More often than not, we read about how certain foods can serve as aphrodisiacs, claiming that these foods could arouse, increase sexual desire and performance, but little is said about their effectiveness.
A July 2015 study, published in the Sexual Medicine Reviews journal, analysed the effectiveness of each of these foods to see whether they are indeed boosting your sexual drive without any increased health risks.
Before we run through the possible ‘aphrodisiac’ foods, according to the Food & Drug Administration, an aphrodisiac is defined as “any product that bears labelling claims that it will arouse or increase sexual desire, or that it will improve sexual performance”. Giving new meaning to the saying “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”.
They measured the effectiveness of each food by conducting a meta-analysis on each product that could be linked to terms such as “sex” or “aphrodisiac.”Which we have presented below with a ‘lil verdict.
Chocolate
A women’s favourite snack and probably what you spend most of your money on. This delicious sweet treat has always been thought of as an aphrodisiac; however researchers have found that it does more for your partners or your sweet tooth than for your sweet spot. “.
Chocolate contains components that are linked to higher levels of serotonin in the brain, which are thought to play a role in enhancing sex drive.” This is just a myth as those who are non-chocolate consumers were compared with chocolate consumers and there was no significant difference found with regards to sexual difference.
Verdict: Nope
Honey
Honey which contains vitamin B and is believed to fuel testosterone production, which leads to arousal. Sorry to disappoint you men, there was no inclusive and affirmative results found; that supports the claims that this natural antibiotic serves as a philtre. So save it as a topping for your pancakes rather.
Verdict: Nope
Ginseng
Commonly known to help fight flu, infections and as a stimulant. This herb can have an effect on you or your partner’s arousal meter, as it’s been known to aid erectile dysfunction as many studies have compared this herb to a placebo which yielded positive results. “Korean red ginseng has been shown to improve sexual arousal”.
Verdict: Yes
Oysters
Infamous for being an “aphrodisiac” as they contain zinc, amino acids and serotonin which is responsible for producing testosterone and plays a role in your response to pleasure. You might enjoy eating oysters but researchers found that there is no evidence to confirm their effect on your sweet spot.
Verdict: Nope
Maca
Also known as lepidium meyenii, this root vegetable is associated with hot flashes, sexual arousal to mention a few. Researchers found various studies that stated the positive effect; Maca has on your sex drive by enhancing sexual function in women and assisting men with erectile dysfunction as well.
Verdict: Maybe
Gingko Bilboa
The Chinese make use of this supplement to treat depression and sexual function but the fact that it is considered an “aphrodisiac” is completely new to me. No evidence was found by the researchers to support this claim although when a small trail was conducted, there was a significant improvement in sexual dysfunction for men and women but not a big enough difference.
Verdict: Maybe
Chasteberry
Wondering if any of those herbs or supplements could curb your ladies PMS symptoms, well look no further. It affects hormone levels by lowering estrogen and increasing progesterone. However, it has no apparent effect on your sex drive, buddy and it could interfere with oral contraceptives so researchers strongly recommend against it.
Verdict: Nope
Source: Medical Daily, Sexual Medicine Reviews
Alice Paulse
