Supercharge your sex life with these 10 foods
Men’s Fitness - 3/1/2001
Excerpted from “The Libido Diet”

It’s natural for a man’s sexual performance, even if he’s as fit as a triathlete, to have its ups and downs. There never seems to be a convenient time to have a “down” period, but there are ways to make sure you’re always at attention when the call to duty comes. Research has found that what you put into your mouth has the power to life your spirits – and certain parts of your anatomy. And while some foods can boost your mood and make you feel like Barry White on Spanish fly, others can cause your libido to wilt like a Third World Economy.

You can be a sexual dynamo at any age,” assures Ann Louise Gittleman, M.S., C.N.S., author of Super Nutrition for Men, who says that there’s a definite connection between diet and sexuality: Simply, if you don’t have enough energy, you won’t perform well. But before you empty the entire contents of your refrigerator into your mouth in search of the pompotous of love, digest the food chemistry Gittleman believes works best.

PUMPING UP WITH PROTEIN

To shed the Clark Kent mantle and become a real Man of Steel, forego exotic rhino-horn powders and bullfrog-uvula extracts. Instead, focus on clean, well-balanced foods that will provide you with the nutrients and energy necessary to please your significant other.

“You need to have a proper balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat,” says Gittleman. “I recommend a 40/30/30 ratio, because with too many carbs your energy goes south, and not to the point you want it to go.” In other words, your blood sugar can bottom out and you may experience headaches, fatigue, mood swings and insomnia, all of which add up to one lackluster night in the bedroom.

You also need to make certain you’re eating plenty of protein, such as eggs, fish, meats and poultry. “Amino acids – the building blocks of protein – help to increase sperm count as well as affect the neurotransmitters that develop the energy to actually become interested in sex.” Says Stephen Sinatra, M.D., medical director of Eastern Connecticut Health Network and author of Optimum Health. Protein also stabilizes blood sugar and reduces mood swings and lethargy which will keep you from saying the dreaded words: “Not tonight honey.”

“An intake of the right kinds of essential fatty acids will help the body produce tissue-like hormones called prostaglandins, a form of eicosanoid, which regulate sexual response,” says Gittleman. These fatty acids fuel the reproductive organs; without them, infertility or insufficient ejaculation can result. To heighten sexual response, Gittleman recommends 500 to 3000 milligrams per day of Omega-6 EFA or GLA (gamma linolenic acid), found in evening primrose oil and borage oil (you can add it to a protein smoothie).

Omega 3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, flaxseeds, and eggs enriched with DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, an omega 3 fatty acid), can help you beat the blues and get in the mood.

VITAMIN AMORE

As with the health of your heart, lungs, and many other functions in your body, when it comes to getting jiggy with it, the name of the game is antioxidants. These free radical fighters, which include vitamins A,C, and E help protect and promote your sexual organs.

“Nearly half of the selenium in a man’s body can be found in his testicles and in a portion of the seminal ducts alongside the prostate gland,” says Gittleman who advises taking 200 micrograms a day or foraging for such selenium-rich foods as wheat germ, garlic, whole grains, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds and tuna.

Vitamin E, long thought of as the “sex vitamin,” is also an antioxidant. When erect, the penis is engorged with blood that carries the vital oxygen. Vitamin E protects this oxygen-rich blood from becoming filled with free radicals, in addition to helping the heart during sex. Since it is almost impossible to get enough vitamin E from food, Gittleman advises supplementing at least 400 IU each day, as well as eating such foods as wheat germ, nuts, seeds, and flaxseed oil.

Oysters rank right next to Marvin Gaye as one of the most overhyped aphrodisiacs known to man, but for good reason: they’re rich in zinc. “Zinc is a precursor to testosterone and is lost under stress, a deficiency that can lead to impotence as well as a reduced sperm count,” says Gittleman. “Twenty-five to 50 milligrams a day is a good amount, and it can be found in pumpkin seeds, oysters, meats and eggs.” B vitamins also influence the production of testosterone, and niacin can improve blood flow to the penis. “Foods such as whole grains and beans are high in the B vitamin, but make sure to digest properly or the bedroom experience will be an unpleasant one.”

FOOD FOR THE MOOD

Just as the best sex can occur at the unlikeliest of moments some of the best sex enhancers are common, everyday foods. For instance, Sinatra refers to the common peanut as “dietary Viagra.” “Peanuts are rich in L-arginine, which causes vasodilation in blood vessels, stimulating sexual erection,” he says. He recommends four to eight grams, about two cups, in the evening.

Long touted as an aphrodisiac and reportedly devoured by Casanova, chocolate is given on Valentine’s Day for a very good reason. “It stimulates the hormone phenylethylamine, causing your body’s endorphine levels to rise, giving you a feeling similar to falling in love,” says Sinatra.

While it can be easy to munch on your daily dose of sexual healing, its even easier to unknowingly down a large serving of mood muffler.

“Grapefruits contain an enzyme that stimulates the breakdown of testosterone into estrogen, having a calming and nonproductive effect.” Says Sinatra. He also doesn’t recommend eating too much soy, since it contains weak estrogens that have a libido busting effect on men.

Gittleman cautions against excessive drinking. “Alcohol inhibits the pathway the body uses for pre-ejaculatory response.” She also recommends avoiding white flour products (white bread, bagels, pasta) and sugar, since they slash your reserves of B vitamins and zinc as well as make you feel sluggish. Foods containing artificial sweeteners, such as diet sodas, can affect your brain chemistry and spoil your mood, while margarine can act as a metabolic roadblock to the hormonal production of fatty acids.

Like anything else in your life, your libido is subject to your mood, stress levels, diet and overall health. Levels of desire naturally cycle in peaks and troughs, so don’t contemplate the priesthood just because you’re having a tame week. However, it a problem persists, be sure to check with your doctor. Chronic difficulty can be a sign of greater health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or mood disorders. For the most part, a healthy lifestyle of regular exercise, a clean diet and low stress will keep you bird-dogging from the sorority girls at your college to the nurses in your retirement home.