Aphrodisiacs: A Mouthful A Day Keeps Your Worries Away

Aphrodisiacs, named for Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of love are substances (including food and drink) that are said to arouse or increase sexual desire. Throughout the centuries, the pursuit for aphrodisiacs have driven royalties and everyday folks alike to ingest, imbibe, sprinkle, or apply almost every conceivable substance in the hopes of intensifying the sexual desire. Whether to woo a reluctant love
or revive a flagging libido, lovers all over the world have relied on it to do the trick. Several foods were thought to improve sexual function or fertility, while others were thought to be aphrodisiacs due to their manly shapes.

Many of these foods are very healthy fruits, vegetables and nuts. Perhaps the real key to a healthy love life are the vitamins, minerals, enzymes and anti-oxidants that these foods contain. But which ones have the greatest reputations for potency and do any of them really work? Here are some common foods of love used through the ages: • Asparagus contains folic acid which is important for a healthy heart and for having healthy babies. Three courses were served to 19th century bridegrooms due to its reputed aphrodisiacal powers. • Avocados contain vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. This fleshy fruit was actually banned by the Church in centuries past because it was presumably a threat to chastity.

• Almonds are a source of healthy fats and Vitamin E, which is important for male sexual health. • Bananas are a great source of potassium, minerals, vitamins and the enzyme bromelain which enhances male performance. It is also considered aphrodisiacal due to its manly shape, creamy and lush texture. • Black beans contain protein, fiber, folic acid and tryptophan, an amino acid that relaxes us. Was also considered a threat to chastity. • Caviar which is high in zinc stimulates the formation of testosterone and maintains male functionality. • Chocolate is more than just a candy bar. Dark chocolate contains anti-oxidants that keep us healthy, and phenyl ethylamine, like the neurotransmitter in our human bodies when we fall in love.

Believe it or not, it was banned from some monasteries centuries ago. • Chilli pepper quickens the pulse and induces sweating, which is similar to the state of sexual arousal. It also stimulates the release of endorphins, which play a role in sexual pleasure. • Figs contain a good dose of fibre and more minerals than most other fruits. Such seasonal crops were celebrated by ancient Greeks in a frenzied copulation ritual. • Honey is a sugar easy to digest and contains small amounts of vitamins and minerals. Prescribed in the Kama Sutra to promote sexual vigour, and the modern ‘honeymoon” dates back to the old custom for newlyweds to drink honeyed mead in their first month of marriage.

• Oysters, the consummate aphrodisiac, are famous not only for its fleshy, briny sensuality but also for its rich supply of zinc, which may aid normal sperm production and libido. Casanova was said to seduce a virgin by slipping a raw oyster into her mouth. Why all the hype with aphrodisiacs? Perhaps the reason for its charm is the improvement in our health. Better sex is simply the result of a healthy mind plus a healthy body. It may seem to be more of folklore than of Science. But in the realm of food and love, the power of one’s imagination should not be ignored.

Believing that something is an aphrodisiac, well, makes it an aphrodisiac. Yet all the oysters in the world cannot compare to the ultimate aphrodisiac: LOVE.