Do you have a psychological or physical component to your erectile dysfunction (ED)? Perhaps you have gained a lot of weight, you having Anxiety and you’re uncomfortable about it and it is effecting your love life. Does it seem as if your libido took vacation time? Next time you go to the grocery store check out the produce section and look for fruits that are red in color such as strawberries, cranberries and grapes. And, don’t forget the red wine. There is one fruit you want to stay away from and that is grapefruit. I’m particularly fond of Ruby Reds but I’m a female. Apparently grapefruit isn’t good for females or males. Beyond grapefruit’s antioxidants it contains a powerful diuretic that helps to eliminate excess water weight in the body. Grapefruit is often recommended as an addition to any diet. Of all the citrus, this fruit has by far fewer calories than oranges. For that reason, diabetics often eat grapefruit. This fruit makes you feel satisfied and makes you stop eating. So it curbs your appetite. You’ll and you get the benefit of powerful antioxidants, potassium and magnesium. But, if you have ED, stay away from grapefruit.
Grapefruit and Erections
A number of men who have mild ED problems whether organic or psychological have if not by accident found that by drinking grapefruit juice and a somewhat dilute grapefruit juice, that relatively quickly they can’t get an erection and they don’t wake up with an erection either. Men have also reported that they had lost all sense of libido. However, when they stopped drinking grapefruit juice, within a couple of weeks their ED went away. It has been suggested that something in grapefruit interferes with testosterone.
Grapefruit and Estrogen
British researchers have demonstrated that just a small amount of grapefruit per day (one forth of a grapefruit) increased the risk of breast cancer in women by 30%. They also reported that women taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were at the same risk. According to these researchers the risk factor involves estrogen found in the HRT. It seems that there are some links between grapefruit and the hormone estrogen. It turns out that grapefruit contains estrogen-like flavonoids that are also found in green tea and soy. These flavonoids behave much like synthetic estrogen and if you give this to a male his libido goes to zilch. Apparently, it is know that grapefruit has the ability to inhibit the degradation of estrogen including certain drugs. This is particularly true of cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins. Consider drinking a six ounce glass of juice, not a good idea because it raises your statin blood concentration.
To believe or not to Believe
But hey, the verdict isn’t in yet. Another study apparently demonstrated no increase in female hormone (estrogen) or cancer risk, however a link between grapefruit and estrogen seems reasonable. Nevertheless, we do know that testosterone is everything for libido and estrogen destroys libido. So, it seems obvious at this point that if a real relationship exists between grapefruit and estrogen, more research needs to be done. So if you’re thinking of using grapefruit as a dietary aid for losing weight, be cautious. If you’re a male, this may lead to decreases in libido and erectile dysfunction and if your a female, this may lead to an increased risk of breast cancer.
