NEDLANDS, WESTERN AUSTRALIA — Despite conventional wisdom to the contrary, the results of a new study indicate moderate alcohol consumption actually may improve men’s sexual prowess.Note the important qualifier “moderate.”

The results of the study, performed by scientists at Western Australia’s Keogh Institute for Medical Research, were published in the current issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Sexual Medicine.

According to the researchers, among the 1,580 men in the study, those who drank up to four drinks daily five days a week reported 30-percent fewer erectile issues than those who eschewed alcohol. Even weekend drinkers and binge drinkers reported fewer “dysfunctional episodes” than those who drank once a week or less often.

“Although alcohol may increase sexual desire through disinhibition, the slang term ‘brewer’s droop’ captures its reputation as a risk factor for decreased sexual performance,” the study authors noted. However, “these findings suggest a favourable association between low-risk alcohol drinking and positive erectile function.”

That does not mean everyone in possession of a penis should get roaring drunk at every opportunity, though.

Men most at risk for erectile dysfunction, according to the study, are the ones who quit drinking after a history of heavy alcohol use, those who smoke and those with heart disease. That makes sense, researchers noted, because male erections are a function of vascular response (blood flow), and cardiovascular illnesses long have been known to hamper men’s ability to become physically aroused. Alcohol in moderation has been shown to act as a vasodilator, so it is not surprising alcoholic beverages can have a beneficial effect on many aspects of the cardiovascular system.