- Please note: this is not intended to be medical advice. If you are experiencing any medical issues affecting your sexual life, seek professional help. This is just meant as a light hearted, informational post about the phenomenon of aphrodisiacs.
Food is an ingredient of love. Many people experience pleasure when it comes to eating, and there is an undeniable connection to love when you feel the desire to feed or cook for someone. But food also plays a central role in sex. It has the power to enhance your hormones, impact sexual behaviour and boost libido. For thousands of years, people have shared common beliefs about food and its link to pleasure, leading me to ask, does the secret ingredient for sex really lie somewhere in the kitchen cupboards?
Aphrodisiacs are food and herbs thought to increase arousal and power pleasure and passion. The name comes from the Greek Goddess of love Aphrodite, whose beauty caused people to both love her and fight for her. Legend has it that some foods have the natural power to rev up your sex drive, and aphrodisiacs do this by stimulating the love senses – sight, smell, taste and touch. Their definition has changed throughout history: in the past, they needed to be rare and luxurious delicacies, and at other points in time, aphrodisiacs were more of a medical substance for fertility. Often they are shaped as sexual organs. While scientific evidence may be limited, some foods, alongside the act of eating itself, suggest the act of sex in the mind, psychologically provoking innate sexual desire in the body. But what foods can you use to cook up a love potion?
Chocolate
Historically, chocolate has been viewed as a staple aphrodisiac. Casanova declared it the best aphrodisiac, second only to champagne, and the Aztecs saw it as powerful. Chocolate contains the chemical phenylethylamine (PEA), aka ‘the chemical of love’, alongside serotonin. PEA surges the production of another hormone, dopamine, which is responsible for feelings of euphoria and the pleasure released during intercourse. Darker chocolate contains more of these chemicals, but science debates whether there is enough to ignite sexual desire at such a rate. Regardless, whether it be the consumption or the aft of gifting, a box of chocolates every now and again probably won’t do you any harm in the bedroom.
Spicy Foods
Some think that to spice things up in the bedroom, you might want to spice things up in the kitchen first. Fiery foods act as stimulants, they increase your heart rate and can cause sweating, mimicking your physiological behaviours when aroused and consequently tricking your body. Chilli peppers are one of the most famous aphrodisiacs, their bright red colour synonymous with love. In addition, the compound capsaicin causes endorphins to be released into the bloodstream, imitating feelings of pleasure.
Oysters
Casanova, arguably one of history’s most remarkable lovers, was said to eat 50 oysters each day to maintain and power his promiscuity. A single oyster contains 5.5 milligrams of zinc (a mineral that is vital for testosterone and fertility) which is half of the recommended daily amount for adult males and over half for adult women. Additionally, oysters contain amino acids like D-aspartic acid, and the hormone dopamine, all boosting the ‘feel good’ sensation sex gives you in your brain. The manner of which oysters are consumed is arguably sensuous too, which aids its sexually stimulant properties.
Watermelon
Often called ‘nature’s viagra’, watermelon is rich with the amino acid citrulline, known to relax blood vessels the same way erectile dysfunction medications do. It enhances blood flow, and also is considered pharmacologically beneficial for male fertility.
Honey
Symbolically, honey has historically embodied love, sexuality and procreation, emphasised in the saying ‘birds and the bees’. In folklore, its sweetness has been linked to images of fertility, and ancient civilisations saw it as having magical properties. Scientifically, honey contains the mineral boron, which helps to regulate oestrogen and testosterone levels, and it is considered to naturally boost libido levels.
Science or myth
The debate behind whether aphrodisiacs actually have a biological effect when it comes to sex has travelled across centuries and civilisations. Whilst there may exist these biological components and chemicals that tap into our libido and sexual behaviour, they don’t exist in large enough quantities to physically trigger such a notably high level of horniness. Perhaps it is more appropriate to call these effects placebo. Placebo treatments often produce psychological benefits rather than physiological effects. Lots of their power lies in expectation – if we believe these foods will have a certain effect on us, our bodies may respond in this way. Like lecturer Jennifer Evans from the University of Hertfordshire says, you don’t think of chocolate as an aphrodisiac every time you break into a Twix; it is dependent on the context.
If you want to live by the logic ‘the way to your loved ones heart is through their stomach’, incorporating aphrodisiacs may be the way to go. Whilst their biological effects may be limited, the sensuality of eating these foods and their psychological influences can’t harm your sexuality. Aphrodisiacs can be a flirtatious advantage in the bedroom, so why not incorporate cooking together, and feeding one another into foreplay. They seem to be the culinary equivalent of locking the door, turning the lights down low and playing some smooth jazz. Essentially, sharpen your cooking skills, serve up the right cuisine, and the results in the bedroom may be extra spicy.