Is the olive oil and lemon juice for ED rumor for real? Learn the truth behind olive oil and lemon juice for sexual health.
Sometimes the lure of a clickbait headline may take over the true facts of newly discovered information, and twist the story into something that isn’t quite correct.
In the case of the “olive oil and lemon juice for ED” trend, this just might be what happened.
A 2018 study from the University of Athens looked into the effects of a long-term Mediterranean diet in elderly men from a small island in Greece, including how it may correlate with good sexual health.
While the study had a positive outcome suggesting health benefits from following an olive-oil-rich Mediterranean diet, turning the information into promises of olive oil being “the new Viagra” is simply untrue, and doesn’t even really make sense given the way Viagra functions.
Below, we will talk about where the confusion came from here, including the real information we have from this study, where the disconnect has come from, explain why Viagra is not a good comparison for olive oil, and give you some evidence-based takeaways.
When we look into the study behind all of these enticing headlines, we can get a better understanding of just what the info is trying to relay.
This study was conducted on 667 men from a small island in Greece, where people are known for their longevity and healthy aging.
The researchers had the men, average age of 67 years old, answer questionnaires about their regular diets and sexual functioning, and then also used a non-invasive calculation to measure just how distendable (not stiff) their aortas were. All of this data was then analyzed to see if there were any connections between diet, cardiovascular health, and healthy sexual function in older age.
The researchers then reported that, according to this study, there seemed to be a connection between eating a Mediterranean diet long-term and having less stiff (more healthy) arteries. Reporting more olive oil consumption on the diet questionnaire was also correlated with higher testosterone levels, and better reported sexual functioning.
The conclusion of the study was that “Long-term adherence to MedDiet and olive consumption seems to increase testosterone levels and improve aortic elastic properties, offering a synergistic effect to sexual capacity of elderly inhabitants in Ikaria Island.”
Of course, the above information sounds pretty good, and may back up the idea that olive oil might be a pretty good idea for good cardiovascular health and healthy sexual functioning in men.
The way that this has been misinterpreted, however, makes it seem like men can just down some olive oil in a pinch and be ready for the bedroom, regardless of what their usual diet is like.
In reality, the participants in this study have lived their whole lives eating a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, lemons, vegetables, fruits, unprocessed carbohydrates, and lean meats. So, olive oil to support a healthy sex life is a long game, and won’t work magic by just topping a salad with some olive oil and lemon juice for one night.
Another reason why these articles calling olive oil “better than Viagra” is misleading, is because these two are not a fair comparison.
Viagra is a medication that can temporarily help men dealing with erectile dysfunction (often from underlying vascular issues), by making it easier to achieve and maintain an erection for a few hours. It is a temporary solution for an underlying problem.
Olive oil, and following a Mediterranean diet, on the other hand, can set you up for long-term healthy cardiovascular function, when it is eaten long-term. And, for men, healthy cardiovascular function throughout your whole body, means it is more likely to have healthy vascular function in the penile area as well.
While it works well for many men dealing with ED, Viagra is a temporary solution to ED, and olive oil is a long-term ED prevention aid by promoting heart health. This is why calling olive oil the “new Viagra”, doesn’t really make much sense. These both serve different functions, and -- can often even be successfully paired together for a well-rounded approach to living with ED.
The real takeaway here is probably a lot less glamorous and enticing than some of the titles try to make it out to be.
To boil it down, this study suggests that eating a Mediterranean diet, which tends to be high in olive oil and lemons, may set you up for long-term better cardiovascular and erectile function into older age.
The bottom line here is that a healthy Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil may be good for maintaining healthy sexual function. But, it is not a quick fix or miracle cure, and it needs to be maintained as a long-term dietary approach.
If you are already struggling with ED, it should not be expected that a few olive-oily Mediterranean meals will solve your problems, or that you can switch out your ED medication for a bottle of olive oil on your nightstand.
But, it can be included as a way to improve your diet as a comprehensive approach to your vascular health -- and you can still use your trusted ED medication as needed.
Here at Strut, we are all for making healthy diet and lifestyle changes to help improve your general well-being and potentially improve various conditions. But, you may still need a medication to be able to work through symptoms, like ED. Your approach to ED treatment does not need to be all lifestyle changes or only medications, sometimes the best solution is a combination of the two.
If you want to look into taking control of your ED symptoms, you can learn more about the two most popular ED medications, Sildenafil (generic Viagra) and Tadalafil (generic Cialis). If you want to see if they are a good fit for you, you can have a free online questionnaire and image-based consultation with our U.S. licensed doctors in under 15 minutes. If you are a good candidate for treatment, they will develop a plan for you, and ship your medication to your front door with our free shipping.
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