Going with the flow for great sex

When you hear the words ‘heart’ and ‘sex life’ in the same sentence, odds are the speaker is probably talking about love. But your heart – or, more accurately, your cardiovascular system – actually has a lot to do with your ability to perform in the bedroom.

This concept was brought home to me recently when I caught up with my colleague, Dr. Madeleine Castellanos, author of a recent book dealing with male sexual issues. She reminded me that there’s no way we can talk about sexual issues like erectile dysfunction (ED) or other arousal disorders without talking about cardiovascular health.

“When you break it all down, everything in the body, including sex, is dependent on good blood flow,” says Castellanos. “Our body’s way of nourishing itself and keeping itself vibrant and alive is by carrying oxygen, hormones, and nutrients via the bloodstream to all tissues and cells. The more activity that a certain part of our body engages in, the more blood flow is directed to that area.”

Although you might typically associate blood flow with your heart, brain or muscles, it’s also a crucial factor in the way your genitals function. In men, blood flow to erectile tissue produces an erection and stimulates the prostate gland to start releasing pre-ejaculatory fluid. Blood flow also benefits women by increasing the clitoris’s size and sensation and by enhancing vaginal lubrication.

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