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Boosting Libido With Diet and Aphrodisiac Foods
Health Directory - Basic Nutrition Center
As human beings, we are all driven towards the pursuit of pleasure and few things in life provide us with more of that satisfaction than food and sex. While both work great on their own, food can actually be used as a tool to inspire romance. In fact, ever since Eve fed Adam the apple, the two have become inextricably intertwined.
Throughout the ages, food has been used to enhance the senses, lift the mood, increase sexual desire and boost libido. While some foods do work by virtue of their chemical properties, others affect our desires and emotions through sight, smell and tactile gratification as well as through the oral pleasure of food textures and tastes.
Tips to boost libido with diet and lifestyle:
Lose weight if overweight. Obesity has been shown to be a risk factor for erectile dysfunction and low testosterone levels, so losing weight can directly help boost sexual function and libido.
Eat heart healthy. What’s good for your heart is also good for your penis. Too much saturated and trans fat (found in red meat, chicken skin and full fat dairy products as well as commercially baked products, crisps and most margarines) can, over time, clog arteries and, in doing so, prevent an adequate flow of blood from reaching the genital region. This not only interferes with the ability to perform, but also with sexual pleasure. Keep blood vessel clean and supple by including at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day and by eating other high fiber foods, like wholegrains and legumes.
Eat foods that boost circulation. Male and female sexual pleasure is related to sensation, which is directly related to blood circulation. The better the circulation to the genitals, the greater the pleasure. Ginger is a powerful circulatory stimulant and can be eaten raw, made into a tea, added in cooking or eaten in crystalline form. Chilli is also a great circulatory stimulant and is great for spicing up any meal. Omega 3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish, like mackerel, salmon, sardines and pilchards as well as in flaxseed oil and walnuts also help improve circulation by keeping the vascular system healthy.
The amino acid L-arginine has been shown to help boost libido primarily through improved circulation to the genitals. Foods rich in L-arginine include oats, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, dairy, green vegetables, root vegetables, garlic, ginseng, soybeans, chickpeas and seeds.
Add stress-busting nutrients. Stress is a major libido killer. Taking a good B complex vitamin can help. A varied diet that includes lean meats, low fat dairy, green vegetables and wholegrains should be adequate in B complex vitamins.
Eat food rich in zinc. Zinc is one of the major minerals needed for healthy sexual function is men and women. Oysters are one of the richest sources of zinc known, which is why these slimy creatures have become the quintessential aphrodisiac food. All animal protein foods are rich in zinc. Legumes and wholegrains as well as nuts and seeds also contain zinc, and pumpkin seeds are the richest source.
Spice it up
Besides the afore-mentioned ginger and chilli, some other spices and aromatic plants are known for their aphrodisiac and libido boosting properties:
Nutmeg. This warm spice has been used for centuries as a powerful aphrodisiac and in large amounts it can produce a dreamy, hallucinogenic state.
Vanilla. The deep, warm aroma and flavour given off by the vanilla plant is said to increase lust.
Truffles. The Ancient Greeks and Romans considered the rare truffle (a member of the mushroom family) to be a sexual stimulant, mainly because of its alluring musky scent, said to be similar to the scent a male gives off when he is aroused.
Aphrodisiac foods
Some food can help set a mood simply by virtue of the way they look and feel. Try adding some of these to the daily mix:
Asparagus. Given its phallic shape, asparagus is a very popular aphrodisiac food.
Avocado. The ancient Aztecs called the avocado tree “Ahuacuatl”, meaning “testical tree”, because the fruit hanging in pairs resembles the male testicles. The avocado also bears a striking resemblance to the female womb. Avocados are rich in vitamin E, a nutrient essential to reproductive health. The smooth, sensual texture and mouth-feel only adds to the avocados appeal.
Banana. While the phallic shape of the banana is partially responsible for its popularity as an aphrodisiac food, bananas are also rich in potassium and B vitamins, nutrients necessary for sex hormone production.
Chocolate and booze- a little goes a long way
With chocolate and alcohol, a small indulgence can have an aphrodisiac effect, but over-indulge and you’ll get the opposite effect. Chocolate is a good source of theobromine, which stimulates the brain into producing feel-good and mood-elevating chemicals; very similar to the ones we produce when we are in love. Use as close to 100% cocoa as possible, and avoid chocolates that are heavily laden with sugar, caramel or wafer. A glass of wine with a meal can help increase libido by relaxing the body and lowering inhibitions. Too much alcohol though can dull the senses and cloud the mind, which can be a real mood-killer.
Author: Ashleigh Caradas
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