Aphrodisiac foods

Aphrodisiac foods are believed to enhance libido and sexual desire. While scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness is limited, some foods are traditionally considered aphrodisiacs: 

Chocolate, strawberries, oysters: we’ve all heard that certain foods can heighten our sexual desire and even performance. But is there any truth to the claims?

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 animal testicles," Hopkins says.

While we tend to think of aphrodisiacs in terms of lust, romance and libido, in the 17th Century – when everything from pigeons to almonds to parsnips were considered aphrodisiacs – they were associated with reproduction and fertility and given to married couples as more of a medical substance, says Jennifer Evans, senior lecturer in history at the University of Hertfordshire who researches the history of food and fertility.

You might also like:

• The sex myth that's centuries old

• Here's what we know sex with Neanderthals was like

• Why we keep dating people like our ex

But can any food really affect sexual desire and performance? And why is the idea so persistent?

Aphrodisiac foods: fact or fiction?

For those who have problems with their circulation, it’s true that certain foods can help in a similar way to Viagra medication – by relaxing blood vessels and improving blood flow to the genitals. The amino acid L-arginine, found in foods such as pumpkins, walnuts and beef, is converted to nitric oxide in the body, which increases blood flow. So do foods high in omega 3 fatty acids, including salmon and avocado. Another helper is quercetin. Found in apples, berries, grapes, red wine, garlic and dark chocolate, quercetin has anti-inflammatory properties that can improve blood flow.

What is an aphrodisiac?

Aphrodisiacs are substances – food or drugs – that increase levels of arousal, sexual desire, behaviour and pleasure after consuming them. 

Named after the Greek goddess of love and passion, Aphrodite, assorted cultures through history have sought foods that might entice lovers into bed or enhance a person's sexual performance. Many are rare or luxury delicacies. Some also have more than a passing resemblance to sexual organs, or have odours that fire up the senses.

In ancient Rome, for example, a stumpy herb called silphium was prized for its odiferous sap and its juice was used as an aphrodisiac(although it also may have been used as a form of birth control). Today chocolate, figs and oysters feature in the long list of familiar foods with supposed aphrodisiac properties. But others are bizarre and downright expensive, such as a "phallic" clam known as the geoduck.

However, only people with compromised blood flow will see any improvements to sexual function by eating these foods, says Lauri Wright, spokesperson for the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Someone with good circulation isn't likely to see any changes.

When most of us think of aphrodisiacs, though, we don't think about sexual function, but desire.

One food that’s long been believed to heighten sexual desire is chocolate. Studies have shown that cocoa can increase blood flow in parts of our body beyond our torso. But when its direct relationship with sexual desire was studied, there was no evidence found to support its use as an aphrodisiac.  

It's all about the context of the food we're eating, adds the University of Hertfordshire's Evans. "You don't think of chocolate as an aphrodisiac every time you break into Twix. You have to be in the right context," she says.

The psychology behind "aphrodisiac foods" 

So why do some people swear that certain foods have aphrodisiac qualities?

It may simply be because they believe they will, says Krychman.

"Oysters have limited evidence of having an effect on sexual desire, but a rigorous trial [proving that effect] is lacking – partly because the placebo effect is so big," he says.

The fact that sexual desire is so multifaceted and individual for all aphrodisiacs can work to its advantage, says Nan Wise, psychotherapist and sex therapist at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Getty Images

If you believe a certain food increases your desire, it probably will (Credit: Getty Images)

"Desire is physical, psychosocial and relational, and involves a lot of variables. If you believe a food increases desire, the psychology of the placebo effect affects our capacity to get turned on or off," Wise says.

Our individual experiences also could be strong determinants of which foods boost sexual desire in each of us, says Jean-Christophe Billeter, associate professor of social and sexual behaviour at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

"Humans are very suggestive, and the brain is wired to form a strong memory when we have sexual success. Depending on the situation, if something happened in the environment where a person had sex, this will become something to trigger the desire to have sex in the future."

Another potential mind-related explanation for the aphrodisiac effect is our mood. Research suggests that a positive mood is associated with heightened sexual arousal, and diets rich in plant-based foods have been linked to a lower risk of anxiety and depression.

Aphrodisiac foods

From sources across the web

Chocolate

Oysters

Chili pepper

Figs

Avocado

Pomegranate

Asparagus

Honey

Strawberry

Maca

Watermelon

Bananas

Asian Ginseng

Garlic

Wine

Saffron

Almond

Pistachios

Celery

Pumpkin seed

Artichokes

Arugula

Coffee

Ginger