Your diet can impact your body in some pretty surprising ways. A good diet can improve your health from head to toe (and everywhere in between, as you will shortly find out), so it is important to make sure that your diet provides you with all the necessary nutrients you need to lead a healthy lifestyle. If you have ever wondered how your body responds to what you eat, then here are three surprising ways your diet affects your body.
Improved erections
If you’re a guy, here’s some good news: a healthy diet is likely to help you achieve stronger erections. More specifically, the Mediterranean diet – consisting of things like fish, olive oil, vegetables, and whole grains – has been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, and subsequently, erectile dysfunction (ED).
Conversely, a bad diet – consisting of things like fries, burgers, and sugary snacks – will increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and, in turn, increase your chance of developing ED. This is because bad diets are typically high in saturated fats and salt. Saturated fats increase blood cholesterol levels (increasing the risk of heart attacks) and excessive salt consumption raises your blood pressure (which can lead to a stroke).
Cardiovascular diseases increase the chance of developing ED because they restrict blood flow to the parts of your body that need it most – including your penis. An erection happens when, upon arousal, your penis fills with blood. If blood flow to the penis is reduced, this will result in weaker, softer erections – or no erections at all.
Although sildenafil and tadalafil are usually the first-line treatments people choose when treating their ED, a healthy diet may also help to improve erectile function. Oily fish like salmon and mackerel are high in omega-3, which helps to boost nitric oxide (NO), an important molecule needed to generate erections. It helps to dilate (widen) the blood vessels in the penis, allowing more blood to flow into it – resulting in stronger erections.
Fruit high in flavonoids – such as strawberries, blueberries, and citrus fruits – have been shown to reduce the risk of developing ED by as much as 21%. Flavonoids are believed to help keep blood vessels healthy, improve blood pressure, and regulate NO production – all of which are beneficial when it comes to maintaining healthy erections.
Better hair quality
A good diet can have a dramatic impact on the quality of your hair. Hair is made of a protein called keratin, so it is essential that your diet has enough protein in it if you want to maintain healthy hair. If you don’t have enough protein in your diet, your hair may become dry, brittle, and weak. To prevent this, you can get your protein from natural sources such as eggs, meat, and fish. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, then nuts, legumes, and seitam are also good sources of protein.
Biotin (also known as vitamin B7) also plays an important part in maintaining healthy hair. It helps the body break down carbohydrates, fats, and amino acids, which are the building blocks of hair. Biotin deficiency can cause hair loss, so it is important that biotin is consumed in the diet to avoid this. Sources of biotin include:
- Egg yolks
- Salmon
- Bananas
- Walnuts, almonds, and pecans
- Beans
- Avocado
It is worth noting that a healthy diet will not prevent the process of hair loss in men experiencing male pattern baldness. This is because male pattern baldness is caused by a mixture of genetic and hormonal factors. A molecule called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) changes the hair follicles on the scalp in such a way that they begin to produce hairs that become smaller, shorter, and lighter.
As there is no cure for male pattern baldness, even a good diet will be unable to reverse the effects of this condition. Usually, finasteride is prescribed as a first-line treatment for male pattern baldness to help slow its effects.
Better skin
Not only is the skin the largest organ in the body, but it’s also the body’s first line of defence against harmful pathogens. Therefore, it makes sense to keep it in good nick.
One way to keep your skin healthy is by eating foods that are beneficial to the skin. Fruit and vegetables contain antioxidants that help protect the cells in your skin from damage by free radicals (unstable atoms that can cause damage to DNA). What’s more, some types of fruit and veg – such as oranges and kale – are high in vitamin C, which helps produce the collagen that strengthens the skin’s capillaries.
Another skin-protecting wonder is omega-3. Omega-3 has been shown to reduce photoaging – the premature aging of the skin caused by repeated exposure to UV light from the sun. It also plumps the skin, reduces inflammation, and helps to build healthy skin cells. Lastly, omega-3 inhibits a hormone made in the liver called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which can result in a reduction of spots and blemishes on the skin. Sources of omega-3 include:
- Salmon
- Mackerel
- Sardines
- Walnuts
- Linseed
- Chia seeds
- Hemp
Omega-3 deficiency can cause rough, scaly skin and dermatitis, so it is important to ensure you get enough omega-3 in your diet to avoid these conditions. It can, however, interact with particular medications like warfarin, so it’s best to talk to your doctor before taking omega-3, or any other health supplement.
I agree, healthy food and enough hydration are very important for healthy hair and hair growth. But I would also add some high quality biotin supplement, something that could easily fulfill the daily need of our body. I take this one, and the result is seen after only first bottle already.