New research analyzing National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data reveals that men who consume grape juice 5 or more times per week demonstrate significantly lower prevalence of erectile dysfunction, particularly among those over age 40.
The study, published in The Aging Male, examined data from 1532 adult male participants, including 510 with erectile dysfunction (ED) and 1022 controls. After adjusting for multiple variables and using propensity score matching, researchers found that regular grape juice consumption (at least 5 times per week) was associated with lower ED prevalence.
"In men, regular grape juice intake (at least 5 times per week) was correlated to a lower prevalence of ED, especially significant in men over 40 years of age," wrote the authors, led by Liwei Wu from the Department of Urology at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital.
The protective association remained robust after researchers controlled for potential confounding factors including age, race, poverty-income ratio, marital status, educational level, body mass index, smoking, alcohol intake, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, testosterone, and depression.
Subgroup analysis revealed that among participants over 40 years old, drinking grape juice more than 5 times per week was associated with lower ED prevalence compared to never drinking grape juice, drinking 1-3 times per month, and drinking 1-4 times per week.
The researchers note that grape juice contains high levels of polyphenols with antioxidant properties. Previous studies have shown that resveratrol, one of the most abundant polyphenols in grapes, demonstrates protective effects on mouse cavernosal tissue.
The study examined 9 different beverage types in total, including tomato, orange, apple, and pineapple juices, as well as lemonade and soft drinks. While some beverages showed associations with ED in univariate analyses, only grape juice maintained statistical significance after adjusting for confounding variables.
The authors acknowledge several study limitations, including ED diagnosis by self-report rather than clinical assessment, inability to differentiate ED severity, and use of 20-year-old NHANES data from 2003-2004. They note that prospective studies with larger sample sizes are needed to verify the findings and establish causality.
While the research suggests potential benefits of regular grape juice consumption for ED prevention, particularly in men over 40, the authors caution that grape juice contains significant natural sugars. Individuals with diabetes or high blood glucose are advised to exercise care in beverage choices, as diabetes is a known risk factor for ED.
The authors declared having no competing interests.
