Have you noticed that your bedroom activities with your partner have slowed down or come to a complete standstill? Perhaps he’s had problems standing at attention, so to speak, or you’re just not in the mood. Barring any hormonal changes or illness, the culprit could be what you’re putting in your mouth—food, that is.
- Licorice It’s one of those things that you either love or hate, but it’s not a food that you want to chomp on before heading to the bedroom. Licorice root contains Clycerrhizinic Acid that can affect cortisol levels. High cortisol levels reduce the effect of testosterone, which lowers your sex drive. Contrary to belief, low testosterone can be problematic for women too.
- Vegetable Oil These can be high in polyunsaturated fats, which can significantly diminish your testosterone levels. Therefore, avoid fried foods and oil before sexy time—or in general.
- Alcohol No, sex isn’t better when you’re drunk. It may give you confidence and lower your inhibitions, but heavy drinking can actually mess with your hormones, decreasing testosterone and increasing estrogen. After all, alcohol is a depressant, which can lower your sexual desire and reduce the possibility of an erection. Besides, having limited coordination can’t make for a great sexual experience anyway.
- Soy There have been several studies done about the link between soy and hormonal changes, many with differing results, which have led to a lot of confusion over the small bean. Some believe it increases your estrogen while others have suggested that eating a lot of it can lower testosterone and sperm counts. Larger studies have even failed to prove a connection between the two. If you’ve introduced it into your diet and are feeling some libido inhibition, do your own experiment and see if cutting it will make you hornier.
- Red and processed meats You and your partner will want to avoid anything that could have possibly be treated with hormones or antibiotics as it could throw your own hormones out of whack. Deli meat, hamburgers, hot dogs, and some steaks can be bad news for your sex life. Try leaner and unprocessed meats such as turkey or chicken for a romantic dinner.
- Dairy Along those lines, milk and cheese can have synthetic hormones that can also influence testosterone and estrogen levels. Also, cheese and its tendency to make you gassy just seems like a bad thing for the bedroom.
- Mint The menthol in mint has been known to also decrease those pesky testosterone levels. So, maybe opt for a quick toothbrush rather than the mint to stave away the smell of that onion-infested sandwich you had for lunch.
- Salt Any foods high in sodium can kill your sex life because they can cause high blood pressure, which ultimately reduces blood flow to the sex organs. This doesn’t just apply to men. Blood flow to a woman’s sex organ has a huge part to play in arousal and lubrication.
- Popcorn Microwaved popcorn contains perfluorooctanoic acid in the lining of the bag is actually really bad for you. They’ve been proven to make childhood vaccinations obsolete and linked to infertility. It’s also been tied to decreasing sex drive and even long-term prostate problems. You’re better off going for the real stuff or just skipping it altogether.
- Coffee Let’s face it, sex can be an anxiety-inducing act for most people. Couple that with caffeine and you become a jittery mess. The increased anxiety that comes from java can lower your sex drive, something that many people who are sensitive to caffeine can experience.
- Chocolate For women, some studies show that chocolate is an aphrodisiac, but for men, it actually lowers testosterone levels dramatically. Other studies have found that chocolate is actually full of methylxantines that can make you lazy and sleepy. Avoid performance problems by making sure your man leaves that snickers bar for after you two are done.
