At all times the position of alcohol in human society has been unpredictable. In the last century, in the era of prohibition, alcohol was considered to be the "devil in liquid form". Currently numerous studies in many countries show that reasonable amounts of alcohol beverages could really be useful to overall health of men.

There are a lot of questions on the influence of alcohol drinking on sexual health and the potential of the drink to interfere with libido and climax scenarios. Erectile dysfunction is perhaps the most frequent sexual dysfunction among men in the United States with thousands cases diagnosed every year in addition to the considerable majority of unreported cases.

To realize the link between alcohol consumption and erectile dysfunction, the process of achieving an erection have to be understood. Physical and sensory perceptions stimulate the brain and it commands the muscles of the penis to relax and this enhances blood flow to the penis. The pressure exerted by the incoming blood expands the penis, thereby creating an erection. The capability to sustain the erection depends on the capacity of the penile muscles to hold the blood for some time.

So erections depend on blood flow . That is why conditions like arterioscelerosis and diabetes that lead to hardened blood vessels and affect blood pressure cause erectile dysfunction. The main action of alcohol is increasing the volume of blood, which in turn causes higher blood pressure. The state lasts till the excessive liquid has been removed from the blood by way of urine.

Thus alcohol drinking should help erection and not cause erectile dysfunction. Also, alcohol acts as a sedative and may also help curb performance anxiety that is a major cause of erectile dysfunction in younger men. Nevertheless, there are no studies to finally confirm or refute this claim. For this reason, even though it could be right that drunken men have better sex, intoxication is not a cure for erectile dysfunction.

Besides, other types of intoxication such as drug abuse and smoking have been shown to be the definitely cause of nearly a fourth of all dysfunctions.

Thus, for a lot of people who drink, alcohol is a nice addition to social activities. Reasonable consumption - up to two drinks per day for men - is not dangerous for most people.

Actually, moderate use ( 1 or 2 drinks per day) may even lower the risk of coronary heart disease and reduce the risk of stroke.

On the other hand, a large number of people have one drink too many, and get into major trouble because of their drinking. Now, almost 17.7 million adult Americans abuse alcohol or are alcoholic. Several million more adults engage in risky drinking that could lead to health trouble.

The consequences of alcohol abuse are dangerous - in a lot of cases life threatening. Heavy drinking can increase the risk for certain cancers, especially those of the liver, esophagus, throat, and larynx (voice box).

Heavy drinking can also cause liver cirrhosis, immune system problems, brain damage,and harm to the fetus during pregnancy. Erectile dysfunction and alcohol abuse often go hand in hand.

Alcohol may also cause sexual dysfunction, preventing men from attaining an erection and getting pleasure from orgasm.

Numerous researches on erectile dysfunction and alcohol have shown that alcohol misuse in men can cause impaired testosterone production and shrinkage of the testes (i.e. testicular atrophy). Those changes can cause impotence, infertility, and reduced male secondary characteristics (e.g. reduced facial and chest hair, breast enlargement, and a shift in fat deposition from the abdomen to the hip area).

When alcohol is broken down in the body, it may also interfere with standard sperm structure and movement.

Heavy drinkers are less able to obtain and maintain sexual partners. They may become aware of they have less long term relationships. Personal issues and problems of heavy drinkers make them less attractive in the eyes of others.

Moreover, it's difficult to communicate and develop a meaningful relationship with your partner, when alcohol prevents you from thinking clearly and behaving in a proper and thoughtful way.