Do aphrodisiac foods really improve sex life? – 03/03/2024 – Balance

Named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and passion, aphrodisiacs are foods that many believe increase libido, potency and sexual pleasure.

Who has never heard that chocolates, strawberries and oysters can have such a powerful effect?

Historically, aphrodisiacs have even included some very peculiar foods – including the toxic cantharide or Spanish fly, ground rhino horn and extracts of rare plants.

In fact, during the research for his book Intercoursesabout aphrodisiac foods, co-author Martha Hopkins discovered that almost all foods have been considered an aphrodisiac at some point.

“Historically, foods considered aphrodisiacs were difficult to find, rare or expensive, such as truffles, foie gras and caviar, or shaped like sexual organs, such as asparagus or artichokes, and even animal testicles,” according to Hopkins.

If today we tend to think of aphrodisiacs in terms of lust, romance and libido, in the 17th century – when everything was considered an aphrodisiac, from pigeons to roots like parsnips and almonds – they were associated with reproduction and fertility and were given to couples as medicinal substances, says Jennifer Evans, senior lecturer in history at the University of Hertfordshire in England and a researcher on food and fertility.

But can a food really affect sexual desire and performance? And why is this idea so persistent?

What is an aphrodisiac?

Aphrodisiacs are substances – foods or medications – that increase levels of stimulation, sexual desire, behavior and pleasure after consumption.

Various cultures throughout history have sought foods that could seduce lovers or improve sexual performance.

Many of them are rare or luxury delicacies. And some bear a striking resemblance to sexual organs or odors that awaken the senses.

In ancient Rome, for example, a compact herb called sylphium was prized for its odorous sap and its juice was used as an aphrodisiac – although it may also have been employed as a form of birth control.

Currently, chocolate, figs and oysters are part of a long list of foods known for their supposed aphrodisiac properties. But there are others that are bizarre and very expensive, such as a phallic-shaped mollusk known as the giant clam or by its English name, “geoduck”.

Fact or fiction?

For those who have blood circulation problems, it’s true that certain foods can help in a similar way to the drug Viagra – by relaxing the vessels and improving blood flow to the genitals.

The amino acid L-arginine, found in foods such as pumpkins, nuts and beef, is transformed into nitric oxide in the body, which increases blood flow. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, including salmon and avocado, do the same.

Another substance that helps is quercetin. Found in apples, berries, grapes, red wine, garlic and dark chocolate, it has anti-inflammatory properties that can improve blood flow.

However, only people with compromised blood flow will notice any improvement in sexual function when eating these foods, according to Lauri Wright, spokesperson for the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Someone with good circulation probably won’t see any changes.

But when most of us think about aphrodisiacs, we don’t think about sexual performance. Think about desire.

One food that has long been believed to increase sexual desire is chocolate. Studies have shown that cocoa can increase blood flow in parts of our body.

But when its direct relationship with sexual desire was studied, no evidence emerged to support its use as an aphrodisiac. In fact, an observational study in 2021 concluded otherwise.

Researchers asked 700 people about their interest in sex and chocolate consumption. And they concluded that women who ate chocolate more frequently also reported having less interest in sex.

Researchers have studied other possible reasons for low sex drive or high chocolate consumption, including lack of energy, blood pressure and calorie intake.

The results indicate that eating chocolate can serve as a substitute for sex. It stimulates the production of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, which also influence our sexual reaction.

In fact, no evidence has been found to prove that any food increases arousal or desire. But there is one exception: alcohol.

Several studies have shown that alcohol consumption is linked to greater arousal, but it can also impair sexual performance.

Red wine, in particular, may be indirectly linked to sexual function because of its possible heart health benefits, says Michael Krychman, an obstetrician, gynecologist and clinical sexual counselor at the Center for Sexual Health and Survival Medicine of Southern California in the US. U.S.

In 2022, an analysis of more than 50 population studies concluded that up to four servings of red wine per week were associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular death, compared to beer and spirits.

But the researchers explained that there are many other intervening factors that could explain this relationship. Therefore, the relationship between red wine and cardiovascular health remains inconclusive.

Wine’s reputation as an aphrodisiac may also come from the fact that it is part of the Mediterranean diet, made up mainly of foods of plant origin, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts, as well as fish and olive oil. It is relatively low in sugar, cheese and meat.

More of a lifestyle than just food, the Mediterranean diet can have aphrodisiac qualities.

“Research has found that red wine affects sexual function, but we don’t know if it’s diet or a combination of diet, lifestyle and genetics,” explains Krychman. “What we know is that for people who exercise, eat healthy and have less stress, all of these elements work together for a better sex life.”

Our diet as a whole can act as an aphrodisiac through benefits such as better blood flow, increased hormones or greater energy, according to Wright.

One study involving 600 women with type 2 diabetes found that the Mediterranean diet was linked to lower levels of sexual dysfunction, while another study concluded that the diet may also be associated with improved erectile dysfunction.

“The bottom line is that a healthy diet of seafood, lean meats, nuts, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, which is basically the Mediterranean diet, helps with nerve function, blood flow and hormone production,” says Wright. .

There’s a good reason why there’s no evidence that any specific food is an aphrodisiac: A food that has such a potent effect would be dangerous, according to Jessica Abbott, senior lecturer in evolutionary ecology at Lund University in Sweden.

“Most of the foods we eat have no side effects, which is comforting,” she explains. “If they did, it wouldn’t be safe to eat them regularly.”

“Any herb that has been considered an aphrodisiac is the type of food we wouldn’t normally eat much of, such as extracts from roots and plants that have active compounds used in defense against herbivores.”

The power of mind over matter

So why do some people swear that certain foods have aphrodisiac qualities? It could simply be because they believe, according to Krychman.

“There is limited evidence for the effects of oysters on sexual desire, but rigorous evaluation is lacking [que comprove essa relação] – partly because the placebo effect is so big,” he says.

The fact that sexual desire is so individual and multifaceted may work in favor of aphrodisiacs, according to Nan Wise, a psychotherapist and sex therapist at Rutgers University in the United States.

“Desire is physical, psychosocial, and relational and involves many variables,” explains Wise. “If you believe that a food increases desire, the psychology of the placebo effect affects our ability to become aroused or not.”

It all depends on the context, adds Evans, from the University of Hertfordshire. “You don’t think of chocolate as an aphrodisiac every time you eat some. You need the right context,” she says.

Our individual experiences can also determine which foods increase sexual desire in each of us, according to Jean-Christophe Billeter, professor of social and sexual behavior at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

“Humans are very influenceable and the brain maintains strong memories of when we have had sexual success”, explains the professor. “Depending on the situation, if something happened in the environment where a person had sex, it will trigger the desire to have sex in the future.”

Another possible mind-related explanation for the aphrodisiac effect is our disposition.

Research indicates that a positive disposition is associated with greater sexual stimulation and that diets rich in plant-based foods have been linked to a lower risk of anxiety and depression.

How evolution can explain aphrodisiacs

In fact, perhaps any food can have aphrodisiac qualities. At the very least, if a person is starving and there is no food around, it makes sense that their sex drive would decrease.

“Evolutionarily speaking, humans have the desire to have sex to reproduce and we need to be a healthy weight and have a diet that provides the right nutrients to do so,” says Billeter.

There is evidence that food appears regularly in 17th century pornography for the same reason, according to Evans: it was there to help fuel the couple for the next round.

In his experiments with fruit flies, Billeter found that mating patterns change significantly when food is not nearby.

If the flies are in an environment where there is food, they will mate with the first male they find up to seven times a day. If there is no food, they only mate once.

There is also evidence in nature that we eat certain foods to make ourselves more attractive to the opposite sex.

Consider certain birds in which the males are more colorful because the females find them attractive. They get this color by eating foods with carotenoids. This also applies to humans.

“In the past, women considered more attractive tended to be fatter, as being fat, when there wasn’t much food around, could indicate that the woman would be a good breeder,” explains Billeter.

There may also be an aphrodisiac quality inherent in the practice of feeding a sexual partner – which perhaps explains the real reason why a box of chocolates or a home-cooked meal can induce desire.

A home-cooked meal, at the right time, can be an aphrodisiac.

“Spiders capture flies to present to females for mating, while one species of cricket produces a gelatinous structure to induce females to mate,” says Abbott.

The idea that aphrodisiacs are good for our sex lives has persisted for so long because people have always been attracted to concepts that promise youth, longevity and fertility, argues Evans.

And for this reason, we are likely to continue to believe in them for centuries to come.

This story was originally published on March 23, 2019, and updated in February 2024 to include the latest research.

Read the version of this report in English in the website BBC Future