From pills and pumps to surgery and shockwaves, there’s no shortage of creative, costly
and confounding treatments for erectile dysfunction.
And with patients desperate for solutions and doctors quick to dole out medication,
symptom-focused quick fixes with high profit margins overtake any
discussion of prevention, cause or lasting cure.
But the most disturbing omission of all in the booming business that’s arisen from
the battle against impotence, is the fact that erectile dysfunction is not only a top
concern for men, but also their top killer.
Hi it's Emily from Bite Size Vegan and welcome to another vegan nugget.
Erectile dysfunction isn’t exactly a topic for dinner conversation.
The inability to sexually perform carries with it a profound amount
of societal and cultural baggage.
With the astronomical cost of impotence treatments, it’s easy to write off ED as a frivolous
use of money better spent on life-threatening disorders and diseases
than what’s often seen as men’s egos.
And this is partially true.
In this second installment of the Men’s Health Series with Dr. Michael Greger of Nutritionfacts.org,
we’ll hear the disturbing truth about the life-threatening nature of erectile dysfunction,
its cause, and the incredibly simple dietary cure.
Emily: Dr. Greger, thank you again, so much, for taking time out of your busy schedule
to be on the channel and answer some questions.
Dr. Greger: So happy to, anytime!
Emily: It's a bit of an understatement to say that the ability to perform
sexually is important to most men.
Of course the only treatment for erectile dysfunction that we ever hear about is the
wide range of pills with costs exceeding $1 billion worldwide annually.
But the causes and implications of erectile dysfunction aren’t ever addressed.
So what are the real dangers of erectile dysfunction beyond the concerns of loss of virility?
Dr. Greger: So erectile dysfunction defined as the inability to have a satisfactory intercourse
is present in 100 million men worldwide, 30 million men in the US.
You say wait a second, the US only has 8% of the world’s population,
yet 30% of the impotence we’re #1, we’re #1. Yes, indeed.
But who cares cause we’ve got red, white and blue pills like Viagra.
The problem is that these pills don’t treat the underlying cause
which is clogged, inflamed, dysfunctional arteries.
So, erectile dysfunction and coronary artery disease is actually two manifestations
of exactly the same disease.
Forty percent of men over 40; 40 over 40 have Erectile Dysfunction placing them in nearly
50 times the risk of dying from a heart attack cardiac event like sudden death.
That’s a 5,000% increase in risk and even for younger men.
We used to think erectile dysfunction in younger men in 20s-30s,
it was all psychogenic in origin.
Meaning it's all in their head.
But it turns out we are realizing it’s more likely the early signs of vascular disease.
So men in with erectile dysfunction, even if they don’t have any cardiac symptoms,
like chest pain, should be considered a cardiac patient until proven otherwise.
So that’s why even young men should care about their cholesterol levels because hardening
of the arteries can lead to softening of the penis decades down the road.
Your cholesterol now can predict sexual functioning decades later in life
in these longitudinal studies.
And you say wait a second, but now we have pills right?
Can’t I still just continue to eat crap all my life and then just pop some pills.
But you know all the Viagra in the WORLD won’t help your sex life after a stroke.
The bottom line is “ED” stands for Early Death.
It’s the survival of the firmest.
Emily: With erectile dysfunction being, as you said, a manifestation of our #1 killer,
why aren’t men informed about this when it’s such a threat to their lives?
We never hear about erectile dysfunction being part of coronary artery disease.
Dr. Greger: Well, they’re obviously not subscribers to nutritionfacts.org.
Well, it’s like wait a second, why don’t people know that heart disease
can be reversed with a healthy enough diet? Our #1 killer.
The cure for #1 killer of men and women, we have known that since July 1990 with Ornish’s
publication of Lifestyle Heart Trial decades ago.
Yet hundreds of thousands of people continue to die of this
preventable, treatable, reversible condition.
But wait a second, we do we even know that?
And it’s because doctors aren’t told about it - doesn’t make people money - I can go
through all the list of the forces at work, primarily economic forces, that just don’t
allow this information to get out there.
The reason you don’t see ads on TV for broccoli is the same reason you
don’t hear about this research. There's just not a profit motive.
No one sends out a press release when a study gets done about how wonderful sweet potatoes
are for you because there’s no sweet potato lobby out there.
There’s no way they can get this message out there.
If only we had some kind of resource that could bring this science directly to you
without the commercialism bias.
Well, that’s why I do the work that I do.
I hope you enjoyed hearing from Dr. Greger on the true risk
and simple solution to erectile dysfunction.
You can find links to relevant studies and Dr. Greger’s site on the blog post for this
video linked in the description below.
Though it’s an uncomfortable subject, the truth about erectile dysfunction
can literally save lives.
Please share this video to help men take hold of their health.
Be sure to subscribe to the channel to not miss out on the rest
of the Men’s Health Series.
To support free education like this, please see the support links below or click the
Nugget Army icon there or the link in the sidebar.
Now go live vegan, rise to the challenge of the truth, and I’ll see you soon.
But the most disturbing emission of all...
oh my god...
I totally said "emission" instead of "omission."
That was not intentional.
...concern for men, but also their top killer.
I sound like a news anchor.
Tonight at 9. Top killer. Erections. Join us.
duh nuh nuh ... news intro music!
That's how the news is in my world.