Published June 24, 2010 by PETA . Last Updated July 31, 2019.

Every year, impotence, or “erectile dysfunction,” affects millions of men across the world, with one study showing that as many as half of men over the age of 40 are impotent at least part of the time.

Originally, it was thought that impotence was caused by anxiety, but according to the Erectile Dysfunction Institute, up to 90 percent of all cases of impotence are physical as opposed to psychological. That’s right: High cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, prostate cancer or inflammations, and hormonal imbalances cause the vast majority of all cases of impotence.

The good news is that medical science suggests that all of these conditions can be managed or in some cases even prevented with a low-fat vegan diet.

Viagra and other anti-impotence drugs may get you through the night, but a vegetarian diet can get you through your life. Numerous physicians and nutritionists agree that the best way to prevent artery blockage as well as multiple other conditions that cause impotence is to eat a diet high in fiber, including plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

These foods will scrub the plaque off the arterial walls to get your blood flowing and your love life going again in no time. For vegan recipes and information, please check out our free “Vegan Starter Kit.”

To help clear up some of the questions that you may have, we’ve put together some frequently asked questions about how eating meat can affect your sex life.

Why can’t I eat all the meat that I want and then just take Viagra?

The answer is simple: Viagra often doesn’t work, it has side effects, and it’s expensive. Up to 25 percent of the men who take it report absolutely no improvement at all. For some guys, Viagra brings disturbing side effects such as vision problems. And just one dose of Viagra costs $10 (you need to pop a pill every time you want to achieve an erection). That’s a lot more expensive than switching to a bean-and-veggie burrito instead of fried chicken or a fish filet.

What if I’m already experiencing impotence?

It’s not too late! Even if your impotence is caused by your blood pressure medication, going vegan may help you lower your blood pressure naturally, and enable you to wean yourself off the medication that is hindering your ability to achieve a hard and lasting erection. Cutting meat and dairy products out of your diet is a great way to lower your cholesterol and blood pressure naturally and help get your equipment back in working condition.

How will going vegan affect my strength and stamina?

One Danish study stated that “[m]en peddling on a stationary bicycle until muscle failure lasted an average of 114 minutes on a mixed meat and vegetable diet, 57 minutes on a high-meat diet, and a whopping 167 minutes on a strict vegetarian diet.” Many of the world’s top athletes are meat-free, including Sports Illustrated “Olympian of the Century” Carl Lewis, top ultra-marathon runner Scott Jurek, tennis legend Chris Evert, football star Ricky Williams, baseball slugger Prince Fielder, boxing champion Keith Holmes, and NBA standouts Raja Bell and Salim Stoudamire. Lewis says, “[M]y best year of track competition was the first year I ate a vegan diet. Moreover, by continuing to eat a vegan diet, my weight is under control; I like the way I look.” And Stoudamire adds, “I’m in better condition [after going vegan]. My endurance has gone up, and I haven’t gotten tired at all during the whole season.”

Is there any other way that eating meat can affect my sex life?

Most definitely. Eating a meat-laden diet greatly increases the amount of synthetic hormones that your body takes in. These hormones may contribute to a reduced sperm count and an increased risk of testicular tumors.

My impotence is caused by high blood pressure medication, not by cholesterol. How is ending my consumption of meat and dairy products going to help me?

Your high blood pressure is most likely a direct result of a diet rich in meat and dairy products. The incidence of hypertension (high blood pressure) is very low in those who abstain from meat and dairy products. So stop eating burgers and drinking milk and have some pasta, a veggie burger, and a salad instead. A vegan diet will likely help lower your blood pressure to a point where you can stop taking the impotence-causing medication.

I’m still young. I don’t have to worry about impotence, do I?

According to a recent study by the National Institute on Aging, cholesterol levels were much more of a factor than age in the onset of impotence. The study included more than 3,000 men between the ages of 25 and 83 and proved that men with cholesterol over 240 milligrams per deciliter of blood had double the risk of penile dysfunction compared to men with cholesterol of 180 milligrams per deciliter of blood. Cardiovascular disease often starts in childhood. You could have to pay for all those years of eating meat as a youngster later in life Don’t set yourself up for problems in the future.

Want to give a vegan diet a try? We thought so! Take PETA’s Pledge to Be Veg for 30 days, and we’ll send you all the tips that you’ll need to try a vegan diet for 30 days.