Men, are you hydrating, are healthy foods, exercises, avoiding smoking and drinking – still suffering from erectile dysfunction? This may be time to check your vitamin D level.

Constant fatigue, bone pain, muscle weakness and mood swings have long been combined with vitamin D deficiency. Now, a recent study suggests that low levels of this essential nutrients can also affect your bedroom performance – and, potentially, your relationship.

A study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology has revealed an important relationship between vitamin D deficiency and erectile dysfunction (ED), suggesting that low vitamin D levels can not only affect bone and immune health, but also affect sexual performance.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a type of penile disorder that affects a man’s ability to achieve or maintain enough erection firm for sexual intercourse. While topical difficulty with erections can occur with anyone, constant or deteriorating ads should be evaluated by a medical professional. The condition may result in underlying health issues such as restricted blood flow, nervous damage, psychological stress, or heart disease, diabetes or atherosclerosis.

More than only a quality-life issue, the ED is recognized as an early warning indication of poor heart health, including rapid heart attack and stroke risk. Now, vitamin D deficiency is emerging as a more possible risk factor, such as diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome.

the study

For studies, researchers analyzed penile tissue from both humans and laboratory animals and found that vitamin D deficiency was associated with impaired erectile ceremony. In vitamin D deficient mice, erectile tissue showed 40% more collagen deposits – a sign of fibrosis, which makes the tissue stifer and makes less responsive to signs that trigger an erection.

In humans, researchers examined penile tissue from organ donors with different levels of vitamin D. 25-people with lower levels of hydroxyvitamin D showed weak reactions to nerve stimulation and less effective relaxation of penis blood vessels. Importantly, the deficiency appeared to reduce the effectiveness of the phosphodiastrase 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) such as Sildenafil (Viagra), which is usually prescribed for the ED.

The study also found that vitamin D receptors are concentrated in penile smooth muscle cells – important to maintain erectile function. Engineer, erectile reactions, was impaired greatly for a deficiency of vitamin de receptors in mice, and PDE5I drugs were less effective.

A major mechanism appears to be an increase in oxidative stress. Vitamin D deficiency led to a high level of supexide – a harmful free radical – and low levels of SLPI, a protective protein. These changes intervened with nitric oxide signaling, which is necessary for blood vessel relaxation during stimulation.

Although conclusions are promising, the authors take care that the sample size in human studies was small, and more clinical trials are required to confirm the results in the broader population.

Mute epidemic

The ED affects more than half of the 40–70 men in the United States and about 30% of European men aged 40–79.

In India, earlier studies on sexual health problems showed that about 25 out of every 100 patients with ED are under 30 years of age – a decade ago a sharp increase in just 5 to 7 cases. An internal survey contains 400 men who reported difficulty in achieving or maintaining an erection that 100 were in the 20s.

A meta-analysis by the Indian Council for research on the International Economic Relations (ICRER) found that one in five Indian vitamin D is severely suffering from low levels of D. Researchers at the ICRIR and Anvka Foundation further stated that in eastern India, the spread of vitamin D reaches 38.81%.

In India, the recommended daily intake of vitamin D is usually 400–600 IU (international units) for most adults and 400 IU for infants. Older adults may require up to 800 IU per day.