Can Folic Acid cause Erectile Dysfunction?

This condition is more common in men throughout aging and though both physical and psychological factors that contribute to ED, some common causes include atherosclerosis, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, low testosterone, spinal cord or nerve injury, stress/depression, performance anxiety, low self-esteem, guilt, and relationship issues.

But wait, it has recently been found in some studies that folic acid in a way is also a contributing factor to ED– but the question is how?

So, this post will have a brief yet ample discussion on if folic acid cause erectile dysfunction, how and possible ways to treat the condition.

How does erectile dysfunction occur in a man?

Before we get into how folic acid can develop erection issues in men, let’s put our focus on how this condition may occur in men.

Generally, a man with the health conditions that we mention earlier tend to get their penile blood arteries contracted or plaque-up which affects blood flow to penile tissues (corpus cavernosa) and eventually the erection. Also, while we talk about psychological factors, those causes lower sexual desire, i.e. affect arousal/stimulation leading to poor erection.

Commonly, the earlier mentioned causes can be treated with doctors recommended FDA approved phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor dose, Viagra 150mg tablets or equivalent ones.

But what is it like when it comes folic acid as a contributing factor to ED? Umm, let’s find out.

Folic acid and erectile dysfunction

So, what do you think how folic acid could develop erection issues in men? It has been mentioned in a study by Sapienza Universita di Roma at Rome that aging male with folic acid deficiency is found to contribute to ED indeed.

It is proposed by the researchers that folic acid deficiency can cause a decline in nitric oxide (NO) levels in blood vessels, i.e. develop erection issues by clogging the penile blood arteries.

In their small study, researchers examined 31 men who were diagnosed with ED. The study checked on their folic acid levels, and men with higher folic acid deficiency had higher degree of ED. The findings suggest that men with folic acid deficiency may also develop erection issues. Moreover, while we talk about some commonly recommended ones such as Levitra 40mg tablets or its equivalent alternatives, they might help to some level for better erection occurred due to folic acid deficiency– but ultimately, one has to cure the deficiency.

How to get folic acid?

There are dozens of foods and natural supplements that contain good amount of folate/folic acid. Choosing from some of the best and suitable folic acid sources and getting them in your daily diet can improve the deficiency.

Talking about supplements, general pharmacies have vitamin B9 available which is an easy and adequate source to fix folic acid deficiency. And if you are looking for some folic acid rich foods to add in your diet, here are some:

• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Leafy green vegetables such as cabbage, kale, spinach and spring greens
• Peas
• Chickpeas and kidney beans

Adding some of these folates in either your breakfast or lunch will do the job. As soon as you regain the ideal folate levels, erection will eventually get right.

Lifestyle changes are worth

While we talk about folic acid as a factor that contribute to ED, it is also important to prevent. There is a popular saying that “Prevention is better than cure!” and is absolutely true. When we talk about ED, healthy lifestyle is your friend. Go for exercising, a clean and nutritious diet, yoga and meditation, and avoid smoking and alcohol– that will make a huge difference, just a few days.