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Do aphrodisiacs really work?

Named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, aphrodisiacs are said to increase libido, potency, and sexual pleasure. Who hasn't heard that chocolates, strawberries and oysters can have such a powerful effect? Historically, aphrodisiacs have included even quirkier edibles – including the toxic Spanish fly, ground rhinoceros and rare plant extracts. In fact, during research for her book Intercourses, co-author Martha Hopkins found that almost every food has been considered an aphrodisiac at one time. "Historically, foods considered to be aphrodisiacs were hard to find, rare or expensive, like truffles, foie gras and caviar, or shaped like a sex organ, like asparagus or artichokes, and even…

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 Learn Why These 10 Foods Are Edible Aphrodisiacs

History has woven quite a collection of folklore, mythology and superstition around the sexual nature of food. If you look hard enough, you'll discover that pretty much every food has been touted as an aphrodisiac at one point or another in history. The connection makes sense on a certain level; eating is a primal need associated with pleasure, somewhat akin to arousal. While most of aphrodisiac mythology stems from foods with symbolic colors or shapes, certain foods do contain properties that stimulate pleasure centers in the brain.

 Research on aphrodisiacs is kind of unsatisfying

There's more to love potions than physical arousal. According to the internet, almost anything is an aphrodisiac. There are claims about the exotic, or at least the fancy, like saffron threads, raw oysters, and truffles. Then there’s the stuff of historical lore, like figs, pomegranates, and cinnamon. Even mundane foodstuffs like lentils, garlic, basil, and pine nuts are sometimes said to get people going. (Anyone who’s ever made out with a partner after a big dinner of pesto might disagree.)

 Skip The Oysters, Coffee Is The New Aphrodisiac

For those who can’t get through the day without a cup (or three) of coffee, you might be getting more than one benefit from your morning cup of joe. Recently, TikTok users have been touting the benefits of coffee in the bedroom and and as it turns out, the experts agree.

 Which Aphrodisiacs Really Work? An Investigation

The science behind aphrodisiacs is patchy at best. Oysters, for example, have been touted as a sex drive booster for centuries, but there’s little concrete evidence that these pussy-shaped seafood treats do more than top up our vitamin levels. And while Viagra has been tried and tested for those with dicks, some people with vaginas told me that it made their heart beat like they’d just bombed some speed.

Articles of Interest

Do You Believe in Aphrodisiacs?

I've never tried an oyster because they look way too slimy, so I'll never get to find out if they do the trick. And dark chocolate is delicious, but it doesn't make me want to do anything...except eat more chocolate! Bananas, asparagus, champagne, carrots, avocados and tomatoes have all been said to be aphrodisiac foods, but I don't buy it. I'd like to actually find a couple who has experimented with these because I'm skeptical to say the least.

'Men said we were immoral': the aphrodisiacs challenging taboos

Nigeria’s traditional ‘Kayan Mata’ recipes have grown into a booming industry that’s empowering women to be more open about sex

A Mollusk With a Storied Past in Human Seduction

Long associated with Aphrodite, oysters graced the menus of Roman orgies, Gold Rush eateries and Manhattan brothels.

Aphrodisiacs

The good sex diet: healthy foods to liven up your love life!

Aphrodisiacs Can Spark Sexual Imagination, But Probably Not Libido

What do we know about the power of food to rev up sex drive? Not much. "Really, science has not figured out what determines sexual motivation and sexual attraction. If we knew the answer to that, we'd probably be richer than Pfizer after they invented Viagra," says Dolores Lamb, director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. She hasn't seen any compelling evidence that any particular food can intensify desire.

Aphrodisiacs in the global history of medical thought

The study of aphrodisiacs is an overlooked area of global history which this article seeks to remedy by considering how such substances were commercially traded and how medical knowledge of them was exchanged globally between 1600 and 1920. We show that the concept of ‘aphrodisiacs’ as a new nominal category of pharmacological substances came to be valued and defined in early modern Latin, English, Dutch, Swiss, and French medical sources in relation to concepts transformed from their origin in both the ancient Mediterranean world and in medieval Islamicate medicine.

Aphrodisiacs: the food of love?

For thousands of years certain foods and drinks have been feted as aphrodisiacs, but is there any real evidence that any of them work? Oliver Thring investigates

Are Oysters an Aphrodisiac?

Sure, if you think so. For eons, men and women have searched for plants or foods that could turn on desire. And, to date, nothing has been scientifically proven to be an aphrodisiac—that is, to be a substance that sexually excites.

Do aphrodisiacs work? What the science says

Strawberries? Oysters? The perfect aphrodisiac remains elusive.

Essay: Aphrodisiacs

With Valentine's Day on the way, essayist Bonny Wolf takes a humorous look at some foods that have been historically credited with enhancing sexual appetites.

Exploring scientifically proven herbal aphrodisiacs

Procreation was an important moral and religious issue and aphrodisiacs were sought to ensure both male and female potency. Sexual dysfunction is an inability to achieve a normal sexual intercourse, including premature ejaculation, retrograded, retarded or inhibited ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, arousal difficulties (reduced libido), compulsive sexual behavior, orgasmic disorder, and failure of detumescence. The introduction of the first pharmacologically approved remedy for impotence, Viagra (sildenafil) in 1990s caused a wave of public attention, propelled in part by heavy advertising. The search for such substances dates back millennia. An aphrodisiac is an agent (food or drug) that arouses sexual desire. The hunt for natural supplement from medicinal plants is being intensified mainly because of its fewer side effects.

How Chocolate Became A Sweet (But Not So Innocent) Consort To Valentine's Day

Wherever chocolate went, its reputation as a sexual stimulant seemed to follow. Giacomo Casanova called chocolate the "elixir of love" and the notorious Marquis de Sade celebrated its potency.

How Many Oysters Does it Take to Get Horny: An Investigation

Really, I think oysters might be a subtle aphrodisiac, as long as you eat heaps of them. Anything sub-10 is a waste of time. Anything above 16 is heading in the right direction. But if you eat 32 or more on a good day, you’d better have someone ready to shag.

Jamaica’s Famous Aphrodisiac Soup Got Me High, But Didn’t Get Me Off

Despite being a Jamaican dish of legend, it turns out that, outside of the islands, mannish water is pretty elusive. However, this stuff has been on the radar of icons like The Rolling Stones’, whose 1973 album Goats Head Soup was inspired by the dish, recorded in Kingston at Dynamic Sound Studios while the band was living in Jamaica

Love Potions: A Brief History of Aphrodisiacs

There are several disparate, narrative depictions of the origins of Valentine’s Day. The same could be said for the concept of aphrodisiacs—edible and potable substances that allegedly increase libido. Our understandings of the phenomena are derived from folklore, mythology, superstitions, and logical reasoning. Rare, bizarre ingredients have taken positions in the aphrodisiacal canon—consider oysters! Or bird’s nest soup, piranhas, and sparrow tongues. The yujo (brothel workers of feudal Japan) swore by a tincture of eels, lotus root, and charred newt.

Meh About Sex Lately? 7 Aphrodisiacs to Serve Up For Dinner

When you're planning tonight's meal, you're likely more concerned with having enough protein and veggies than you are with having an orgasm. Put aside any wishy-washy feelings about the true effectiveness of aphrodisiacs for a second and hear us out: what does it hurt to try? If you or your guy could use a little extra oomph lately, add a dash of these known aphrodisiacs to spice up your sex life right now. Oysters. Cliché? Yes. But there's a reason lovers indulge in these slimy shellfish: They're packed with zinc, which amps up your testosterone levels...

Mortality Can Be a Powerful Aphrodisiac

Cancer works very hard to make life unsexy. Freud was right. The only thing that can beat the sex drive is the specter of death. Every kiss or touch is undermined by images that a potentially terminal disease tattoos onto the surface of your mind. White blood cells strangling your loved one. Cathodes distending his neck and chest like a modern Frankenstein. Hair loss. Emaciation.

Natural Aphrodisiacs: Do They Work?

There's little evidence to support the effectiveness of most substances thought of as natural aphrodisiacs—natural substances that may enhance sexual function. Some foods and supplements are sometimes claimed to affect libido. These include chocolate, spicy food and saw palmetto. But research has found that they usually don't work to produce a sexual response in men or women.

Scientists On Aphrodisiacs: What Works and What Doesn’t

The secret to a more satisfying sex life has long tortured men and women, and many have turned to natural supplements or over the counter products to kick their libido into gear. However, despite wide use, little is known about the safety or efficacy of natural libido boosters. Now, in a new study published in July in the journal of the International Society for Sexual Medicine researchers have reviewed the most popular and commonly used aphrodisiac products on the market and analyzed just how much evidence they have to support their use.

The Claim: Chocolate Is an Aphrodisiac

Nowadays, scientists ascribe the aphrodisiac qualities of chocolate, if any, to two chemicals it contains. One, tryptophan, is a building block of serotonin, a brain chemical involved in sexual arousal. The other, phenylethylamine, a stimulant related to amphetamine, is released in the brain when people fall in love.

The Claim: Oysters Are Aphrodisiacs

Oysters are high in zinc, and a number of studies over the years have linked zinc deficiencies to impotence and delayed sexual development. But so far no major study has examined whether eating an oyster has any direct impact on arousal.

The Truth About Aphrodisiacs

Humans have been trying to spark their desire with special foods and drinks for millennia, with several schools of thought dictating what made for a libido-enhancing ingredient. Certain foods were valued for their resemblance to genitalia—phallic foods like carrots and asparagus, yonic foods like oysters and halved figs. Others, like chili peppers, are supposed to speed up blood flow with heat. Some, like very rare spices, were the Lamborghinis of the food world, turning on the eater with the knowledge of how expensive they were. But do any of them actually work? It’s not very likely. Take chocolate...

The world’s sexiest foods: from pine nuts to pomegranate juice

Want to get your pulse racing? Oysters are a recognised aphrodisiac, but there are plenty of alternatives, including two varieties of ‘red Viagra’

What Aphrodisiacs Do

A true aphrodisiac (if there is such a thing) creates or reinforces a sexual urge in the person who has taken it, automatically, without reference to mood, ambiance or anything else.

Why Do We Kiss Under The Mistletoe?

In the 1st century AD, Celtic druids were recorded mixing up mistletoe and giving it as a drink to animals because they thought that it would help with the animals' fertility. And these people also supposedly hung mistletoe over their doorways around the winter solstice because it'll stay green all winter. And it was seen as a way of warding off evil and bringing good luck.

Resources

15 best aphrodisiac perfumes that are insanely addictive and alluring

Aphrodisiac perfumes may sound like a strange phenomenon, but they're not to be underestimated. They tingle our senses, give us goosebumps and make the hairs on our neck stand up in a way that we can't quite fathom. After all, smell is considered one of our strongest senses and can influence our emotions, so it's only natural that certain notes would have the unique ability to alter our brain chemistry in surprising ways. It's also been long theorised that some perfumes can have an aphrodisiac effect on the brain by evoking a strong sexual desire in whomever falls under their charm.

4 Aphrodisiac Foods to Increase Your Libido

An integrative dietitian recommends four favorite foods to increase sex drive.

7 Surprising Foods That Will Improve Your Sex Life

Sure, you know that greasy foods like burgers, fries, and pizza make you want to take a nap more than want to take your shirt off. But did you also know there are nutrient-packed foods (other than oysters and chocolate!) that can give your libido a big boost?

11 Foods That Increase Libido (and 4 That Kill It)

If you find you're more eager to sleep than have sex regularly, your sex drive may need a booster shot. Here are 11 foods that enhance desire by increasing your libido — plus four to avoid if you want to get in the mood.