James Cameron Hopes Veganism Will Make Viagra Obsolete

In a recent interview with media outlet The Sun, famed director/vegan activist James Cameron discussed the benefits of a plant-based diet in regard to male sexual performance. “I’d love to put Viagra out of business,” Cameron said, “just by spreading the word on plant-based eating.” Cameron’s statement came from a discussion of a scene in The Game Changers, a documentary he executively produced that focuses on the benefits of a plant-based diet as illustrated by elite vegan athletes. The scene involved three professional athletes who underwent a series of tests conducted by Aaron Spitz, MD—lead delegate of the American Urological Association. Spitz found that when the men consumed plant-based meals, their erections were longer-lasting, more frequent, and harder than when those men consumed meals that contained animal products. “It’s compelling because obviously one of the first symptoms of atherosclerosis is erectile dysfunction,” Cameron said, “and then some of the more severe heart problems tend to follow very quickly.” Cameron revealed that he believed in the medical benefits of a plant-based diet but also spoke to the urgency with which he believes the world population must increasingly adopt a diet free of animal products. “I think that if we don’t make a major shift as a civilization, and I mean that globally, toward planet-based eating, we’re just not going to make it,” Cameron said. “Certainly, our quality of life will be a small fraction of what it is now, 30 or 50 years from now. We can’t keep consuming Earth like we’ve got four more of them standing behind it.” Cameron hopes that male viewers of The Game Changers—which debuted this year at the Sundance Film Festival and will be shown at 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival starting this week—will understand that animal products are not necessary to achieve, and actually hinder, peak athletic (and sexual) performance.