Food and sex have a long, complicated history together. For years we’ve heard that what we eat can have sexual effects that work on both a psychosomatic level and a physiological level. But did you ever consider that there are foods that could slow your sex drive down to a near screeching halt?
Here are five such foods:
- Beans
This health food is praised for being high in fiber and antioxidants that can help you keep your waistline, but it may be considered an anti-aphrodisiac for its gassy factor. Although our concerns about excessive flatulence may be exaggerated, when it comes to sex, being safe is always better than being sorry. Beans contain indigestible sugars that can make it down to our colon and function as prebiotics to feed our good bacteria, and make for a healthier colon, according to the Harvard Health Letter. However, before it ends up in our colon, these sugars reach our stomach, and the floating stools from trapped gasses make us feel bloated and gassy.
- Chocolate
This tasty treat is full of anandamide and phenylethylamine, two compounds that cause the body to release endorphins triggered by sex and physical activity. Popularly known as an aphrodisiac, the cocoa, which contains methylxanthines, makes the skin sensitive to every touch, but it can inadvertently make us lethargic. Dr. Fran Walfish, Beverly Hills psychotherapist and author, The Self-Aware Parent, told Medical Daily, “Most folks think of ‘chocolate’ as an aphrodisiac but, for my female patients, chocolate makes them tired and I hear it temporarily lowers their sexual drive and libido.”
- Fish
If you’re visiting a seafood restaurant and plan to share some oysters with your partner, try to limit your fish intake. Industrial waste chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), banned in the U.S., can mimic natural hormones, causing cancer in adults, and adverse health and reproductive effects in both human and wildlife offspring, according to a 2013 study. Although they were banned in the U.S. in 1979, PCBs have remained in the environment for decades, possibly erasing sex drive in women.
- Fried Foods
Indulging in greasy foods like burgers and fries is a no-no when it comes to healthy eating and sex. The trans-fat found in fried foods is known to dramatically decrease the male and female libido. The adverse effects of consuming these trans fatty acids includes an increase in the amount of abnormal sperm production for men and interferes with gestation in women, wrote Dr. Douglas Heise, a chiropractic physician in Florida, on his website. Men and women should avoid the consumption of French fries right before sex, since it can cause sexual health problems for both.
- Microwavable Popcorn
This popular movietime snack may satisfy our taste buds during a flick, but it can wreak havoc on our sex drive. The chemicals used in the inner lining of microwave popcorn bags, and those found in nonstick pots and pans, have been linked to a lower sex drive for men. These types of popcorn bags contain perfluoroalkyl acids, such as PFOA or PFOS, known to significantly lower sperm counts, according to a 2009 study.