The baby's name was Billy. And to desperate men across 1920s America, he seemed to be the proof that goat glands could restore their manhood...
Before Billy Stittsworth popped into existence, his father William had gone to a Kansas doctor named John Brinkley. The town physician had just gotten rave reviews from an elderly farmer whose virility was restored via a unique surgery: transplantation with goat testicles.
William Stittsworth wanted in on the action. So he got the goat glands. To his delight, his wife eventually gave birth to a son. And Brinkley seized the opportunity to post ads for his clinic, proudly proclaiming "Kansas Surgeon Uses Goat Glands to Cure Sterility" alongside a photo of him holding Billy, the "first goat-gland baby."
He performed more of these surgeries and raked in millions of dollars. Thankfully, the goat-gland grifter was eventually exposed as a complete medical quack.
While men aren't going under the knife for this bizarre surgery these days, they're still being sold other "quick fixes"... gas-station "male enhancement" pills, mystery gummies, aphrodisiac chocolates, and counterfeit versions of the little blue pill... all in the name of curing erectile dysfunction ("ED").
ED is the inability to have or maintain an erection. Getting an erection requires psychological effort and work from your nerves, blood vessels, and hormone system.
And ED is incredibly common...
More than half of all American men will experience trouble getting and keeping an erection as they age.
Some of the most common causes of ED include:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Nerve disorders (i.e., Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis)
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Some medications and surgeries (like antidepressants and prostate surgery)
Men who struggle with ED typically don't bring it up to their doctors. It's estimated that a staggering 75% don't seek treatment.
And that means they may unfortunately decide to seek answers elsewhere... sometimes with the modern-day version of Brinkley's goat-gland transplants.
I get it... ED can be an embarrassing condition that you might not want to talk about.
However, thanks to the anonymity provided by the Internet, it's now all too easy to order ED drugs and herbal supplements with the click of a mouse. And some experts estimate that more than half of all online ED drugs are fake. They're among the most faked drugs in the world... so much so that just a few years ago, U.S. customs seized $16.3 million worth of counterfeit ED drugs in a single year.
Ordering from an online retailer carries risks, too. Often, you just need a quick virtual consultation with a medical provider for a Viagra or Cialis prescription.
But as convenient as that is, it means skipping an in-person, physical exam with your doctor to check for health conditions that can put you at risk of suffering dangerous side effects from these drugs.
Thankfully, research is piling up in support of my favorite kind of "prescription": simple lifestyle changes.
Four Tips for Combating Erectile Dysfunction
Don't get me wrong – for the right patient, ED drugs are a legitimate medical tool when taken under a doctor's supervision.
But ED isn't just a bedroom problem... It's often a blood-vessel problem. And for some men, it's one of the earliest warning signs that your arteries are in trouble.
Think of your penis as a check-engine light of sorts...
If plaque, inflammation, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, or smoking starts damaging blood vessels throughout the body, the smaller penile arteries may show signs of trouble first.
In other words, the same vascular damage that eventually causes chest pain or heart attacks may first show up as trouble in the bedroom. In fact, research shows that ED can precede a major heart problem by as much as two to four years.
With that said, here are some of my top tips to help combat ED...
1. Get your heart pumping before you reach for a pill.
Anything that improves vascular health can help erectile function, too.
Getting your heart pumping regularly will strengthen that muscle, lower blood pressure, improve blood circulation, and reduce systemic inflammation – all of which are great for improving ED.
According to a review of 11 randomized controlled trials of more than 1,000 men, guys who prioritized regular aerobic exercise saw more improvement in their mild- to moderate-severity ED compared with their couch-potato counterparts...
The exercisers did 30- to 60-minute sessions of heart-pumping workouts like cycling, running, and walking three to five times per week. (Even 30 minutes of walking per day can lower your ED risk by 41% according to a previous Harvard study.)
2. Eat for your arteries.
The best "ED diet" is really a blood-vessel diet – and it's good for your penile arteries, too. That means eating the Mediterranean way... with lots of vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, fatty fish, and olive oil.
They're all packed with nutrients that keep your arteries healthy.
For instance, leafy greens are rich in nitrates that your body turns into nitric oxide, a key molecule in lowering blood pressure and helping your blood vessels to relax. And salmon is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids that combat chronic inflammation.
This time of year, I recommend feasting on some juicy watermelon. It's rich in L-citrulline, an amino acid that helps boost nitric-oxide production.
3. Check your mouth.
Periodontitis is advanced gum disease, which happens from ignoring red, swollen, and bleeding gums, known as gingivitis.
Believe it or not, studies have found that having periodontitis nearly triples your ED risk. So keep an eye out for bleeding gums, loose teeth, persistent bad breath, gum recession, or pain when chewing. That means it's time to visit a dental professional.
And please brush twice a day and floss. These simple, "boring" everyday things could very well keep your mouth (and sex life) healthy.
(I've written to my Retirement Millionaire subscribers about why you shouldn't neglect your oral health if you want to stay sharp as a tack in your golden years. If you're not a subscriber to my flagship newsletter, you can try it out for a month, risk-free.)
4. Get the right amount of sleep.
Studies show a link between sleep deprivation and ED.
Researchers explain that testosterone is made during your sleeping hours. That means if you aren't sleeping enough or aren't sleeping well, your testosterone levels will drop, which can lead to ED.
Because of this link, ED could also signal a deeper problem with sleep.
A study from Mount Sinai Medical Center of 870 middle-aged men found that those with ED were more than twice as likely to have obstructive sleep apnea compared with men without ED.
The research is clear – making lifestyle changes can significantly improve or even reverse your ED. So before you or your loved one starts popping pills, give these four tips a try.
Do what I do and eat well, go for a walk after lunch, keep your gums healthy, and get plenty of sleep.
What We're Reading...
- Something different: Genital filler injections, anyone?
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
June 11, 2026