Libido, a term popularized by Sigmund Freud, refers to sexual urge or desire. According to an article published by Discovery Health, vitamins and minerals linked to a healthy reproductive system, and in effect a healthy libido, can be found in some of the foods we’ve long believed have had aphrodisiac properties. Zinc, for instance, found in oysters, is used in the production of testosterone and vitamin E is a sex hormone stimulant.
Chocolate
According to a 2004 article published in the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, Italian researchers discovered a link between consuming chocolate and libido levels. Chocolate, especially the dark variety, is believed to trigger key neurotransmitters in the brain that activate sexual desire. At a symposium of the European Society for Sexual Medicine, Dr. Andrea Salonia, one of the researchers from Milan, indicated, “Chocolate seems to make the mood more fulfilling.”
The researchers surveyed 153 women about sexual function. Of the participants who frequently ate chocolate–120–overall sexual function and desire was significantly higher than those who did not eat chocolate.
Oysters
Zinc, which is known to increase sperm count and helps stimulate testosterone, is found in abundance in oysters. The coastal mollusk also contains NMDA (N-methyl-Daspartate) and D-aspartic acid, reports journalist Michael Hanlon in the Free Library, chemicals that can trigger sexual desire and performance.
It’s not just the zinc in oysters that can stimulate love and lust. The act of eating oysters, feeding one another and sucking and licking the shell, for example, can be seductive and flirty.
Asparagus
Interviewed for FoxNews.com, dietitian Tanya Zuckerbrot says, “Asparagus contains foliate, which is necessary for histamine production and histamine is necessary for both males and females to reach orgasm.” Further, asparagus is high in vitamin E, a sex-hormone stimulant. Almonds, olives and blueberries are also rich in vitamin E.
Chili Peppers
Chili peppers are known to quicken the pulse, stimulate the release of endorphins, and mimic sexual arousal, according to Meryl S. Rosofsky of New York University’s department of nutrition, food studies and public health. Interviewed by the New York Times, Dr. Rosofsky explains that chili peppers are one of the few foods that have been scientifically proven to affect our libido.
About this Author
Riki Markowitz has spent most of her career working as a research chief at various magazines, including “Redbook,” “Family Circle,” “Stuff” and “Latina.” Her work has also appeared in “Maxim,” “Woman’s Day,” “Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel,” “Lucky” and “The Knot.” Markowitz holds a Bachelor of Arts in literature from Temple University.
