May 25, 2015 05:25 PM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

New research suggests that men who consume high amounts of caffeine daily are substantially less likely to have erectile dysfunction.

Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston found that men whose caffeine intake is equivalent to the level of two to three cups of caffeine a day had reduced levels of erectile dysfunction, Yahoo News reported.

They found that men who consumed between 85 and 170 milligrams of caffeine a day were 42 percent less likely to report erectile dysfunction, while those who drank between 171 and 303 milligrams of caffeine a day were 39 percent less likely to report the disorder compared to those who drank 0 to 7 milligrams a day.

Researchers found that the trend was also true "among overweight, obese and hypertensive men," Yahoo News reported.

"Even though we saw a reduction in the prevalence of ED with men who were obese, overweight and hypertensive, that was not true of men with diabetes. Diabetes is one of the strongest risk factors for ED, so this was not surprising," David S. Lopez, lead author of the study, said in a statement.

For the study, researchers collected and analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and erectile dysfunction was assessed by a single question during a computer-assisted interview. Caffeine sources in the study included coffee, tea, soda and sports drinks.

In the United States, 18.4 percent of men 20 years and older have erectile dysfunction, suggesting that more than 18 million men are affected. According to previous studies, caffeine is consumed by more than 85 percent of adults, according to previous research.

The findings are detailed in the journal PLOS One.

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