Aphrodisiac Foods | Nourishable Raw Episode 7 [fmQBUJ_LRfY]

Aphrodisiac Foods | Nourishable Raw Episode 7 [fmQBUJ_LRfY]

| 1h 28m 28s | Video has closed captioning.

There’s a bunch of foods with purported aphrodisiac properties, but is there any science to back up the claims? Subscribe to Nourishable at Follow Nourishable on twitter, facebook and instagram to stay up to date on all things nutrition. fb.me/nourishable.tv Hosting, Research, Writing & Post-Production by Lara Hyde, PhD Music & Video Production by Robbie Hyde Opening Motion Graphics by Jay Purugganan The information in this video is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this video is for general information purposes only. References According to the FDA, an aphrodisiac is a product that will arouse or increase sexual desire or improve sexual performance. There’s a bunch of foods out there with purported aphrodisiac properties, like chocolate, honey, oysters, strawberries and hot chilies. But is there any science to back up these claims? The idea of aphrodisaics have been around for millenia. Many claimed aphrodisiacs look kind of like genitalia, think figs and pears, or phallic asparagus and bananas. The Aztec word for avocado means testicle. Yeah, that’s pretty accurate. Other claimed aphrodisiacs have a fleshy genital texture, like oysters and clams. But there’s no science underlying actual sexual enhancement based on shape and texture alone. Some aphrodisiac foods are high in vitamins or minerals that are necessary for sexual function. For example, oysters are very high in zinc. Zinc is necessary to produce the hormone testosterone and synthesize sperm. Maybe if you’re zinc deficient and then eating oysters may enable sexual function, but there’s no evidence to support an additional benefit of zinc if you’re already zinc sufficient. So just because a food contains a nutrient that is involved in a sexual function doesn’t mean that consuming more of that nutrient will enhance. Hot peppers contain capsaicin, the active ingredient that gives peppers their spicy kick. Capsaicin does increase heart rate and sweating, which are characteristics also increased by sexual activity, though there is no science indicating that this is actually linked to libido. Buzz kill - there is no science to back up aphrodisiac claims for chocolate, honey or wine either. There have been a few randomized, double-blind placebo controlled studies that have identified some potential aphrodisiac foods. Gingko biloba has been shown to act as a vasodilator by increasing nitric oxide synthesis. This is similar to the mechanism of viagra, which enhances blood flow to genitalia. Some small human studies have suggested that maca root can increase sexual desire in healthy men and women, and enhance sexual function in erectile dysfunction, though the data is too limited to make strong conclusions. These are inherently difficult to study as they often rely on subjective measures, there are still questions about what the optimal doses are and whether there are interactions with other drugs - so don’t go running out to buy them yet. One takeaway from many studies of aphrodisiac foods is the power of the placebo. Thinking that something is an aphrodisiac can enhance desire can frequently enhance desire. So maybe just prepping something thoughtful and nice for your loved one can be your own unique aphrodisiac. Personally, I get warm fuzzies when my partner makes me dinner with lots of colourful vegetables. This valentines day, or any day really, pick your own aphrodisiac placebo for some safe and consensual fun.