You’ve probably heard that chronic stress is terrible for you. But did you know that there’s yet another natural biological state of your body that weakens your erection? It’s called chronic inflammation and, just like stress, it’s currently plaguing men worldwide. This article explains chronic inflammation, how it can lead to erectile dysfunction, and tips to prevent both.
What is Chronic Inflammation?
Inflammation is part of your immune response when you get injured or sick. It’s most evident when you get wounded. The affected area becomes painful, red, and swollen. While it may seem bad because of the discomfort, it’s a sign that your immune cells are killing harmful pathogens. Once your immune system is done, your body calms down. This is called acute inflammation, which only lasts for a few days or weeks. But if it lasts longer, it becomes chronic inflammation.
Chronic inflammation is a bit harder to pinpoint than acute inflammation because it can happen anywhere in your body (depending on the trigger). There are also multiple signs of chronic inflammation such as:
- Abdominal, joint, and chest pain
- Diarrhea, constipation, and acid reflux
- Fatigue and insomnia
- Skin problems and mouth sores
- Depression and anxiety
- Unexplained weight gain/loss
While chronic inflammation can be caused by certain diseases (that take a while to treat), it can also happen even if there’s no injury or sickness. Under normal circumstances, the cells from an infected site will release chemicals like cytokines and histamines that communicate to your immune cells. But if there’s no damage to address, your immune cells can start attacking your own tissues and organs. You can check for inflammation by doing a lab test that identifies inflammatory biomarkers.
Causes of Chronic Inflammation
Inflammation isn’t only triggered by an illness or a wound. It can also be caused by pro-inflammatory substances such as:
- Trans Fat – This is the worst kind of fat commonly found in processed and fried food. Trans fat can find its way into your diet when manufacturers add hydrogenated oil to their products. While trans fat can make your food tastier and last longer, it also raises your LDL cholesterol or bad cholesterol. Trans fat also triggers inflammation, makes your immune system less effective, and can damage cell membranes. Trans fat can cause atherosclerosis, which can lead to erectile dysfunction.
- Sugar – When you consume too much glucose by consuming refined carbohydrates, your blood sugar levels go up. To regulate this, your pancreas secretes insulin. But if you’re always experiencing blood sugar spikes, you can develop insulin resistance. Your body becomes less sensitive to insulin, making your pancreas work harder. This means having excessive amounts of insulin, which is pro-inflammatory. This can also result in type 2 diabetes, which is another trigger for erectile dysfunction.
- Preservatives – Research has shown that preservatives can increase your risk of cancer. This is because substances like nitrites and nitrates produce carcinogens (cancer-causing agents). Preservatives can also kill beneficial gut bacteria that help with digestion. When your gut microbiome is imbalanced (especially if you develop diseases), chronic inflammation will be triggered. Poor gut health can also lead to sexual health issues like erectile dysfunction.
- Smoking/Drinking – Chemicals found in cigarettes are pro-inflammatory. Since smokers regularly absorb nicotine, this means that they are constantly triggering their inflammatory response. Smoking can increase inflammation-promoting bacteria in your gut and cause oxidative stress. Drinking also does the same. When you consume alcohol, it transforms into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde. Studies show that smokers and drinkers are at high risk for erectile dysfunction.
- Stress – Stress can cause both chronic inflammation and erectile dysfunction. The stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol deactivate the anti-inflammatory chemicals in the body and reduce testosterone, which is critical for your erectile capacity. When stressed, your insulin decreases so your body can access energy, while your blood pressure goes up to prepare to respond to danger. With chronic stress, this does not stop because your body is always on high alert. Researchers have found that chronic stress and chronic inflammation are linked to ED-causing diseases.
Chronic Inflammation and Erectile Dysfunction
Chronic inflammation can cause health conditions that lead to erectile dysfunction, such as diabetes and liver disease. It can also cause a lot of damage to your cardiovascular health. As part of the immune response, cytokines can trigger vasoconstriction, which is when your blood vessels constrict, limiting blood flow. This is to prevent the spread of pathogens in the case of infection. But with chronic inflammation, constant vasoconstriction hardens your blood vessels, causing high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction.
Research has also established a strong link between chronic inflammation and erectile dysfunction. A study found that those with elevated levels of inflammatory biomarkers have higher rates of erectile dysfunction. It also warns those that have inflammatory diseases to be vigilant because they may develop erectile dysfunction. Another paper found that an inflammatory diet is associated with a higher risk of erectile dysfunction. Experiments on animals have also shown that anti-inflammatory treatments result in improved erectile capacity.
Tips for an Anti-inflammatory Lifestyle
Chronic inflammation is influenced by your lifestyle choices. Here are some simple adjustments that you can make to counteract chronic inflammation:
1.Diet
Apart from avoiding the dietary causes of chronic inflammation that were stated in the previous section, you can thwart chronic inflammation by consuming anti-inflammatory food:
- Fruits – Blueberries, strawberries, apples, oranges, lemons, grapes, peaches, plums, tomatoes, and pomegranates.
- Vegetables – Kale, spinach, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, cabbage, edamame, and Brussels sprouts.
- Fatty Fish – Salmon, sardines, tuna, herring, mackerel, and anchovies.
- Nuts – Walnuts, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, and macadamia nuts.
- Herbs and spices – Cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, garlic, black pepper, cayenne, fenugreek, cardamom, and ginseng.
Some of these ingredients are also excellent for sexual health, particularly in boosting fertility. For those who want to follow established diets, you can also try the Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, low-carb diets, and vegan diets, which have been proven to reduce inflammation.
2.Exercise
Regular exercise provides numerous benefits to your health, like improved stamina, increased strength, and mood regulation. One lesser-known fact about exercise is that it also lowers inflammation. While it’s true that exercise can temporarily increase cortisol, it also trains your body on how to effectively manage it. We recommend aerobic exercise and strength training. Aerobic exercise increases anti-inflammatory chemicals in the body and improves blood flow. Meanwhile, strength training reduces inflammation by improving insulin sensitivity while also boosting testosterone.
3.Sleep
Sleep is critical for all your biological processes. Your body repairs damage when you’re asleep, which is why you sleep more when you’re sick. Not having enough sleep will also keep your cortisol and cytokine levels high, which can trigger chronic inflammation. Even though your immune system is in overdrive in a way, it’s also stunted because sleep deprivation leads to a decrease in infection-fighting T cells. Poor sleep by itself is also linked to erectile dysfunction and other chronic diseases. Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep by maintaining good sleep hygiene.
4.Stress management
Too much stress can flood your body with inflammatory signals. And when cortisol levels are high, your testosterone levels crash. Both can throttle your erectile strength. Stress can also trigger cardiovascular issues that decrease the blood flow to your penis. So, to prevent chronic inflammation and erectile dysfunction, men must learn how to manage their stress response. Meditation and journaling have been shown to lower stress levels among practitioners. Yoga, which is also an exercise, is helpful in reducing stress and strengthening your pelvic muscles.
Conclusion
Chronic inflammation can be very damaging to your health and sexual life when left uncontrolled. While inflammation is necessary, it should be regulated so that it doesn’t result in chronic diseases and erectile dysfunction. Since chronic inflammation is mostly due to unhealthy choices, you have the power to undo it just by making a few tweaks to your lifestyle. But if you’re still struggling with erectile dysfunction, book an appointment with us. Our experts will work with you to address your concerns about sexual dysfunction with our custom and comprehensive treatments!
