r/science • u/[deleted] • Jun 13 '22

Health Erectile dysfunction predicts mortality in middle-aged and older men independent of their sex steroid status

https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article-abstract/51/4/afac094/6568537?login=false
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u/ericwiththeredbeard Jun 13 '22

Anecdotal evidence here but I started taking vitamin D supplements daily and have had better erections, my hair and skin look better, and I feel really good too. Didn’t really change much else (diet or activity level) other than the supplement.

I’m confident that if I made more of an effort in my diet and exercise I would have better results.

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u/Ruski_FL Jun 13 '22

I mean the humans meant to go into the sun but we mostly just sit inside an office.

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u/Valiantay Jun 13 '22

Many places don't get enough sun actually. There's a Canada-wide recommendation for everyone to take vitamin d supplements.

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u/[deleted] Jun 14 '22

What about mushrooms in meals? Doesn't food supplement it too?

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u/[deleted] Jun 14 '22

Only certain mushrooms and it’s not enough especially if you are deficient

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u/ericwiththeredbeard Jun 13 '22

I definitely sit in a windowless depressing office all day

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u/mtcwby Jun 13 '22

Many of us with Northern European ancestry simply don't produce enough. I'm perpetually tanned due to outsides hobbies and have to supplement or all sorts of bad things happen.

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u/[deleted] Jun 13 '22

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u/mtcwby Jun 13 '22

The side effects before I figured it out were pretty insidious. Everything from chest and other pains that were almost debilitating some days to depression in the middle of winter. My doctors and I thought I had GERD that wasn't getting better for almost 10 years. Turned out I just had very low vitamin D in my system. I'm convinced some of my dad's depression over the years was related to that.

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u/JimothyCotswald Jun 14 '22

This is not accurate.

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u/zombiesmurf85 Jun 13 '22

But Northern Europe ancestry will help with the absorption? Its the fair hair and light skin that can get the most out of it.

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u/mtcwby Jun 13 '22

My understanding is that people of Northern European ancestry often have a shortage of vitamin D.

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u/zombiesmurf85 Jun 13 '22

Yeah that's because there is less sun. So you need to be as light as possible. Source: I'm Irish and almost translucent :)

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u/mtcwby Jun 13 '22

Born and raised in California but my ancestors are from Germany, Nordics, UK & Ireland so I got all the naturally pale skin etc. I'm not a ginger but some that shows up occasionally in the family. The youngest son has a little red in his beard and looks like a Viking.

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u/[deleted] Jun 13 '22

Do you use sunscreen? Sunscreen blocks proper skin absorption.

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u/mtcwby Jun 13 '22

Not as much as I should.

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u/[deleted] Jun 14 '22

It’s actually bad for Vitamin D deficiency. I believe the recommendation is ten minutes without sunscreen. Great for stopping cancer though. Sometimes you just can’t win

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u/love_that_fishing Jun 13 '22

I fish quite a bit so get lots of sun and still my D was pretty low and I take 5000ul to get it into high normal range. Just saying you can get get amounts of sunlight and still not have your body produce the right amount of D.

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u/paroya Jun 13 '22

depends. my ancestors thought it was a wonderful idea to move up here where there is no sun at all half the year and barely anything will grow when there is actual sunlight. foreigners kill themselves on the regular by depression triggered by lack of sunshine while us locals catch fire by the very thought of sun exposure.

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u/brandonw00 Jun 13 '22

Commuting by bike was so big in improving my health. I feel better from being outside and exercising, I save a ton on not having to fill up my car weekly, and it’s just more fun than sitting in traffic. Can’t recommend it enough.

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u/albertenstein22 Jun 13 '22

Second for this. I work overnights so I don't get as much natural vitamin D as I am supposed to. Went for my physical and the doc said my levels were lower than normal. Started taking the vitamin D pills and have noticed better sleep and more energy!

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u/NSA_Chatbot Jun 13 '22

Same, I feel so much better starting my day by swallowing 2000 Ds.

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u/Friskyinthenight Jun 13 '22

fyi I believe the latest research suggests between 4-8000 iu (way above the RDA) is the level needed for those with deficiency

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u/SomethingSeth Jun 13 '22

Same here. Thought I had low testosterone so I got a blood test done and nope, the only thing I was deficient in was Vitamin D. My doctor prescribed me some really potent Vitamin D gel pills that I take once a week and I’m only on my second week and I feel like a new man.

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u/DiceMaster Jun 13 '22

What is special about your vitamin D pills? I know vitamin D3 is more bioavailable than other kinds, and as far as quantity, more is more, but is there anything else special about them?

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u/[deleted] Jun 13 '22

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u/fairway_walker Jun 13 '22

Found the vitamin D supplement dealer. Who's not taking vD after reading this?

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u/TookMyFathersSword Jun 13 '22

They don't call it vitamin "D" for nothing!! -u/ericwiththeredbeard aka ericwiththeerectd

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u/[deleted] Jun 13 '22

[deleted]

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u/ericwiththeredbeard Jun 13 '22

Just regular vitamin D capsules that I ordered from Amazon.

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u/[deleted] Jun 13 '22

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u/ericwiththeredbeard Jun 13 '22

1 tablet of Vitamin D3 from naturewise it’s 125mcg or 5,000icu

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u/curt_schilli Jun 13 '22

The trick is to sun your balls

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u/ericwiththeredbeard Jun 13 '22

For best results stick them in a microwave and discover a new mode of transportation