A large group of doctors is urging the government to inform Viagra and Cialis users about the importance of a plant-based diet in treating the underlying cause of erectile dysfunction (ED).
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), which is an alliance of 12,000 doctors, has filed a citizen petition with the FDA, urging the health agency to label ED drugs, such as Viagra (sildenafil) and Cialis (tadalafil), with selective information that can help users to understand the importance of plant-based diet in erectile function.
In the United States, more than 30 million men suffer from ED.
Considering the findings of several scientific studies, PCRM says ED is often linked to poor cardiovascular health, which can be reversed or improved by following a healthy lifestyle, including eating plant-based foods.
PCRM doctors have urged the FDA to mention a notice on ED drugs Viagra and Cialis, which states, “Erectile dysfunction is caused by artery disease, a condition that this drug will not improve. Artery disease can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and early death. A plant-based diet, moderate exercise, stress management, and lack of smoking can, in combination, improve and often reverse artery disease.”
The group of doctors referred to several scientific studies that support the association between a plant-based diet and optimal cardiovascular health, and eventually optimal erectile function.
A 2016 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that men who follow the plant-based diet are more likely to have good heart health and ultimately a good penile function.
The study looked at nearly 26,000 men for a period of 10 years and found that a diet rich in fruits reduced ED by 14 percent.
PCRM president Dr. Neal Barnard said, “A prescription for Viagra should include a lifesaving wake-up call for men with ED to adopt a heart-healthy diet. Erectile dysfunction is a sign of narrowed arteries throughout a man’s body, including the arteries to his heart and brain, putting him at high risk for heart attack, stroke, and death.”
