We have repeatedly pointed out in various pages of this site how all of our recommendations will maximize the health of your blood vessels. Unhealthy blood vessels produce less NO (Nitric Oxide) and develop fatty plaques along their walls (atherosclerosis) that narrow their diameter and restrict blood flow (see Louis J. Ignarro). Less NO also causes the muscular wall to thicken, and causes the blood flowing through to be more likely to clot. All of these changes cause higher blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes and senility, as well as poor erectile function.

The authors of this site and our book (see the authors) practice what we preach. Our average blood pressure among the four of us is 92/63. Three of us are over 60 and the fourth is over 50. We have not seen any studies on natural ways to reduce blood pressure, but maximizing NO has to produce such an effect. You can therefore use this as an additional indicator for how your efforts are translating into increased NO production. You can buy a blood pressure monitor at your local pharmacy.

Our various recommendations will also reduce your risk of cancer, the number two cause of disability and death next to cardiovascular disease. Excessive weight increases cancers of the breast, colon, rectum, esophagus, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidney, uterus and prostate, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma also increase with body weight. Excess weight and obesity are estimated to be responsible for 14% of cancer deaths in men and 20% in women. In contrast, lower body weight, exercise, low fat intake, high fiber, and increased intake of fruits and vegetables have been associated with lower cancer risk. Weight reduction helps to decrease the risks. In the Iowa women’s health study, intentional weight loss of at least 20 pounds was associated with a 14% reduction in the incidence of cancer.

Some of our recommendations are of benefit in avoiding specific health problems. Various antioxidants, folic acid, lower body weight and exercise all lower the risk of Alzheimer’s, and all of our recommendations will decrease senility in general. Green tea may help to prevent prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is very common in most countries, but the incidence is 18 times lower in China than in the U.S., and men in China who drink more green tea have less prostate cancer than those who drink less. Green tea also stimulates the body’s levels of interferon, one of your main defenses against viruses, and it stimulates the ability of your T-cells (white cells responsible for protecting against foreign invaders) to fight bacteria. If you contact a person with a cold or flu, drink 3 to 5 cups for a few days and you may escape infection entirely. A study has shown that high intake of green tea reduces the number of such infections, and the symptoms are lighter and shorter. Green tea may also help weight loss by stimulating your metabolism.

So, even if ED (erectile dysfunction) is not currently a problem there are other good reasons to follow our recommendations for healthy living. Our health-hostile environment is a minefield. You just need the proper information and the willpower to change your behavior to keep you from being disabled or killed as you pick your way through it!  Also, as with most problems, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure – if you maintain good blood vessel health you may not develop ED and if you do, it will be much more likely to respond to treatment.  For more details read the on-line expanded version of our book, provided for free with purchase of Survival of the Firmest.