A healthy sex drive leads to a more satisfying life, but in today's highly caffeinated and overstressed society, it can be difficult to enjoy a healthy sex life without taking some steps to keep the motor running. Claims that some foods stimulate sex drive are being studied by researchers and are yet to be scientifically proven, but it is possible to increase the libido by eating foods that enhance the levels of vitamins, minerals and hormones in the body, Dr. Shelley Narula says at Steady Health.com.
Oysters
Oysters have long been rumored to have aphrodisiac properties, but Narula reports that there is no scientific evidence to back up that assertion. Oysters do have a high zinc content, a mineral crucial to the production of testosterone in the body. Low zinc levels have been linked to poor libido in men and women and a low sperm count in men, Women Fitness.net reports.
Hot Chiles
The Discovery Channel's Discovery Health website reports that the ingredient in hot peppers that makes them hot, capsaicin, stimulates the production of endorphins that help prepare the body for sex. Ingesting capsaicin results in an increase in heart rate, blood flow and sweat that is similar to the body's natural reaction to sexual arousal.
Bananas
Bananas contain potassium and riboflavin, which help stimulate the production of testosterone in the body, Narula says. Low levels of these nutrients have been linked to infertility. Narula says that the enzyme bromelain contained in bananas is believed to help improve male sex drive.
Asparagus
Asparagus is a good source of vitamin E, which helps men and women produce testosterone, a hormone that stimulates both male and female sex drives. Women Fitness.net reports that vitamin E also has antioxidant properties that help protect the female sex organs from damage.
Chocolate
Chocolate has long been reputed to contain aphrodisiac properties, but today scientists are finding the high levels of phenylethylamine and serotonin contained in the seeds of the cocoa plant help stimulate the pleasure centers in the brain, researchers at Discovery Health report. Phenylethylamine is considered to be the "love chemical," researchers report, because it instills a sense of well-being and excitement similar to sexual arousal.
