Food and the Libido: Are You Sex Starved?

Are you sex starved? Some foods naturally help increase libido, boost energy and are known stimulants. If you are not eating certain foods it could be the reason that you don't want to get any, are not willing to give any and feel run down when thinking about sex. Foods as an aphrodisiac can help you get back into the swing of things, naturally. Can you think about eating oysters and drinking champagne without a tingle of arousal? Maybe you can because oysters are not in your top choices for food, but what about when you think of chocolate dipped strawberries or the shape of an avocado?

Debby Herbenick, PhD, associate director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University, puts things in perspective in the Woman's Day article on 9 Real (or Fake) Edible Aphrodisiac's saying, "Diet plays an important role in sexual function, including sex drive." But what foods are sexually arousing and why?

Avocado's have been considered a libido increasing food since the Aztec's called the avocado tree ahuacatl or "The Testicle Tree" because of the way the fruit hung on the tree in pairs. However, avocados really do not have any libido increasing properties but the fruit is good for you because it provides potassium and protein.

Oysters are a sexually arousing food though because of the high levels of zinc contained inside it which stimulates the hormone testosterone. Testosterone is necessary and essential for the sex drive to work properly. Salmon is another seafood that can help intimacy as it is filled with omega-3 fats, natural mood enhancers.

Chocolate is another libido enhancer and it is also good for your heart. Real chocolate or what is considered dark chocolate (70% cacoa) is best for sexual arousal. One reason that it is considered sexually arousing is because it is thought of as a "naughty" food and can cause an endorphin rush. According to Dr. Andrea Salonia, author of an Italian study on chocolate and sexual fulfillment, "Women who suffer mood swings as a result of their menstrual cycle may also suffer a dip in their sexual function. I strongly believe eating chocolate may improve their sexual function." Salonia also refers to chocolate being less like a food and more like a drug.

Honey is next on the list of foods that can help boost a woman's sex drive and keep her from being sex starved. According to Women's Health Magazine, honey contains simple carbohydrates for a quick energy boost, vitamin B which gives testosterone a boost, and boron which helps the body absorb estrogen- all of which play an important role in the body becoming aroused.

Foods like oysters, salmon and honey are not the only edible things that can increase libido. The seasonings you put on top of your food can be just as powerful for bumping up your sex drive another notch. Garlic, nutmeg, clove, and ginger all have different tastes and different properties which make them unique in increasing arousal. Garlic is filled with antioxidants but it also naturally increases blood flow. Nutmeg and clove stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system which aids in relaxation. Ginger stimulates the circulatory system which increases blood flow to the genital region -increasing sensitivity.

Try these foods if you are feeling sex starved and in need of a natural sex drive boost.