Libido is a common term used to describe your sex drive or sexual appetite – ultimately how much or how little sex you desire. These levels are influenced by a whole range of factors including hormones, physical health, mental health, and even sexual orientation.
Someone with a high libido tends to have overall better health including less stress, healthier relationships, better sleep, and more satisfying sex life (1). However, an overly high libido may be a warning sign of other conditions and is worth talking to a doctor about if you are concerned.Â
Having a low libido is much more common and symptoms include a loss of desire to have sex and no sexual interest. It can be caused by a range of things such as a decrease in sex hormones, increased stress levels, medication, and body image issues.
As with an overly high libido, if you are concerned by your lack of sex drive then it is recommended to speak to your GP about it. Â
Like many things when it comes to the body, what you eat can play an important role in your sex life, especially vitamins and minerals. Improving your physical and mental health can go a long way to improving your libido – the better you feel, the more likely you are to want to have sex.
With so many vitamins and minerals linked to sexual health, what you eat has never been more important. A healthy, balanced diet can go a long way in improving your sex drive and in this article, we will look at 5 foods that boost your libido.Â
The 5 foods that may help boost your libido include:
Maca
Maca is a cruciferous vegetable that is related to broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale and is native to the Peruvian Andes mountains. It has been traditionally used as a food, fermented beverage, and porridge for over 2000 years.
The root of the plant is a good source of carbohydrates, bio-available plant protein, fibre, essential amino acids, and fatty acids. In addition, it provides a variety of vitamins and minerals, including, B1, B2, C, niacin, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and selenium.Â
Due to its rich supply of minerals such as selenium, magnesium, zinc, and iron, it is possible that maca root may help boost your libido – seen as these minerals are heavily linked with sexual health.
One study (2) looking at 131 participants found that those taking maca for 6 weeks had seen an improvement in sexual desire while another found that there was significant improvement after 12 weeks compared to a placebo (3).
The vitamins and minerals present in maca are beneficial to both men and women making it one of the ideal foods for sexual health. However, more evidence is needed on its potential health benefits to confirm these results.Â