Have you ever been in a car where the driver
keeps hitting the brakes? It can be sheer torture, right? That’s what
these foods are to your low libido, which is typically fueled by
testosterone. We often think of it as a hormone that men have zipping
through their bodies. Estrogen, on the other hand, we mainly consider to
be a female hormone.
The truth is that both testosterone and estrogen play vitally
important roles in the bodies of both sexes and—unless we have a good
ratio of one to the other—all sorts of things can get wonky. Men can
grow breasts; women can sprout excessive facial hair. But in both cases,
an imbalance of testosterone and estrogen can increase or decrease
libido. And a surprising amount of research has gone into figuring out
which foods can increase or decrease our T and E levels.
Below are some of the food items could futz with that delicate
balance or be a contributing factor to a sputtering sex drive. After
you’ve checked out the sneaky saboteurs below, find out how to make a
comeback by munching on these foods guaranteed to turn you on.
Processing removes most of the nutrients in whole foods, including
ones that are important to your desire for hanky panky. For example:
When whole wheat is processed
into white flour, it loses about three-quarters of its zinc, a mineral
essential to men’s sexuality and reproduction. Eating refined grains can
lead to insulin resistance, the last stop before diabetes. Diabetes can
in turn can accelerate narrowing of the arteries, increasing your risks
of heart disease and ED.
Drinking soda on the reg is a terrible idea and, for a slew of other reasons we touch upon on this website, that goes for diet soda
too. Artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame, directly affect your
serotonin levels. Serotonin is a vital hormone in fostering a sense of
well-being or happiness. Low serotonin, say researchers, is associated
with lower libido in both men and women.
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Dinner and a movie can be a precursor to sex, but if you like to pair
your movies with microwaved popcorn, your main feature could be a flop.
See, chemicals like perfluorooctanoic acid found in the bag’s lining
can kill your sex drive—and, over the long term, even cause prostate
problems.
Cannabis is already legal in several states and could soon be legal
from coast to coast. Many people like to add the drug to food,
particularly baked goods. Whether you smoke it or eat it, studies show
that in addition to fueling long stories with no ending, marijuana
decreases testosterone levels for up to 24 hours.
According to the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program,
the average person is exposed to 10 to 13 different pesticides every
day. Nine of the 10 most commonly used pesticides are “endocrine
disruptors,” meaning they play with our male/female hormones. One of the
most estrogenic is 4-hexyl resorcinol, which is applied to shrimp to
prevent them from discoloration. Other seafood with high pesticide
loads: tilapia, eel, and farmed salmon. While these are the kinds of
foods you should buy organic no matter what, there are also some
low-budget ones to take note of in these cheap organic foods you must buy.
A glass of wine or a cocktail can get you in the mood, but drink much
more than that regularly, and your libido will pay the price. Alcohol
is a depressant that can play havoc with a man’s ability to achieve and
maintain an erection and dampen libido for both sexes. Slow down when it
comes to drinking and you may find that you rediscover your sexual
sparkle. To help do this, nutritionist Dana James suggests drinking a
2-to-1 ratio of water to alcoholic beverages. And lay-off the
whiskey—it’s the opposite of the foods that make you taste good.
What’s more manly than pounding a couple of frosty brewskis?
Actually, quite a lot, once you consider that beer could be to blame for
a lack of pep between the sheets. While all alcohol affects the liver’s
ability to get rid of excess estrogen, phytoestrogens — plant-derived
estrogens that monkey with the fertility of the mammals that consume
them — are present in the hops used to make beer. What’s more, severe
drinking can cause liver damage, and because the liver is largely
responsible for metabolizing hormones, a less-than-efficient one can
convert androgens into estrogens, resulting in a diminished sex drive.
If date night regularly includes sushi, order your appetizer wisely!
Another name for edamame is soybeans. And, well, 94 percent of soybeans
are genetically engineered in the US, according to The Center for Food Safety. High levels of soy in a woman’s body can decrease sex hormones and disrupt her ovarian function, said a study in the Journal of Nutrition.
And just a half serving of soy per day was enough to slash sperm count
by 40 percent in healthy males, the Harvard School of Public Health
found!
Much of the cheese that Americans consume is derived from cow’s milk
is loaded with synthetic hormones. These could potentially mess with
your body’s natural production of hormones, including estrogen and
testosterone, thereby screwing with your sex drive.
This stuff is everywhere, so don’t think that you’re safe just
because you don’t spoon it into your coffee. The sweet stuff increases
levels of the hormone insulin, which can cause you to store belly fat,
lose muscle mass and causing your testosterone levels to drop. In men,
belly fat raises estrogen levels, which can result in low libido and
erectile dysfunction; one study found that glucose (sugar) significantly
reduced total and free testosterone levels. Making an effort to get rid
of the sugar you consume—knowingly or otherwise—could be just what the
love doctor ordered.
Could Spaghetti-O’s could be getting in the way of your O!?! Maybe! Canned soups
and meals are notoriously high in dietary sodium (a can of
Spaghetti-O’s has 1,780 mg—as much as 10 bags of Doritos!), which can
lead to elevated blood pressure and diminished blood flow to certain
parts of the body, including the genitals. Reverse the damage with a
sexy serving of dark chocolate. Non-alkalized cocoa is rich in
flavanols—sexy compounds that promote the production of nitric oxide in
the body, causing blood vessels to open wider. Mee-ow!
The main compound in licorice — glycyrrhizic acid, which gives
licorice root its distinctive flavor — can suppress testosterone
production. In one study, seven healthy male subjects were given 7 grams
of licorice each day via commercially available candy tablets
(containing 0.5 grams of glycyrrhizic acid). Four days into the study,
the subjects’ total testosterone levels had decreased by 35 percent.
Unlike the plastic wrap you use on your leftovers, the stuff that
wraps meat and cheese in the supermarket is usually made from PVC
(polyvinyl chloride), which leaches into fatty foods and causes hormonal
shifts. Instead, buy your meat right from the butcher, and have it
wrapped in brown paper.
Fresh breath is sexy, and mint is the fresh maker. (There are also
some great health benefits, too!) But the menthol in mint lowers
technically lowers testosterone. The result? Your pleasure and fun are
emphatically not doubled.
So here’s a crazy story: To control a 31-year old women’s hirsutism
by driving down her high T-levels, researchers told her to eat 30 grams
of flaxseeds each day for four months. Her total testosterone dropped by
70 percent, and free-testosterone went down by 89 percent. The moral of
the story? If you’re a woman with an amount of facial hair you find
excessive, try flax seeds. If you’re experiencing low libido, find your omega-3s from other sources until things start looking up.
Conventionally grown produce with edible skins, particularly berries,
have among the highest levels of estrogen-mimicking pesticides. Other
culprits: peaches, apples, cherries and kale. When choosing produce,
look for organic whenever you’re buying food with edible skins.
The water isn’t the culprit here; it’s the plastic bottle. Bisphenol
A, commonly referred to as BPA, is a chemical component found in most
plastic food containers and cans and is associated with negative impacts
on fertility in both men and women. A Slovenian study in the journal Fertility & Sterility
found a statistically significant association between urinary BPA
concentration in men and lower total sperm count, concentration and
vitality. Women with the highest BPA levels in the body saw a reduction
in the number of eggs that matured, according to a study out of Harvard School of Public Health.
Poor quality meat could lead to a low wattage sex drive, say experts.
That’s because most deli meat, hot dogs, and hamburgers contain added
hormones, preservatives, and antibiotics that can bring about cause a
hormonal imbalance in your body. Choose leaner and un-processed cuts
like chicken or turkey to keep your sex drive revved.
Soy is a plant that contains phytoestrogens. They mimic the same
female hormone produced by women to cause the development of secondary
sex characteristics. Eating too many of these phytoestrogens could
disrupt hormone balance in both men and women, depressing libido across
the board. High levels of soy are found in soy milk, edamame, tofu
snacks and most vegetarian meat alternatives.
According to a study conducted at Oregon State University, strong,
heavily scented or spiced foods have the potential to change they way
your vagina smells and tastes. These foods and drinks include coffee,
onions, garlic and strong spices. Researchers at OSU point out that
eliminating these foods and eating more whole grains, fruits and vegetables might yield a milder scent and engender more mouth to south resuscitation.
Beets are delicious, nutritious, and just about the sweetest
vegetable there is. Like many other root vegetables, they contain
compounds to support healthy estrogen levels in your body. That’s great
when your testosterone levels aren’t depleted, but if you have an
existing hormonal imbalance, you could be exacerbating things by eating
too many.
If your arteries are gummed up, blood flow to your sexual organs will
be less than optimal…and that’s a very bad thing for sexual function
across the board. Trans fats are well known for their ability to clog
arteries, and that’s why many restaurants and food brands are eager to
get them out of their products. Not only can they contribute to an early
death they can contribute to a lack of “little death,” the charming
French term for an orgasm.
There’s plenty of evidence to show that drinking coffee is the great
way for men to fluff up their erections and even put a little pizazz in
your sex game. If you’re someone who gets jittery or anxious from coffee,
it may have the exact opposite effect. That’s because increased anxiety
can often lead to a low libido. It’s a frequent complaint of people
with a sensitivity to caffeine.
While there is no evidence to suggest that these kinds of vegetables
rob eaters of their desire to have sex, they may dull the sex drive of
their partners. Why? Well, broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts
impact secretions including semen, sweat, urine, and breath…leading to
unpleasant scents and tastes. Cruciferous veggies also increase the
pungency of your flatulence, thanks to the raffinose and sulfate.
Raffinose is a sugar found in cruciferous veggies that go undigested
until it reaches the large intestine, where it’s then fermented by
gas-producing bacteria.
You know how eating asparagus can make your pee smell, uh, funny? And
you know how our pee parts and our fun parts can serve double duty? I
think you know where I’m going with this. Like other cruciferous
veggies, healthy, flavorful asparagus can taste a lot worse coming out
than it went in. That could lead to partners being less than psyched to
get up in your business.
Another controversial entry on this list is chocolate, which is also on our list of best foods for your penis.
Dark chocolate is thought of as an aphrodisiac because it stimulates
feelings of euphoria and love, but some chocolate also been shown to
suppress testosterone levels and cause a low libido.
Okay, this isn’t technically a food—but it’s still something you
consume, so it’s on the list. Antidepressants and other medications like
Adderall and birth control (hello, irony) can interrupt how your body
produces and manages hormones like serotonin, epinephrine, and dopamine,
which all influence your sex drive. Talk to your doctor if you think
your pills might be lowering your libido.
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