Zinc: A Healthy Amount Promotes a Healthy Sex Life, and a Lack of it Kills Your Sex Drive

Ann Olson
Men, are you suffering from a bad sex life? Do you have less desire to be intimate with your spouse? Are you just not motivated anymore? Instead of blaming yourself or your spouse next time, maybe you should blame your zinc deficiency. More and more physicians are saying that a lack of zinc hurts your fun in the bedroom, but why does zinc deficiency cause this unwanted side effect?

Why This Deficiency Hurts Your Sex Life
So why does zinc deficiency hurt your sex life? Well, look down -- a lack of this healthy mineral hurts production down there.

Why? Zinc is an essential mineral needed for the production of testosterone. It regulates the stuff down there, contributing to normal sperm counts and the regulation of your sex drive. Your prostrate has huge concentrations of zinc, and a healthy prostate regulates prostatic fluid. This aids in the production of semen. A lack of this results in a non-existent sex drive, low sperm counts, and lessened fertility.

So a lack of zinc hurts your prostate, and without a healthy prostate, you can't have a healthy sex life.

How To Incorporate It Into Your Diet
Provided that you want a healthy sex life, you'll want to up your zinc intake. Here are foods that are rich in zinc:

- Seafood
- Chicken
- Beef
- Lamb
- Oysters (yes, oysters really are an aphrodisiac!)
- Brown rice
- Oatmeal
- Pecans
- Cashews
- Peanut butter
- Cheddar cheese
- Milk

As you've noticed, a lot of these foods come from animal sources. Vegans and Vegetarians run the risk of suffering from this deficiency, so it's important you meet all of your daily nutritional requirements.

Be careful not to have too much, though -- although a healthy amount of zinc improves your sex life, too much hurts you too. Too much zinc, otherwise known as "zinc toxicity", has very nasty side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The recommended daily amount is 15mg, but try to aim for 20 or 25mg.

How to Introduce More Zinc Into Your Diet
You might want to have a healthy sex life quickly, but introducing too much zinc into your diet affects you adversely. The key here is slow, and in moderation. Here are some suggestions for increasing zinc:

- For breakfast, trade sausage and eggs for a hearty bowl of oatmeal. Finish your meal with a big glass of milk.
- Chew on pecans or cashews for a quick snack. They're super tasty and fill you up fast.
- Instead of visiting a fast food restaurant, visit a seafood restaurant such as Red Lobster.
- Ready for supper? Have some brown rice with your meat dish. It's super yummy and has a lot of zinc.

Don't be afraid to be creative with your meals, but always make sure it's in moderation. Once you reach the recommended amount of 15mg a day, your sex life should improve. It also increases fertility so if you're trying for a baby, it'll speed up the process. Diet is always crucial if you want a enjoyable sex life, so start it with a healthy, daily dosage of zinc. You'll thank yourself -- and your spouse will as well.

Published by Ann Olson - Featured Contributor in Health & Wellness

When I'm not lifting 200 lbs. off the ground with my bare hands, I moonlight as a freelance reporter and diet consultant. What I do: I write regular diet and exercise-oriented columns for Yahoo! Sports, Yah...  View profile

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