Aphrodisiacs: A Sexy Guide for Women and Men

When I was in high school, my BFF had a thing for this guy named Pete who went to a neighboring academy. The only time they could hang out was when we were supposed to be on our way home from school. To keep me quiet they decided to hook me up with his homeboy Daniel. D was cute enough so I didn’t mind.

One afternoon my bestie headed up to Pete’s room while I hung out in Pete’s kitchen with his boy Daniel. We sat in the kitchen staring at each other awkwardly. Daniel smiled at me and I smiled back. He finally started to say something but before poor Danny could get a word out, my friend came storming down the stairs with her backpack and jacket on. She grabbed my arm and we left.

It turns out that Daniel was supposed to slip me a Sprite spiked with Spanish Fly. I had never heard of the stuff but my girl explained that Spanish Fly is a mystical aphrodisiac only sold at ghetto bodegas. Apparently Daniel was hoping to get lucky. Maybe he should have just asked.

Ah, aphrodisiacs. Every civilization has had its ideas about how to get us in the mood. The dictionary defines an aphrodisiac as “a drug or food that excites sexual desire, exciting or heightening sexual desire.” Some aphrodisiacs are herbal and mythical and, these days, others are synthetic and prescribed. Alcohol has the psychological effect of making drinkers lower their inhibitions but it negatively affects performance and judgment.

Advertisers have been touting products to get the hormones going for years. Just check out any Axe Body Spray or Old Spice commercial. The goal of any good aphrodisiac is to increase the libido and ignite sexual desire.

Let’s examine a few aphrodisiacs, real and imagined:

Oysters

Anyone who has seen an old “Three’s Company’ rerun knows that raw oysters are supposed to be the food of love. So does the slimy food really get oyster slurpers in the mood? It looks like this just might be true.

Nutritionist Aloysa Hourigan tells ABC Australia that oysters are extremely high in zinc, which is important in raising testosterone levels in men. She goes on to add that oysters also contain dopamine, which stimulates the brain’s arousal center. Nice!

Mannish Water

Ask any Jamaican about aphrodisiacs and they’ll tell you all about Mannish Water. Mannish water is goat soup. The concoction is made with all parts of the animal and is said to make drinkers more, well, “mannish.”

Does Mannish Water work as an aphrodisiac? Well, the biggest sex organ is the brain so it works if you think it does. File Guinness Stout in this category as well.

Ginko Blioba & Ginseng

According to Web MD there’s no evidence that the herb ginseng will help you have a rocking time in the bedroom. Yes, it will boost your energy but the rest is up to you. The medical site also examines the popular African aphrodisiac Yohimbe Root as well as my old friend’s Spanish Fly.

They say that Yohimbe, also known as the herbal Viagra, may actually work. However the side effects may not be worth it. Spanish Fly, extracted from a beetle, has also been debunked as an unsafe love drug.

What else?

Other alleged natural aphrodisiacs include yummy dark chocolate, chili peppers, celery, damiana, ginger and Muira Puama. If you don’t want to ingest anything then perhaps check into aromatherapy. Dr. Alan Hirsch of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago says that you can tempt a man with a pumpkin pie spice and lavender combo. To get a woman going try cucumbers and Good and Plenty candies. Yup, that’s right.

Other feel good scents? Glazed donuts, buttered popcorn and vanilla . I guess that food is actually the food of love!

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