You might not be aware of it, but your gut health plays a crucial role in your overall health. The state of your gastrointestinal system can impact both your physical and mental health. Does it affect your sexual performance? You bet. Your gut health can affect how you perform in bed.
Read on and we will tell you more about the connection between gut health and male sexual functions. We will also tell you about microbiomes and how they can ensure that your gut health is in peak condition.
Gut health and microbiomes
Gut health is a term used to describe the state of your gastrointestinal system. This is a system of your body that includes your stomach, intestines, and colon. When medical professionals talk about gut health, they are referring to a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut. They look into how your body digests and absorbs the food you eat. They also check for a stable gut microbiota. Lastly, they make sure that you have an effective immune system.
According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, a microbiome is a community of organisms that live in a person, including the gut. This community is made of fungi, bacteria, and viruses. With the help of a thriving microbiome, you can have gut health that helps improve male sexual health performance by:
Promoting hormonal balance
Based on a paper published by the National Library of Medicine, microbiome is responsible for an interdependent relationship between the gut and the reproductive system. Gut helps regulate testosterone production. Testosterone is a hormone that’s vital for erectile function and male sex drive. An imbalance of gut bacteria can also lead to high levels of the hormone estrogen in men. High estrogen levels and low testosterone can lead to Erectile Dysfunction (ED).
Preventing inflammation
Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome can help prevent inflammation. Certain health conditions, like leaky gut syndrome, can trigger inflammation. Leaky gut syndrome is a theoretical condition wherein the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged and allows bacteria and toxins to enter the bloodstream. This can lead to chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation can damage the blood vessels and prevent healthy blood flow to the penis, leading to erectile dysfunction.
Improving metabolic health
Metabolic health refers to your body’s ability to process food to produce energy. Your metabolic health also affects how your body regulates blood sugar and fat levels. These are factors that might affect your sexual performance. Energy is needed if you want to ensure that your partner is satisfied in bed. Lack of energy can also lead to a desire to finish quickly, leading to Premature Ejaculation (PE).
On the other hand, regulating your blood sugar level can help you maintain a healthy body. High blood sugar levels can lead to damaged blood vessels. As mentioned earlier, damages to blood vessels prevent blood from flowing to your penis and can lead to erectile dysfunction. High blood sugar levels can also cause nerve damage. Damages to the pudendal nerves can lead to decreased sensation and the inability to achieve and maintain an erection.
Improving mental health
Your gut microbiome produces neurotransmitters that affect mood and emotions. This can affect sexual performance because mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression can cause sexual health issues, including erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation.
An imbalance in the gut microbiome can also contribute to low dopamine and serotonin levels. Dopamine is also called the “feel-good hormone” and can make sex more pleasurable. When you have low dopamine levels, you might not find pleasure in sexual activities which can contribute to ED. On the other hand, serotonin helps regulate mood. High serotonin levels are associated with depression and can lower libido.
Maintaining a healthy gut biome for peak sexual performance
Here are some tips on how to ensure that you have a healthy gut biome and sustain peak sexual performance:
- Eat a balanced diet – Make sure that you focus on nutrition and that your diet includes fruits and vegetables that are rich in fibre. You can also include fermented foods in your diet because they are excellent sources of probiotics essential to a healthy gut biome.
- Exercise – Regular exercise can help with digestion and flushing out toxins from your gut.
- Get professional help – Professional medical help is always your best option if you want to keep a healthy body, including your gut. If you feel that your gut health is affecting your sexual performance, talk to a specialist at Men’s Health Clinic (MHC). MHC offers custom treatment for ED and PE that consider your other underlying medical conditions, including gut health issues.
Conclusion
Taking care of your gut is taking care of your overall health. It also means taking care of your sexual functions. With the help of a healthy gut microbiome, you can avoid gut-related issues that can lead to ED and PE. Eat a balanced diet, exercise, and get enough quality sleep. Don’t forget to seek professional help so you can address gut-related and sexual health issues before it’s too late. Book a FREE consultation with MHC for a comprehensive assessment.
