The REAL Cause of Erectile Dysfunction (& the #1 Exercise to Fix It)
In a Nutshell
Erectile dysfunction is an early warning sign of heart disease that appears 3-5 years before symptoms because the penis's small blood vessels clog first. The root cause is declining nitric oxide levels that impair blood vessel relaxation, not low testosterone or venous leak. Deadlifts and squats are the most effective fix as they rapidly boost nitric oxide production, combined with low-carb intermittent fasting and nitrate-rich foods like arugula and beets.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Erectile dysfunction is not caused by low testosterone. Early erectile dysfunction in men in their 40s or even younger can be a warning sign that the heart is in trouble. One of the early signs of heart problems is erectile dysfunction.
The blood vessels that supply an erection are between 1 and 2 mm, while the blood vessels that supply the heart are between 3 to 4 mm. The narrower pipe is where the problem is going to show up first. This is why erectile dysfunction shows up usually 3 to 4 to 5 years before heart problems show up. This shows up in younger men in their 40s and less in older men in their 60s, 70s and 80s.
The recommended tests to rule out heart problems are a CAC test (coronary artery calcium test) that looks into the coronary artery and looks at the calcium in there, and an ultrasound of the carotid arteries. A fasting insulin test is also recommended with the target number under five.
A simple way to rule out if there's a problem with the plumbing is to check if erections occur in the middle of the night or in the early morning. Having early morning erections or nocturnal erections indicates it might not be a vascular problem.
Testosterone drives libido and sex drive, but it doesn't drive the mechanical erection itself. Viagra does not boost testosterone - it increases nitric oxide instead.
Venous leak is not what's causing erectile dysfunction. There are no holes in the vein system causing the problem.
An erection is a relaxation of smooth muscle that allows sponge-like tissue to fill up with blood. The blood that fills up in the sponge shuts the exit door, preventing blood from leaving.
The thing that causes an erection, which is the same mechanism Viagra works on, is called nitric oxide. This is the message that causes the smooth muscle to relax and allow the sponge to fill up to its full capacity.
An 18-year-old versus a 70-year-old shows a huge drop in nitric oxide. A 70-year-old has a drop of nitric oxide by 75%. As people age, they make less nitric oxide.
Things that suppress nitric oxide include poorly controlled blood sugar, smoking or vaping, sleep apnea, having a sedentary life, not exercising, chronic inflammation, being on certain medications, and even mouthwash can interfere with bacteria that can lessen the ability to make nitric oxide.
The number one exercise to help fix erectile dysfunction is deadlift or squat. This exercise recruits like 70% of muscles, creating a massive rushing of blood and friction through the blood vessels, generating a lot of nitric oxide, usually within 48 hours.
Before jumping into this exercise, work up to it gradually.
Other recommendations include going on a low-carb diet with intermittent fasting. Foods that can naturally increase nitric oxide include arugula (which stimulates nitric oxide the most out of all vegetables), cacao (unheated chocolate like raw cocoa powder), and beet powder.
Even if heart tests show negative results, still go on a low-carb diet with intermittent fasting to help reverse the condition.
Testosterone is vitally important not just for libido, but also to increase muscle mass.
Keep Dr. Eric Berg DC in your library
Save the videos and channels worth coming back to, and find them again in one place.
