Love at First Bite! Dr. Perricone's Top Ten Foods to Enhance Your Sex Life
No, Love at First Bite is not a blog about the HBO hit series True Blood. And you won't find one mention of vampires, Bon Temps, Louisiana, Anna Paquin or Stephen Moyer. What you will discover is the anti-inflammatory diet (not a drop of synthetic blood on the menu) which will work wonders for your sex life. In addition, because you quickly drop unwanted body fat, you will also feel more attractive--which always help when it comes to the libido.
Healthy fats are vital to hormone production, and a healthy sex life is all about the hormones. Here is a short list of some wonderful foods that will go a long way in enhancing your sex life as well as your overall sense of happiness.
1. Wild salmon and other cold water fish (sardines, herring, trout, anchovies, etc,) high in omega-3 fats. In fact, if you want just one food group guaranteed to help increase overall health and sexual stamina then these fish are for you. Omega-3's are critical to the brain and nervous system. They will also improve mood, increase sense of well-being, fight depression, give you glowing radiant skin and improve memory and brain power.
2. Watermelon -- Watermelon is rich in l-citrulline, an amino acid that helps improve blood flow.
L-citrulline supports the body in optimizing blood flow through its conversion to L-arginine and then nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is involved in vasodilatation (dilation of the blood vessels). Low levels are associated with mental and physical fatigue and sexual dysfunction.
Like Viagra, l-citrulline increases blood flow to the sexual organs, without any negative side effects. In fact, some experts are asking "is watermelon the new Viagra?"
3. Extra Dark Chocolate -- contains phenylethylamine, a chemical believed to produce the feeling of "being in love." We all know how good chocolate makes us feel. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that women who enjoyed a piece of chocolate every day, had a more active sex life than those who didn't. Eating dark chocolate stimulates the production of endorphins, resulting in pleasurable feelings and reduced stress. Serotonin, another important neurotransmitter, acts as an anti-depressant and increases our feeling of well-being.
4. Asparagus -- Asparagus is rich in folate, a B vitamin that helps increase production of histamine. The correct levels of histamine are important for a healthy sex drive in both men and women.
5. Oysters -- Oysters are extremely rich in zinc, essential for testosterone production and the maintenance of healthy sperm. And even though women have much less testosterone than men, it also plays a key part in the female libido.
Oysters also boost dopamine, a hormone which results in increased libido in both men and women.
6. Blueberries. When it comes to boosting dopamine levels, blueberries rule. Blueberries allow the body a greater ability to release dopamine, an energizing, stimulatory neurotransmitter. Blueberries also protect us from the loss of dopamine cells normally seen with aging. By increasing brain energy production and maintaining youthful brain function, dopamine exerts an extremely important anti-aging effect. And, since dopamine decreases as we age, blueberries become even more important as we get older.
7. Pumpkin seeds -- Like oysters, pumpkin seeds are also extremely rich in zinc, and extremely healthy for the male prostate gland. Don't underestimate the power of zinc when it comes to a woman's sex drive.
One study found that pumpkin seeds are also a great libido booster. Pumpkin seeds are also rich in omega 3 essential fatty acids, which act as a precursor of prostaglandins--hormone-like substances important for sexual health.
8. Garlic --garlic contains allicin, a compound thought to increase blood flow to the sexual organs. Some experts believe that garlic is a very powerful aphrodisiac--but it doesn't work overnight. They recommend taking capsules or eating garlic daily for about a month to reap its remarkable benefits.
9. Avocado--rich in folic acid for increased energy product and healthy fats to improve mood and sense of well-being.
10. Peanuts--especially for men-- Studies show that the amino acid L-Arginine is helpful for improving sexual function in men. L-arginine is used to make nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels. Preliminary studies have found that L-arginine may help with erectile dysfunction because it relaxes the blood vessels. Peanuts are a rich natural source of L-arginine.
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So your goal in life is to have sex? So you are eating foods to make you sexually potent or attractive?
Strange society we live in. All the things we have and all we can put on the front of magazines or in movies is how to have sex, more sex, longer sex, stronger orgasms etc. There is so much more to life. I guess sex sells?
Better off to enjoy yourself - wink - and eat a bowl of ice cream!
Doctor, what if I can only find farm raised salmon? I already eat most of the stuff you listed, now all that's missing is someone to have sex with.
Dear WinterParkMom,
Canned salmon is almost always wild salmon. The top of the can will usually have Alaska emobssed on it, so you can be sure you are not eating farm raised. All of the cold water fish are rich in omega 3's. These include anchovies, sardines, sablefish, trout, herring and so forth.
Best regards,
Nicholas Perricone, MD
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