Aphrodisiacs: everybody wants them...well, every MAN wants them; women seem to find most men don’t need the extra incentive. But are men out of luck? Do any of those love foods actually work? Oysters, chocolate, chilli peppers, bananas, alcohol... These are just some of the foods that people claim to boost you sex drive. Then there is asparagus, strawberries - maybe you have your own secret potion to stoke your partner’s sex drive.
Do any of them work? The American Federal Drug Authority says not. Their review of the science on the subject found no evidence for any heightened sex drive from any of the so-called aphrodisiacs. Seems it is all in the mind. “Experiencing increased libido from an aphrodisiac is analogous to feeling healing properties from placebos,” explains June Meyer, M.A., L.P.C., a psychotherapist in Stamford, Connecticut. “What’s in your mind matters more than what’s in your stomach. But if you think a particular food works for you,” says Meyer, “why not go for it?”
Is that the whole story? Hedda Hopper once famously announced “Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker”: so what about alcohol?
Afraid not. Alcohol lowers inhibitions, so might just allow someone to more fully express themselves sexually, and to disregard the potential consequences, but that’s only in small amounts. Drink too much and your sexual performance suffers. And no, the fact that you can get someone too drunk to resist your advances doesn’t class alcohol as an aphrodisiac any more than GHB or rohypnol: it makes it a date rape drug!
Since we're talking about drugs, what about ecstasy, then? It is one of those rare drugs that makes people feel warm, safe and open to others - an ‘empathogen”. But the sexual effect of ecstasy and other party drugs is more to do with the environment and expectation than with the effect of the drug; like alcohol, they have a tendency to make men impotent!
Some hormones can enhance your sex drive. The drawback is that, for an immediate effect, you have to be able to directly apply them to certain body areas. Otherwise you have to use them for an extended period before they start to work; and they have significant side effects. For example a woman given low doses of testosterone may feel more sexual interest after a week or so. Men see the same rise in sexual appetite but the effect is more immediate. That's not surprising. Testosterone is the body’s own aphrodisiac, regulating the sexual drive in both men and women. Sadly, it only seems to make a real difference if the bodies own production is below normal. Then there is the increases in masculine traits, like muscle-mass, facial hair etc. to deal with.
Herbalists might argue with the FDA’s opinion and claim some substances are real aphrodisiacs. An example is Ephedra, which has been used as a remedy for kidney, bladder and urinary problems and as an aphrodisiac. Ehedra has been banned in recent years, following a number of deaths related to its use; the main compounds in the plant (ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are also now subject to control because of their use in the manufacture of illegal stimulants like “speed”.
A true aphrodisiac would directly increase sexual desire and prowess and increase the intensity of the sensations felt during intercourse and orgasm. Herbalists claim that there are two herbs which can actually do this: Kava Kava root and Damiana leaves.
Damiana (Turnera diffusa, syn. Turnera aphrodisiaca) is a shrub native to Central America, Mexico, South America, and the West Indies. Its leaves have traditionally been made into a tea which was used by native people of Central and South America for its reputed aphrodisiac effects. Spanish missionaries first recorded that the Mexican Indians drank Damiana tea mixed with sugar for its ability to enhance lovemaking. There has been little scientific research on damania, but one study did find it increased the sexual activity of male rats, but only if their normal sexual function was poor to begin with.
Kava Kava is obtained from the shrub Piper methysticum, which is native to the Polynesian Islands, It has been used by the Islanders as a religious and visionary herb and aphrodisiac for most of their history. Users chew the roots and blend this saliva/root mixture with coconut milk. The resulting liquid is then fermented to produce a potent alcoholic beverage used for important rituals. The effect of the drink is to relax spinal activity, producing an euphoric state of relaxation without impairing mental activity. Some subjects also experience a tingling feeling in the genitals, producing all the ingredients for an interesting sexual experience. But it doesn’t seem to enhance desire.
There is just one other substance that has to be mentioned in a discussion of aphrodisiacs: Spanish Fly. The crushed beetle is a source of the drug cantharides, a powerful irritant which also causes gross inflammation of the sexual organs. It has been used as an aphrodisiac, a poison, and a medicine. It is illegal, although it can be obtained on the internet, although most preparations actually contain cayenne pepper rather than cantharides. Secreted in food or drink to inflame desire and facilitate seduction, it has killed both women and men. One of the more painful, embarrassing side effects in men is priaprism, a engorged, erect penis which will not subside and may need medical intervention to prevent permanent damage.
Not very edifying, I’m afraid. If there are any aphrodisiacs, their other effects outweigh the possible (and unproven) benefits. There is no pill out yet that you can just take which will suddenly increase sexual interest; we are just going to have to work on our relationship skills!
