Aphrodisiacs: The 20+ Best Foods to Boost Your Sex Life
Updated: Feb. 20, 2021
Need a bit of a boost in the bedroom? Try adding these aphrodisiac foods to your daily diet: Whether they're backed by scientific evidence, or centuries of lore and legend, they're widely considered the best foods to boost your sex life.
Dark chocolate
Fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants should already be a part of your daily diet. Luckily, dark chocolate is chock-full of antioxidants, so it’s a yummy way to get more of it. Antioxidants have been linked to reducing signs of aging and the risk for cervical cancer, as well as enhancing sexual pleasure. With all those benefits and a sinfully good taste, this item shouldn’t have any trouble making its way into your grocery cart as one of your go-to aphrodisiacs.
Brazil nuts
These tasty nuts contain selenium, a nutrient that can cut the risk of prostate cancer in men. In addition, selenium stimulates the production of healthy ova and sperm, making it one of the best aphrodisiac foods.
Oysters
This seafood delight is rich in zinc, which is known for increasing libido and the production of sperm cells. For men trying to have children, this well-known aphrodisiac is a great way to get in the mood and increase the chances of conceiving.
Celery
This fibrous vegetable is one of the best ways to improve your sex life, as it contains androsterone, a hormone men release that appeals to women. Who knew?
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Kiwis
Vitamin C is known to help increase both libido and fertility. Kiwi, a deliciously exotic fruit, is loaded with Vitamin C, so it’s a great item to toss in your grocery cart every week, along with other citrus fruits.
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Spinach
Leafy green vegetables, like spinach, contain lots of folic acid, which can help increase fertility and boost your libido.
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Garlic
High in an ingredient called allicin, garlic can help stimulate circulation and blood flow to sexual organs in both men and women. However, because of garlic’s mood-killing smell, eat it in moderation. You can also opt for garlic pills if you want to bypass the bad breath altogether.
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Strawberries
It’s no secret that strawberries one of life’s great aphrodisiacs, helping to increase sex drive in both men and women. When topped with dark chocolate, a libido-enhancer in itself, they becomes a delicious treat sure to get you and your partner in the mood.
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Chili peppers
This invigorating spice has an exotic reputation and a bright red colour, which could be why chili peppers are considered natural aphrodisiac foods and a symbol of love. But there’s scientific backing, too. Chili peppers stimulate endorphins (the brain’s feel-good chemicals), speed up heart rate and make you sweat, which all mimic how you feel when you’re aroused, Dr. Meryl S. Rosofsky told the New York Times.
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Avocado
It could be the sensuous pear shape, or the rich flavour of the fruit that gave avocado its reputation as an aphrodisiac food as far back as the Aztecs. And while the jury is still out on just how lustful avocados are, the fruit’s high levels of vitamin E could help keep the spark alive because of its role in helping your skin maintain a “youthful appearance.”
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Bananas
With their phallic shape, bananas already look like a feel-good food, but these aphrodisiac foods also contain bromelain, an enzyme which triggers testosterone production, and the fruit’s potassium and vitamin B elevate energy levels.
Honey
Honey is made through pollination and is a symbol of procreation. Birds and bees ring a bell? In fact, the word “honeymoon” originates from mead, an alcoholic beverage made from honey given to the happy new bride and groom. It also contains boron, which helps regulate estrogen and testosterone levels and provides a natural energy boost.
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Watermelon
According to Science Daily, this “lycopene king” may have a Viagra-like effect on the body, as it relaxes blood vessels and improves circulation.
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Pine nuts
High in energizing zinc, which has been linked to a healthy sex drive, pine nuts are also considered aphrodisiacs because of the effort required to procure these oily gems from pine cones. Make a pesto with pine nuts, basil and olive oil.
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Arugula
According to gourmetsleuth.com, this peppery plant has been documented as a natural aphrodisiac food since the first century A.D. The minerals and antioxidants found in dark leafy greens like arugula have also been proven to block environmental contaminants that could negatively harm libido, says Walt Larimore MD, a medical journalist, author and physician.
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Olive oil
Packed with antioxidants, olives and their oil have been used for centuries for health. The Greeks believed it was an aphrodisiac that made men more virile as well. Olive oil is a good source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are critical for a healthy heart, blood flow, and hormone production.
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Figs
Used by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the fig paradoxically symbolizes both sexuality (the ripe fruit with seeds representing fertility) and modesty (the fig leaf). They are full of potassium and are an antioxidant powerhouse.
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Artichokes
This veggie’s reputation as an aphrodisiac comes mostly from legend and the intimacy of eating it with another, pulling off the leaves to reach the centre. But it’s packed with vitamins and antioxidants, which are critical to proper body function and blood flow.
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Chai tea
Skip the coffee and reach for a cup of chai tea. The typical spices in this brew have heart-healthy benefits but the caffeine effect is less, so you’ll still be able to drift off to sleep after sex.
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Pomegranate
These bright gems enclosed in a thick rose husk are filled with antioxidants which support blood flow. One study by The Male Clinic in California found that pomegranate juice had a positive effect on erectile dysfunction.
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Cherries
This superfruit is packed with feel-good vitamins (A, C, and E), potassium, magnesium, folate, iron and more. It also has melatonin, an antioxidant to help regulate your heart.
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Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds are high in magnesium—156 mg in just an ounce! Magnesium helps raise testosterone levels.
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Whipped cream
Decadent yet light as air, it just isn’t dessert without this rich topping. While there’s no evidence that whipped cream will boost libido, it’s sure to put you in the mood.
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