It’s springtime, and love is in the air. Believe it or not,
your lovemaking ability (or lack thereof) is directly related to your diet, and
certain foods are more detrimental to your ability to perform than others.
If you happen to be a man who is experiencing a little
trouble getting, er, “inspired” for sexy time, we have a list of foods that can
potentially help you fight erectile dysfunction.
Sexual desires are controlled by what is known as the libido
— a fancy word for sex drive. Libido is determined by a number of factors that
include sociological, psychological, and hormonal influences.
“In both men and women, the hormone testosterone drives much
of human libido,” explained Dr. Michael Hirt, founder of the Center for
Integrative Medicine in California's San Fernando Valley, who often hands out a
list of foods to patients who complain about a lowered sex drive. “Low testosterone
means a lower sex drive.”
This is why the idea of aphrodisiacs, foods that stimulate
your sex-drive, is widely accepted and revered by the most amorous of humans.
While there isn’t much scientific evidence that such foods can really rev up
your sex drive, the theory is that certain foodstuffs can help us become
aroused through their smell, taste, and texture (slurping oysters, anyone?).
Additionally, some people believe that the chemical makeup of these sexy foods
can alter hormones in your body.
The facts behind arousal through food are slightly more
complicated.
“Certain foods can lower testosterone levels,” Hirt said.
“The foods that are most likely to do so include cheese… chocolate, and
alcohol. These foods lower testosterone by increasing the activity of an
enzyme, aromatase, which converts testosterone into estrogen. The overall
effect of increased aromatase activity is lower testosterone levels and higher
estrogen levels.”
Many may assume that high estrogen and low testosterone is a
recipe for romantic disaster solely for men, but this isn't the case; women can
experience adverse symptoms when they have too much estrogen as well. The
American Association of Naturopathic Physicians notes that when a woman’s
estrogen levels are too high, she may undergo negative health complications
including an increase in PMS symptoms, uterine fibroids, and endometriosis as
well as other symptoms such as allergies, decreased libido, fatigue,
fibrocystic breasts, headaches, infertility, irritability, and fat gain around
the abdomen and on the top of the thighs. Further, numerous studies demonstrate
that excess estrogen can cause breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers (all of
which are considered estrogen-dependent cancers), cervical dysplasia (a
precancerous condition characterized by abnormal changes to cervical tissues),
and even menopausal symptoms.
To help you make sure your romantic evening isn’t cut short,
we’ve put together the following list of hormone-altering foods and drinks. To
help keep the proverbial fires burning, you might want to keep these foods off
of your date-night menu.
1. Alcohol
There are some facts about alcohol that just aren’t true.
Alcohol may make approaching someone easier, but it can seriously damage your
ability to perform. “Alcoholic beverages do a double whammy on your sex life by
lowering your testosterone and your sexual functioning,” says Hirt.
2. All-Purpose Flour
Processed foods, especially all-purpose or white flour, are
stripped of many components which are vital for sexual health. One such
component, the mineral zinc, is essential to a man’s reproductive health.
Compared to whole-grain or whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour has about
three-quarters less zinc. Additionally, eating all-purpose flour can lead to
insulin resistance and, eventually, diabetes. Diabetes can, in turn, narrow
one’s arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease and erectile dysfunction.
If you’re looking to keep your sex life healthy, check out our list of foods
you can eat after removing processed foods from your diet.
3. Beets
While eating beets before your workout can improve muscle
function, these deliciously sweet vegetables may not do much to bolster your
sexual ability. Consuming these trendy root vegetables will support healthy
estrogen levels in your body, a facet of a beet’s nutritional attributes that
has negative consequences for those who have an existing hormonal imbalance. If
your hormones are in check, though, beets’ natural ability to increase blood
flow may prove beneficial for men who have trouble getting “inspired” for a
little lovemaking.
4. Berries
From a nutritional standpoint, eating fresh or frozen
berries is incredibly beneficial, but produce with edible skin, especially
berries, contains some of the highest levels of pesticides, which mimic
estrogen. If you can find some organic, pesticide-free berries, you’ll find
that their vitamin content can help to improve your sex life.
5. Bottled Water
There are many, many reasons to avoid conventionally bottled
water, but when it comes to virility and fertility, the BPAs found in plastic
bottles are the largest one. Bisphenol A, commonly referred to as BPA, is a
chemical component found in many plastic food containers that can harm your
body in more ways than one. You’re better off avoiding BPAs when selecting a
reusable water bottle, especially because they can cause erectile dysfunction
in men. Additionally, a Slovenian study in Fertility & Sterility found a
significant association between urinary BPA concentration in men and lower
total sperm count, concentration, and vitality. In a Harvard School of Public
Health study, it was found that women who had the higher BPA levels in their
bodies produced 27 percent less viable eggs.
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