Penis health is crucial for a good sex life; that much seems obvious. But many men forget that overall body health also plays a factor in the quantity and quality of one's romantic activities. Many guys think about keeping their bodies in good shape for their trips under the bedcovers, but not everyone consider how something as simple as indigestion can affect their penis function. The best penis care includes remembering that the stomach can have a say in how active a man's "best friend" may be on a given night.

Romantic drive vs. heartburn

All men like to think that they are unstoppable romance machines - and most of the time they are. But sometimes, men get sidelined by little things, and heartburn, indigestion and other gastrointestinal issues can be among the top "romance stoppers." When the stomach acts up, the penis often goes down.

What causes stomach problems?

There can be many factors that cause heartburn or indigestion, but most of the time it comes down to diet. There are certain foods that, especially when consumed in disproportionately large amounts, tend to stir up the stomach acids.

What are some heartburn triggers?

One man's meat is another man's indigestion trigger - sometimes literally. The fact is that what causes heartburn in one man may have absolutely no effect on another. Discovering one's exact heartburn-triggering foods can be challenging and take trial and error.

That said, here are a number of food that are typically on the "high heartburn" list:

1. Meats. Men love meat, but a lot of meats - especially those that are fatty - are acid magnets. If said meat also happens to be fried, then the chances of creating indigestion are even higher.

2. Citrus fruits and juices. This makes sense; citruses are high in acidic content, so it's natural that they and the juices associated with them would make the list.

3. Caffeine . Bad news for coffee and soda lovers: all that caffeine may keep a dude awake, but it's also likely to make his stomach groan from acid.

4. Fatty, oily foods and sweets. Chocolate tastes like heaven, but it can hell on the stomach. Ditto potato chips, doughnuts, many salad dressings, etc.

5. Booze. A beer may be okay, but doing vodka shots or drinking any kind of liquor is just begging for trouble on the digestion front. And wine has to be limited.

6. Tomato sauce. Pizza is a young man's staple, but it will come back to haunt him later in life.

7. Dairy. Whole milk, sour cream and ice cream are no-no's.

What to do

Looking over that list, a man may think, "What is left to eat?" He may also notice that the list includes some items - such as coffee, meat and wine - that are often recommended for "improving" firmness. What's a guy to do?

The answer is for a man to eat in moderation: look for low fat alternatives to high fat foods; don't eat too much at one time; and find out what his own personal triggers are, so he can avoid those.

Men who are on medications to help with tumescence dysfunction may want to take special care to avoid heartburn triggers; many of these medications list heartburn or nausea as a common side effect, so men on these drugs should take steps to keep heartburn to a minimum.

Total body health is part of maintaining a healthy penis, but it doesn't stop there. Men need to include a quality penis vitamin formula (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil) in their daily health maintenance routines. It's to a man's benefit to find a formula that includes both acetyl L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid, as these two ingredients work synergistically to reverse damage to penis cell mitochondria, thus improving nerve and cell function. Also, a formula with vitamin A is recommended, as that vitamin's antibacterial qualities are health-improving.