High Cholesterol

Everyone knows that vegetarians have much lower rates of heart disease because the saturated fat and cholesterol in meat are what's responsible for most heart disease. But did you know that when that gunk clogs the arteries from your heart, it shuts down blood flow to your other vital organ? Indeed, the most common cause of decreased blood flow to your vital organs is atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. The controllable risk factors for atherosclerosis, including high cholesterol and high blood pressure, will often produce erectile failure before affecting the heart.

According to Dr. Neal D. Barnard, M.D., if a man eats a diet rich in animal products (meat and dairy foods), he has a very high chance of developing high cholesterol levels. Not only are animal products the only dietary source of cholesterol, extensive research also shows that animal proteins have been found to raise cholesterol levels. The cholesterol "sticks" to the interior walls of the blood vessels and creates a hard layer of plaque. What happens when those arteries begin to harden and clog with plaque as a result of high cholesterol? The blood flow into the penis is blocked or severely limited and you no longer have more blood flowing in than leaving the penis. This results in a constant failure to achieve an erection.

Artery blockages are most often caused by consumption of meat and other animal products. Contrary to popular opinion, chicken and many sea animals have even more cholesterol, calorie for calorie, than beef. The good news is that blockages caused by cholesterol buildup can be prevented through a program of lifestyle changes. Recent research by Dean Ornish, M.D., at the University of California, San Francisco, proved that a low-fat vegetarian diet is the prime way to begin the cleanup of your arteries.

While animal proteins increase cholesterol levels, soy proteins have consistently been found to lower cholesterol levels. Plant-based vegan diets often are high in soy protein and completely devoid of animal protein. Because of this, the average vegan cholesterol level is 133, which is 37 percent lower than in the general population. The average cholesterol level in vegetarians is 23 percent lower than in nonvegetarians. It is commonly considered medically impossible for a person with cholesterol below 150 to have a heart attack. Yet another reason to go vegan.

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