As Valentine’s Day approaches, you see more articles around aphrodisiac foods as if eating something can instantly boost your libido. Only if it was so effective, people wouldn’t be visiting nutritionists and healthcare experts when they witness a drop in their sex drive.
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Food indeed has a huge role to play in your overall well-being, but it cannot be a one-stop solution to all your ailments. To bring you factual information on the subject, Slurrp spoke to Mugdha Pradhan, a Pune-based Functional Nutritionist and Healer, to understand how aphrodisiac foods work.
Explaining what is libido, Pradhan said, “It is an urge to have sexual interaction with your partner.” While nutrition has a role to play in it, Mugdha added that hormones are responsible for driving libido. Among women, oestrogen and progesterone must be circulating in a balanced proportion, and among men, testosterones have to be at their peak.
Apart from hormonal balance, the nutritionist credited mental well-being as a crucial factor driving libido. If someone is stressed or struggling with mental health issues, they are likely to experience a drop in their sex drive. Hence, mental, emotional, and physical well-being are responsible for libido.
How Does Food Support Libido?
Mugdha Pradhan said, “If you are eating food that is causing inflammation in your gut, triggering insulin resistance (which leads to an increase in blood sugar levels), or if you are not eating food rich in essential nutrients, you can end up experiencing low libido.”
She added that in such cases, you cannot enhance your sex drive just by eating foods that are aphrodisiac or help to regulate hormones in your body. “Food is the foundation. Eating the right kind of food and good quality protein can help increase your libido.”
She added that hormones responsible for sex drive require the breakdown of protein. Your body needs amino acids, protein, zinc, and magnesium to establish hormonal balance in the body. These nutrients can help to drive a good libido.
Mugdha Pradhan said, “While food plays a crucial role in your sexual well-being, other things like sleep cycle, exposure to sunlight, and hydration levels equally impact your overall well-being.”
Foods That Improve Libido
The nutritionist suggested adding foundational foods to your diet, at least for a month to allow them to work and balance your hormones. This includes eggs to fulfil your body’s requirement for protein.
Among aphrodisiacs, saffron is known to improve sex drive because it contains an active compound called crocin (different from the Crocin table that is prescribed to manage symptoms of cold and cough). You should only consume around 30mg of saffron every day for at least a month after consulting with your nutritionist or physician.
Oysters are high in zinc, which helps to boost testosterone levels among men; therefore, they are categorised under aphrodisiacs because they help to improve the sex drive. The nutritionist said that Indians don’t eat this much, but they can be a good addition to your diet.
If you are a non-vegetarian and eat organ meat, Mugdha Pradhan said that it could be good for your sexual wellness. These are loaded with essential nutrients that are required to maintain a healthy body by balancing hormones. “About 30 gm of mixed organ meat every day is enough if you are experiencing low sex drive,” the nutritionist added.
She also shared apprehensions about onions and garlic improving libido. “Imagine eating garlic bread and kissing someone, it won’t be a practical suggestion.” Studies are still being conducted to verify if these are aphrodisiac.
A few varieties of mushrooms, including reishi mushrooms, can boost libido. Sharing her experience while working with women witnessing pre-menopausal symptoms or going through menopause is correcting internal health issues. Balancing hormones to help them manage anxieties and stress has facilitated Mugdha Pradhan to guide her patients to regain their sex drive.
Speaking about people with vegan and vegetarian diet preferences, the nutritionist suggested taking supplements after speaking to a healthcare expert because the diets lack protein. When tested for Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) hormone, responsible for making oestrogen and androgens, Mugdha Pradhan said that vegans and vegetarians have low levels of this hormone. A doctor will first conduct tests to understand what kind of supplements might work to balance hormones and boost libido.