Aphrodisiacs are foods or substances that are believed to boost our sex drive and enhance sexual pleasure and performance.
People have been having sex for a long time, and for much of that time, we’ve been looking for ways to make it more enjoyable. Aphrodisiacs are foods or substances that are believed to boost our sex drive and enhance sexual pleasure and performance. For thousands of years, people have talked about, recommended, and consumed aphrodisiacs, which are named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.
Proposed aphrodisiacs include everyday items like strawberries, more luxurious options like raw oysters, and traditional remedies like yohimbine, which comes from the bark of a West African tree. In India, foods such as saffron, almonds, honey, drumstick (moringa), spinach, garlic, onions, asparagus, and certain types of fish, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, are also believed to boost sexual desire and performance.
But do these substances actually work?
An ideal aphrodisiac would increase both sexual desire and the enjoyment of the experience.
According to Popular Science , a well-known online science platform, the problem is that sexual desire and pleasure are controlled by different parts of the brain, explains Kent Berridge, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Michigan.
For more than 50 years, scientists believed that the brain’s pleasure center was linked to the mesolimbic pathway, a part of the brain that sends dopamine, a chemical messenger, to different areas. This pathway was thought to be the main source of feelings of pleasure.
Berridge explains, “We used to believe that the dopamine system was responsible for pleasure, and that activating dopamine would create feelings of pleasure.”
This idea seemed logical because the dopamine system gets triggered by things around us that we find enjoyable.
Studies on behavior showed that signals (cues) that suggest something pleasurable also activated these dopamine pathways in the brain.
Recent studies suggest that dopamine doesn’t actually create the feeling of pleasure. Instead, it drives our wanting or craving for pleasurable things. In other words, dopamine pushes us to seek out pleasure rather than making us feel it directly.
When scientists increased dopamine levels in test animals, it didn’t make them enjoy pleasurable things any more than usual.
Berridge explains that, instead of dopamine, pleasure can be boosted by activating the brain’s opioid and endocannabinoid systems (which are like the brain’s natural marijuana system). These systems use chemicals that work like the brain’s own version of “natural heroin” and “natural marijuana.”
Berridge explains that dopamine pushes us to go after things we enjoy, while opioids and endocannabinoids (natural chemicals in the brain) make those things feel good. Together, these brain systems work in many different situations to help us seek and enjoy pleasure.
He adds that there might be a shared system in the brain that creates all kinds of pleasure, no matter what the source is.
This shared brain system could help explain why both foods and drugs can increase our cravings or desires.
Berridge explains that drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine clearly boost cravings in this way. Some people even use drugs before sex to make the experience more intense.
A small study discovered that cocaine might boost sexual desire, with this effect growing stronger as more of the drug was taken.
While cocaine can increase sexual desire, it’s essential to be aware of its serious side effects, such as increased heart rate, high blood pressure, anxiety, and risk of addiction. Long-term use can lead to severe health issues, including heart problems, mental health disorders, and a weakened immune system.
The Science Behind Aphrodisiacs
Aside from illegal drugs, like cocaine, evidence for aphrodisiacs is inconsistent. A 2015 review of 50 studies on various aphrodisiacs found that some may be more harmful than helpful. For example, “mad honey” (from nectar of Rhododendron plants), yohimbine, and Spanish fly all carry risks that outweigh any possible benefits.
Mad honey does exist in India, particularly in parts of the Himalayas. It’s known locally as hallucinogenic honey or sometimes red honey. This honey is made from the nectar of certain rhododendron plants, which contain grayanotoxins—a substance that can cause hallucinations, dizziness, nausea, and even more severe reactions when consumed in large amounts. The honey is primarily harvested in regions like Nepal and the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
Rhododendron plants are a type of flowering shrub that belongs to the same family as azaleas. They are well-known for their large, colorful blooms, often in shades of pink, red, purple, and white. These plants grow mainly in mountainous areas with cool climates and are especially common in the Himalayas.
Yohimbine, for instance, can lead to serious issues like intense restlessness, a racing heartbeat, and trouble sleeping. It’s mainly found in supplements rather than foods and isn’t typically present in Indian cuisine. Yohimbine is actually derived from the bark of a West African tree,
Other extracts, like maca, ginseng, and ginkgo, showed some early signs of possible benefits, but there isn’t strong proof yet. These are not common in traditional Indian cooking, but ginseng and ginkgo are sometimes found in health supplements available in India. Maca, a root from Peru, is generally not used in Indian foods.
Some of this evidence is based on studies where a placebo was used to compare results, but these studies often involve only a small number of people, which makes the findings less reliable. A placebo isn’t an actual ingredient found in food. Instead, it’s a “fake” treatment used in studies to see if the effect of a substance is real or just psychological.
The clearest evidence for aphrodisiacs comes from “performance-enhancing” drugs like sildenafil, known by the brand name Viagra.This drug, originally found while researching a treatment for chest pain (angina), helps with erectile dysfunction by boosting blood flow to the penis.
This physical enhancer, which doesn’t actually increase desire or make the experience more enjoyable, has still become very popular.In 2022, around 3.5 million prescriptions for this drug were written just in the US.
Ginkgo, another substance, also improves blood flow to areas like the extremities, which might explain how it could work. While ginkgo isn’t commonly used in traditional Indian foods, it is available in India, mostly in the form of supplements for health benefits.
Viagra primarily benefits men, as it addresses physical arousal issues but doesn’t tackle the complex sexual desire challenges that many women may face. One common issue for women is hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), a condition where a woman experiences very low or no interest in sexual activity. Unlike occasional or situational low desire, HSDD is ongoing and lasts for at least six months.
What makes HSDD a recognized disorder isn’t just the reduced interest in sex; it’s the emotional impact it has. Women with HSDD often feel distressed, frustrated, or unhappy because of their lack of desire. It’s not simply a lower-than-average sex drive but a significant, long-term issue that affects emotional well-being and quality of life. This condition is quite widespread, affecting about one in ten women in the United States, highlighting the need for effective treatments and understanding in addressing women’s sexual health.
Flibanserin, originally developed as an antidepressant, is now approved to treat HSDD in premenopausal women. Research from several clinical trials suggests that, when taken as a pill, it can help increase sexual desire. It is believed to work by influencing certain chemicals in the brain that affect mood and desire.
Patients in these studies mentioned side effects like feeling drowsy, experiencing nausea, and sometimes feeling dizzy.
Another option is bremelanotide, which works by stimulating brain receptors related to the hormone melanocortin. Taken through a nasal spray or injection before sexual activity, this drug has been shown to increase sexual desire and enhance enjoyment. However, like flibanserin, it can also cause nausea as a side effect.
Both medications also seem effective in men. In one case, a 28-year-old man experienced his first-ever orgasm after approximately 30 doses administered over a month.
The ideal aphrodisiac that enhances both desire and performance in bed is still out of reach. More funding is needed to test possible options in larger studies.
Our brain controls sexual desire through a delicate balance, and changing it could lead to unexpected side effects. For example, people with Parkinson’s disease, who have low dopamine levels, are often given drugs called dopamine agonists to help.He explains that these function like “artificial dopamine.”
Research has shown that these drugs (such as dopamine agonists used for Parkinson’s disease) can cause intense sexual urges, making people feel overwhelmed and anxious about their need for sex. These drugs, which stimulate the dopamine system in various ways, can also lead to other types of addictive behaviors.
People have been searching for substances to boost desire for thousands of years, and that search is still going. But now, we better understand the possible effects of finding one.