Foods That Can Help Increase Your Libido

We all know the importance of diet for keeping our bodies and brains healthy. After all, diet has been associated with everything from metabolism to immunity to cognitive function. Some doctors even use diet as a therapy to treat chronic health conditions. 

However, did you know that what you eat can also impact your libido? 

Although this is a connection we don’t often make, there is a strong correlation between what you eat and your desire for sex. 

If your diet is unhealthy, it can lead to many effects, such as poor blood flow, low energy levels, and sexual dysfunction. In combination, this can cause your sex drive to wane. 

On the other hand, by improving how healthy your diet is — and eating certain foods known to boost libido — you can increase your sex drive (in addition to many other aspects of your health). Diet can act as a natural libido booster.

For this reason, we’re big proponents of optimizing your diet for your sex drive. To help you do this, we’ll provide you with an overview of why diet is so important for your libido, how some foods increase sex drive, and 10 of our favorite foods to start eating today for improved libido and better sex. 

Keep reading this guide from ASYSTEM for your best sex life yet!

Why Is Eating Healthy Important for Libido?

There is no shortage of research that supports the importance of diet in your hormonal health. 

The nutrients you get from food are the building blocks of hormones. For instance, all steroid hormones (those that aid in growth and development) are made from cholesterol, a type of fat that you have to get through your diet. 

As such, food can affect which hormones are produced and secreted. This includes anything from stress hormones to metabolic hormones to sex hormones.

We know that an imbalance in sex hormones is one of the leading causes of low libido. This often happens when levels of estrogen or testosterone decline. It makes sense that certain types of hormone-altering diets (such as those high in refined carbs) can lead to a lowered sex drive. 

Aside from causing a hormonal imbalance, an unhealthy diet can lead to a low sex drive in other ways. For instance, high sugar consumption is linked to increased fatigue throughout the day. Intuitively, we know that when we’re tired, sex is about the last thing on our minds.

An unhealthy diet has also been linked to poor circulation, resulting in decreased blood flow to the genital area — in both men and women. This can lead to many problems, from difficulties getting aroused to an inability to maintain an erection. This, in turn, can contribute to a lowered sex drive. 

There are many other pathways through which diet can impact your sex drive. Fortunately, it is possible to use your diet to increase your libido. In the next section, we’ll go over how this works.

Can Food Really Help Increase Libido?

Many studies show that certain nutrients are associated with health benefits, including sexual health. By supporting the body’s immune system, metabolism, hormonal production, and many other functions, some nutrients may lead to improved sexual health and sexual function. 

Everything in your body is interconnected. By optimizing some aspects of your health, you can increase your libido. 

However, there is no one direct pathway to an improved sex drive. Usually, how a given food increases sex drive depends on many factors. 

For instance, some foods can increase the production of nitric oxide (NO), which is a molecule that can cause blood vessels to widen. When this happens, blood flow to the genital area increases. This can improve erectile health in men while improving vaginal lubrication in women. 

Due to the beneficial effects of nitric oxide, ASYSTEM’S Libido Gummies contain S7® — an ingredient that can increase NO production by up to 230%. 

Then there are other foods with a less direct effect on libido. For instance, some foods rich in polyphenols — a type of nutrient found in plants — can reduce blood pressure and levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This can lead to increased relaxation, which can improve your mood and lead to an increased interest in sex.  

Aside from cutting out unhealthy food (such as sugar), you can increase your consumption of certain foods that have been shown to increase libido. In the following section, we’ll go over the most popular foods for increasing libido and explain how they work in the body.

Foods That Can Help Increase Your Libido

1. Oysters 

If there is one food known for being an aphrodisiac, it’s oysters — and for a good reason.

Oysters contain large amounts of zinc, which is a mineral that our bodies need for hormone regulation. Zinc deficiency is linked to low sex hormone levels, such as testosterone. Studies also show that supplementing with zinc can elevate testosterone levels, which is linked to a higher sex drive.

In addition, zinc can boost growth factor hormones, improving physical performance. This can make sex much more enjoyable for everyone involved, increasing your desire for it. 

2. Salmon 

Salmon (like many other coldwater fish) is brimming with omega-3 fatty acids, which can improve many aspects of your health. When it comes to your sex drive, increasing your omega-3 fatty acids can boost dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in circulation.

Studies show that boosting dopamine levels can dilate blood vessels and decrease blood pressure. What does this mean for you? Increased circulation to the genitals and, as a result, higher arousal. 

What’s more, dopamine is famous for being a “happy chemical.” Anything you do to improve your mood can increase how likely you are to be “in the mood.” 

3. Spinach 

Spinach is rich in nitrate, which enlarges the blood vessels. This can increase blood flow to key body parts — most notably the genitals, making spinach one of the best foods for libido support. 

As a result of increased blood flow, men will experience greater ease in maintaining an erection. Women will also reap some benefits, with increased circulation being linked to increased lubrication. This will make sense more pleasurable, leading to an increase in sex drive. 

4. Garlic

While eating tons of garlic on your date may not be the greatest idea, including this powerful food in your diet can do wonders for your libido. Research shows that regularly consuming garlic blocks the formation of fatty deposits in your arteries. 

Why is this important? 

Clogged arteries can slow down circulation — which includes circulation to the genitals. By keeping your arteries healthy, you’ll be making sure to provide ample blood flow before and during sex. 

5. Avocado

If you have high levels of sodium in the body, you may experience reduced blood flow to the genitals. You can optimize your sodium levels by eating plenty of potassium, which keeps sodium in check. Besides being a superfood rich in mood-busting fats, avocado contains ample potassium to help you do just that. 

6. Ginger 

Ginger is well-known for its anti-inflammatory effects, which can help keep your body healthy. In addition, ginger has been shown to increase blood flow, which is incredibly important for your sexual health. Not to mention that ginger may also help ease bloating, making it easier for you to feel your sexiest.

As for our favorite part? Ginger can significantly improve bad breath, which can be a major life-saver on date night. 

7. Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is rich in magnesium, a mineral that can lower stress and increase relaxation. In addition, dark chocolate can increase serotonin and dopamine — neurotransmitters that regulate our mood. 

Because stress can cause a low sex drive, decreasing it (with the power of dark chocolate) can improve low libido. This is especially the case if feeling “on edge” is dampening your sex drive. 

If you experience high levels of stress, you can improve your stress-busting strategy even more with ASYSTEM’s Calm Gummies. With soothing ingredients like Panax Ginseng, Lemon Balm Extract, and Lion’s Mane Extract, these gummies can help improve your stress response, making it easier to cope with stress and anxiety.

8. Coffee

Coffee contains a powerful dose of caffeine, a stimulant that can boost your energy levels and increase your performance in the bedroom. 

In addition, caffeine can promote circulation, which can enhance arousal. This is why both ASYSTEM’s Libido Gummies for Women and Sex Gummies for Men contain caffeine.

While other drinks contain caffeine, coffee contains hundreds of other health-promoting compounds. This can provide you with health benefits beyond an improved libido. 

9. Wine 

Alcohol (in moderate amounts) helps us to relax while putting us in a good mood. When you combine the two, you have the perfect combination for increasing your desire for sex. 

Well, wine does all that and more: It’s rich in antioxidants, which increase nitric oxide in the blood. This increases blood flow to key body regions, which can put you in the mood much quicker than if you were drinking another type of alcohol.

10. Nuts

Nuts, like pine nuts, contain the amino acid L-arginine, which is a precursor to nitric oxide. As mentioned above, nitric oxide helps to increase circulation. In addition, nuts can reduce the buildup of fatty acids in the arteries, playing a major role in improving your sexual performance. 

Takeaways 

Diet plays an incredibly important role in your sexual health and function. If you suspect that your diet is to blame for a diminished sex drive, then increasing your intake of healthy foods — such as salmon, dark chocolate, and red wine — can be just what you need to boost your libido. 

If you want to experience even more benefits, try out ASYSTEM’S Libido System. Our libido gummies are made with a combination of ingredients, such as S7®, Fenugreek Extract, and Burdock Root, which are clinically proven to boost libido.

With a healthy diet and natural libido supplements, you’ll be on your way to having your best sex life yet. 

Our Sources: 

Nutrition and Chronic Conditions | PMC 

How our food affects our hormones | PMC

Too Much Sugar Causes Erectile Dysfunction, Low Libido & Sex Drive | Thrillist 

Role of hormones in hypoactive sexual desire disorder and current treatment | PMC 

Real-Time Associations Between Glucose Levels and Fatigue in Type 2 Diabetes: Sex and Time Effects | SagePub

Mediterranean diet improves sexual function in women with the metabolic syndrome | International Journal of Impotence Research 

Zinc status and serum testosterone levels of healthy adults | NCBI

Effect of dopamine on coronary circulation | PMC 

The effect of garlic on arteriosclerotic nanoplaque formation and size | ScienceDirect 

Bioactive Micronutrients in Coffee: Recent Analytical Approaches for Characterization and Quantification | PMC