How food affects your mood for sex

The complexity of sexual desire has been a mystery for thousands of years. What “turns on” one person may have just the opposite effect for others. While sexuality varies widely, what is known is that desire, physical appearance, and ultimately feeling connected both physically and emotionally with a partner, are huge drivers affecting mood for sex.

But sometimes, that “loving feeling” just isn’t there. Sometimes, it takes something extra, something special to bring it back.

Have you ever considered food to get you in the mood? For centuries, various foods have been used as aphrodisiacs to stimulate a lagging libido.  Aphrodisiacs are any kind of substance than can create thoughts and feelings about sex leading to arousal. From our brain to our sex organs, effective aphrodisiacs enhance our sensory experience making us feel sexy while creating that “love is in the air” type of feeling.

Food can be an effective aphrodisiac by affecting mood, arousing us and getting juices flowing throughout the body preparing us for the sexual encounter. Scientists have even linked specific varieties of foods with better sex.

 Here are certain situations and certain foods you can use whenever you need a little nudge to get in the mood:

Foods for circulation and stamina

Keeping circulatory system in top-notch order makes sense for sexual health. To improve the sexual response in both men and women, good circulation is necessary for preventing erectile dysfunction and for increasing orgasmic response in women. Essentially, any food good for your heart is good for your sex life:

·      Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate contains cocoa, known for improving blood circulation. The flavanols in dark chocolate can stimulate the lining of the arteries, producing nitric oxide, which then relaxes the arteries. Be sure to select a chocolate that contains at least 70 percent cocoa.

·      Nuts

Walnuts and almonds are high in vitamins A and E along with magnesium and iron, all nutrients contributing to improving blood circulation.

·      Green Tea

Packed with antioxidants, green tea helps widen blood vessels in the body increasing blood flow. Drinking two to three cups of green tea daily has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system improving circulation.

·      Eggs

Already considered a symbol of fertility, eggs contain L-arginine an amino acid that can increase the production of nitric oxide.  Nitric oxide opens up blood flow and blood vessels that lead to the penis and vagina.  All that good blood flow results in helping a man to achieve an erection and increases lubrication and sensitivity to the vagina in women.

Foods for boosting libido

Here are your foods for getting you in the mood better known as aphrodisiacs. Named after the Greek goddess of love, these foods are your go-to for increasing sexual desire along with improving health in general:

·      Avocados

This buttery, creamy fruit is a rich source of the perfect mood-enhancing substances.  One is vitamin E which helps the body to manufacture hormones like testosterone.  Testosterone is found in both men and women and is the hormone of desire.  Eat more avocados to amplify both vitamin E and testosterone.  Avocados are also a top source of omega-3 fatty acids that naturally boost desire for more bedroom action.

·      Asparagus

Forget the fact asparagus resembles a part of the male anatomy.  Its phallic appearance aside, asparagus is a leading source of vitamin B6 and folate both which can stimulate arousal and orgasm.  Like avocados, asparagus also boasts vitamin E helping increase sex hormones in men and women.

·      Oysters

This super sexy food is a favorite aphrodisiac for many couples.  You may think oysters slippery feel is what gives them their seductive allure – oh no – it’s the fact oysters are loaded with the mineral zinc.  Zinc helps to produce testosterone, absolutely necessary in stimulating libidos in both men and women.  For men, zinc can improve sperm count and make them very efficient swimmers.   For women, zinc keeps their ovaries healthy, the source of estrogen, progesterone, and some testosterone, all needed for a good time in the bedroom.

·      Strawberries

Best known for their rich source of vitamin C, strawberries are always a welcome way to heat things up between a couple.  Strawberries vitamin C content is the magic ingredient that increases sperm count and sperm’s swimming abilities. Dip strawberries into dark chocolate and you have a double whammy of love mood foods to rely on.

·      Chili peppers

Spice up your sex drive with some chili peppers.  Thanks to the chemical capsaicin that makes peppers spicy, this mood enhancer gets to work by inducing the release of endorphins in the brain creating a feeling of euphoria.  Those feel-good hormones travel throughout your body stimulating nerve endings contributing to arousal. 

Dr. David Samadi is the Director of Men’s Health and Urologic Oncology at St. Francis Hospital in Long Island. He’s a renowned and highly successful board certified Urologic Oncologist Expert and Robotic Surgeon in New York City, regarded as one of the leading prostate surgeons in the U.S., with a vast expertise in prostate cancer treatment and Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy.  Visit Dr. Samadi’s websites at robotic oncology and prostate cancer 911.