How often should you have sex? Do it this much and you'll be healthier and live longer.
For those who do have it, it can be emotionally devastating and even damage a marriage if a man is not open about it with his wife. Why? A woman tends to assume she is the problem and that her husband is no longer attracted to her. "Only 20 percent of erectile dysfunction is in our minds, [so] 80 percent or so is physical," Dr. Oz says. "The penis really is the dipstick for male health without any question at all. And if it's not working, it's not just an ego issue--it's a physical health issue."
Men: Frequent sex could prevent what most men perceive as their worst nightmare.
And that is what is most alarming about erectile dysfunction. For a penis to become erect, its blood vessels must engorge with blood. "If you've got artery problems in the penis, you're going to have them elsewhere too," says Dr. Oz.. "You [will] have that same problem with arteries being hardened in your heart and in your brain." Erectile dysfunction could also be a symptom of more serious medical problems to come, including heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease and problems with kidneys and skin. "That's why coming forward and talking about it like it's a medical problem, rather than some cosmetic or manliness issue, is so critical," Dr. Oz explains. Drugs that treat erectile dysfunction work remarkably well, which is why they are so popular. But men shouldn't think that is the solution to their problem. "Because if you medicate yourself and get over a problem, that's not the same as reversing the problem," warns Dr. Oz.
Find out five symptoms men just can't ignore!
So what should a man do for erectile dysfunction besides medicate the problem?
--Eliminate inflammatory foods in your diet, including anything that has been fried.
--Do eat healthy fats like omega-3s that are found in salmon and walnuts.
--Get enough exercise to break a sweat.
--Lose belly fat to help get your hormones back on track.
Find out the No. 1 sexual problem for women.
Other fun facts to know and tell about men's sexual health:
--Do men go through something like menopause?
Dr. Oz calls it "male-o-pause." Just as women's hormones drop over two to three years as they go through menopause, the same reduction in hormone production happens to men. The big difference? It takes a lot longer. "You can't tell that it's happening sometimes," Dr. Oz told Oprah. "But that exact same shift is occurring." When a man's testosterone decreases as he enters middle age, it can lead to decreased muscle mass and a loss of vitality.
This sex survey found out what women really want. It's just one thing--more than any other.
--Do those pills for male enhancement really work?
"No, they don't work," Dr. Oz tells the "Oprah" audience. "You're not going to make the organ bigger." Don't waste your money. But, guys, you can be proud of this: "The male penis is a heck of a lot bigger than it's supposed to be," he said. "When we compare humans to other animals, proportionally our penis is huge. So why would the male penis be bigger than it needs to be? Only one possible reason--because women want it that way. That's the only possible reason, because they select mates based on that."
