How do aphrodisiacs work

Chocolate has always held a special place in our hearts as an aphrodisiac and an overall mood enhancer. Sounds good so far, right? Not so much. And there may actually be something to that sensational rush. Specifically, the study showed that capsaicin reduced refractory period times—the period of time after ejaculation and before the next sexual encounter—which can be a good thing. However, one potential side effect of the study was that capsaicin decreased their ejaculatory threshold—aka they came faster.

Despite the unscientific claims of many aphrodisiacs, some herbs and supplements may actually improve various aspects of sexual function. Red ginseng shows promising benefits for erectile dysfunction as measured by subjective questionnaires Jang, , and maca a turnip-sized root from Peru may be able to boost sexual desire in both men and women Shin, But there may be more to it than that. When we associate certain actions with sex—like eating chocolate—the behavior becomes something more.

This association with foreplay, intimacy, or sex transforms an everyday item into something like a personalized drug. For you, the taste or smell of the chocolate or other food or drink becomes inextricably linked with sex. Anything can be an aphrodisiac if you treat it like one.

Vitamins and supplements. Last updated April 7, Written by Tzvi Doron, DO. Disclaimer If you have any medical questions or concerns, please talk to your healthcare provider.

Hum Psychopharmacol. Apple consumption is related to better sexual quality of life in young women. Arch Gynecol Obstet. Lifestyles and sexuality in men and women: the gender perspective in sexual medicine. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. Jiannine LM. An investigation of the relationship between physical fitness, self-concept, and sexual functioning.

J Educ Health Promot. Sandroni P. Aphrodisiacs past and present: A historical review. Clinical Autonomic Research. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellMind. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. What Is an Aphrodisiac? Reasons to Try. Types of Aphrodisiacs. Impact of Aphrodisiacs. Potential Pitfalls. History of Aphrodisiacs. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. More than any single food, a healthy, balanced diet may have aphrodisiac qualities Credit: Getty.

The reason there is no supporting evidence for any individual food to be an aphrodisiac is a good one: any one food having such a potent effect would be dangerous, says Jessica Abbott, senior lecturer in evolutionary ecology at Lund University in Sweden.

The fact that sexual desire is so multifaceted and individual for all aphrodisiacs can work to its advantage, says Nan Wise, psychotherapist and sex therapist at Rutgers University in New Jersey. If you believe a certain food increases your desire, it probably will Credit: Getty.

Our individual experiences also could be strong determinants of which foods boost sexual desire in each of us, says Jean-Christophe Billeter, associate professor of social and sexual behaviour at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. Depending on the situation, if something happened in the environment where a person had sex, this will become something to trigger the desire to have sex in the future.

In fact, it may turn out that any food can have aphrodisiac qualities. In the right context, any food can have aphrodisiac qualities Credit: Getty. There is evidence that food regularly appeared in 17th-Century pornography for the same reason, says Evans: it was there to help fuel a couple for the next round.

There is also evidence from nature that we eat foods that make us look appealing to the opposite sex. Consider the characteristics of certain birds: males are more colourful because females find it attractive, and they achieve this colour by eating foods with carotenoids. This applies to humans, too. However, more studies are needed before strong conclusions can be made. Saffron is a spice derived from the Crocus sativus flower. This spice is often used as an alternative remedy to help treat depression, reduce stress, and enhance mood One study observed that a group of men who took 30 mg of saffron per day for 4 weeks experienced greater improvements in erectile function than men given a placebo A follow-up study in women reported that those in the saffron group experienced higher levels of arousal and increased lubrication, compared to those in the placebo group Saffron may help increase sex drive in individuals taking antidepressant medications.

However, results in other groups remain mixed. The supplements listed above are often said to help increase sexual desire. When it comes to boosting sex drive, the list of foods with potential aphrodisiac properties is very long. Certain foods and herbs are said to increase the female sex drive. There are many natural ways to boost your libido, such as eating aphrodisiacs and sleeping more.

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