfunction in this group of men.

Men suffering from type 2 diabetes are known to have significantly higher rates of erectile dysfunction which is directly related to the condition itself as opposed to the high rates of obesity and poor diet which often accompany it. In this new study the men were told to fill in a food frequency questionnaire and also had their erectile function assessed using an International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire.

Over 550 men filled in both questionnaires.  A nine point scale was used to assess how closely the men’s diets followed the Mediterranean ideal with higher scores showing that they followed it more often.

The men who fell into the category of high adherence to the Mediterranean diet tended to have lower BMI’s, smaller waist circumferences, less problems with metabolic syndrome, undertook more physical activity and had better lipid and glucose profiles.

The results also showed that those men who followed the Mediterranean diet more closely had a statistically significant lower rate of overall erectile dysfunction compared to those who did not. The scientists said the figures showed that only 52% of diabetic men following the Mediterranean diet suffered from impotence compared to 62% of diabetic men who did not.

In the case of severe erectile dysfunction only 16.5% of those following the Mediterranean diet suffered from it compared to 26.4% of those who did not. Diabetic men following the Mediterranean diet were also more likely to be sexually active. The researchers therefore concluded that following a Mediterranean diet could be an intrinsic part of diabetes control which would have significant sexual health benefits in men.