Giving up this one thing can boost your sex life and improve erections

THIS one lifestyle change could be the key to better sexual performance.

SEX SAVIOUR: Quitting one bad habit could improve your performance in the sack

If you’re hooked on cigarettes, it could be seriously damaging your sex life without you knowing.

The health risks of smoking are particularly shocking when it comes to men because fags can restrict blood flow to the penis making it more difficult to get an erection.

According to sexual health and wellbeing expert Samantha Evans, co-owner of online sex toy retailer Jo Divine, the addiction can even lead to penis problems like erectile dysfunction and impotence.

Samantha said: “Smoking damages blood vessels by increasing the build-up of plaque in the arteries which hinders the blood flow, creating an array of circulatory problems throughout the body, including the penis."

A 2003 study, which surveyed more than 4,700 men with an average age of 47, found that those who smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day had a 60% higher risk of erectile dysfunctioncompared to men who had never puffed.

More recently research published in the British Journal of Urology International found that nicotine had a particular impact on sexual function.

Men who quit enjoyed “thicker, more rigid erections” and could get it up five times quicker than lads who relapsed into their tobacco habit.

Samantha explained: “Nicotine can cause erectile dysfunction as it is a vasoconstrictor, which narrows the blood vessels, thus reducing blood flow.”

The research shows how cigarettes can impact a man’s sex life physically, but smoking can also diminish sexual desire and appetite – even for men as young as 20.

HABIT: Fags can impact the quality of men's erections

Scientists found that smokers said they had sex less than six times a month, while non-smokers were enjoying romps nearly twice as often.

When it comes to the ladies, there hasn’t been much research into the link between smoking and sexual arousal but it’s likely that nicotine affects women in the same way because both male and female genitals swell with blood when the person feels turned on.

So if the drug can restrict blood flow and cause erectile dysfunction in men it’s possible that smoking could affect women’s arousal and sexual sensation.