Improve your sex life with these natural aphrodisiacs – from watermelon to chilli, experts tell all
Oysters, champagne and plain chocolate are not the only aphrodisiacs out there. We spoke to experts to find out what healthy foods can help boost your libido this Valentine’s Day
From Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and sexuality, comes the word aphrodisiac; you know, the stuff you eat that gets you “in the mood”. Aphrodisiacs actually come in many forms: potions, lotions and food.
These forms can be outlandish, such as sea urchins and starfish, or lavish, like champagne and oysters. But can we really eat our way to a better sex life? And if we can, what are the best – and healthiest – options?
Hong Kong dietitian Denise Fair says, “there’s a lot of hype around this, and unfortunately there is no one food that will automatically put you ‘in the mood’”. There are, however, a range of “sensual foods that tend to excite your senses, open up your blood vessels and make you feel comfortable and relaxed”.
Chocolate gets right to the heart of sexual pleasure by increasing the brain’s level of serotonin, the feel-good chemical that enhances arousal and sensation.
Most aphrodisiac foods, she says, contain nutrients or natural chemicals that support a healthy reproductive system or promote hormone production. “Others help the circulatory system by relaxing the blood vessels and muscles, or they lend visual, tactile or sensory impact to the brain – which is really the largest sex organ in the body,” Fair says.
