The Western diet demands men eat meat. Doing so might be leading to problems some wouldn’t even suspect.

This video was originally published on NutritionFacts.org and republished with permission. NutritionFacts.org

When it comes to eating meat, the men of the United States are fairly stubborn. Modifying diets to a more healthful choices like fruits, vegetables, and plenty of leafy greens aren’t often seen as masculine. But because this obsession with the male image is so ingrained in the western world, many men will develop prostate cancer. This might not be too surprising considering that even in publications claiming to promote male health, eating meat and holding salads in contempt are themes that begin to repeat themselves. What might be surprising to the unaware are the full scope of what dealing with prostate cancer means.

When men undergo a prostatectomy, the vast majority will also lose a significant amount of erectile function. Because the prostate sits at the very base of the penis, removing the prostate also shortens the length of the erect penis by about an inch, so even for the rare (16%) few who do recover pre-surgical erectile function, you are still never quite the same. Unfortunately for many men, they will misunderstand “recover function” to mean “fully recover” when it comes to erectile function. Rather than simply adopt a better diet that can reverse their prostate cancer, many men will choose to focus on their manhood and continue eating meat when that very attitude will literally cut their manhood down.