Can drinking beet juice really help with erectile dysfunction? Learn the potential connection here.
Beets are earthy, dense, sweet, and very polarizing root vegetables that many people either love or hate.
With bright red juice and an unexpected flavor that is intensely sweet while simultaneously reminding you of dirt -- beets are definitely on the weird end of the vegetable spectrum.
Some people claim that eating beets and drinking beet juice can help fight the negative effects of erectile dysfunction, but does this claim actually hold any weight?
Below, we will try to assess if beetroots might actually help some men out in the bedroom, what nitric oxide has to do with this beet juice ED theory, explain the connections between ED medication mechanisms and beets, and then wrap up with our final thought on the matter.
Read Related: What Are the Best Foods for ED? 9 Foods That May Benefit Men With ED
We can definitively say that beets are a very healthy vegetable to add to your plate or juice up for a solid nutrient-dense inclusion to your diet.
Beets have anti-inflammatory properties, contain a good dose of antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. So, ordering that roasted beet salad or including a beet or two in your next juicer concoction is definitely good for you.
But, is beet juice good for erectile dysfunction?
With a lack of studies looking at this sexual health condition and beets directly, we really don’t know yet. A lot of information on the subject seems to be anecdotal so far, so take any definitive claims of benefits with a grain of salt.
However, there may be a few hypothesized reasons behind how beets may improve general cardiovascular function and improve blood pressure levels related to boosts in nitric oxide -- more on that below.
Beets and the juice from beets contain a good amount of organic nitrates.
In your body, nitrates can be converted into nitric oxide which is a gas that deals with how vessels open up to allow for better blood flow.
Your body naturally makes its own nitric oxide for this reason, but levels may decline with age. Beets may help boost nitric oxide in the body for a certain amount of time after consumption.
Nitric oxide plays a role in erectile function since its release in the penile vessels from mental stimulation helps improve and maintain blood flow to the corpus cavernosum muscles in the penis to produce an erection.
Nitric oxide isn’t exactly the only player in erectile functionality. Nitric oxide leads to the production of cGMP which really produces the relaxation of the vascular smooth muscle.
And, once cGMP is out and about relaxing and improving blood flow, an enzyme called PDE-5 likes to pop in and degrade cGMP to close everything back up and return to baseline again.
Erections involve a delicate interplay of nitric oxide and cGMP levels rising, and then PDE-5 enzymes coming in to calm everything back down. Both beets and ED medications may adjust this interplay, although in slightly different ways.
Beets may hypothetically increase the NO in the body to stimulate cGMP more. While ED medications function by inhibiting the PDE-5 enzyme which breaks down cGMP. The idea is that both of these mechanisms may lead to more cGMP around for potentially better erectile function.
Also Read: 5 Unexpected Things That May Signal ED
Beets and beet juice are definitely healthy foods, so there is likely no harm to come from including normal amounts in your diet. But, we don’t yet know conclusively if it can help with erectile functioning.
Hypothetically, some people think that there may be a connection between the high levels of organic nitrates in beets and general better vascular functioning.
So, feel free to enjoy your beets and beet juice, but you probably shouldn’t expect it to deliver the same results as tried and tested ED medications.
If you are suffering from erectile dysfunction and you want a solution that has been proven effective -- there are well-tolerated medications available.
PDE-5 inhibitor ED medications that function by mediating the same nitric oxide system include sildenafil (Viagra) and tadalafil (Cialis), just to name a few.
If you are already using an ED medication but want to see if beets can give you a boost as well, talk to your doctor about this combination, especially if you are considering downing large amounts of beet juice.
If you have given beets a try, but they haven’t given you the effects you are looking for, or you want to try out a prescription erectile dysfunction medication, you can source real medications prescribed by U.S. licensed doctors online.
At Strut, we carry Sildenafil (generic Viagra), or Tadalafil (generic Cialis). You can have a free online questionnaire-based telemedicine consultation with our U.S. licensed doctors today to see if these options are a good fit for you.
If you are a good fit for treatment with a PDE-5 inhibitor, your medication can be shipped to your front door with our free shipping.
If you have any questions during your treatment, or need to discuss dosing adjustments, our team and doctors are available for free unlimited follow-ups.
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