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- May 31, 2006
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Just another good reason to follow a healthy diet. 
People throughout history have used aphrodisiacs, believing that certain edibles heighten pleasure between the sheets. Oysters and alcohol are two popular examples in today's society. There are also reports, such as a recent MensHealth article, that single out foods such as eggs, vanilla ice cream, and celery as helpful aids. Another television news piece from Florida says grapes, cereal, and blueberries can do the trick.
Many of these claims are based on the idea that particular vitamins and nutrients in some foods can boost an aspect of sex. For example, the vitamins in eggs can supposedly reduce performance anxiety and premature ejaculation, the calcium in vanilla ice cream evidently makes orgasms more powerful, and the folic acid in cereal keeps arteries clear, enhancing blood flow to the right places.
Camire recommends a healthy diet, regular exercise, and a good attitude. "If you're having a nice meal and you're with a partner you like, that's all you need," she says. "It's as much in the mind as with anything else."
Barnaby Barratt, PhD, president-elect of the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, couldn't agree more. He says a happy sex life ultimately depends upon ridding oneself of shame, guilt, anxiety, and inhibition. "Sex is first and foremost a psychological issue," he says. "Above and beyond that, things to do with food, diet, and so forth will be useful, but they're not going to provide magical answers."
Psychology is so powerful, notes Barratt, that for some people who believe in aphrodisiacs, specific foods may very well make them feel sexually alive and vigorous. Others may also find great pleasure in playing with food (such as licking whipped cream off of a partner's body) that it enhances the sexual experience.
The Sweet Smell of Sex
The mere scent of food and other items may be enough to sexually arouse men and women, according to research by Alan R. Hirsch, MD, FACP, neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. Hirsch conducted two studies that measured men and women's reaction to different smells. One study measured blood flow to the penis, and the other to the vagina.
The results: Men appeared to be turned on most by a combination of smelling lavender and pumpkin pie, and women by Good and Plenty candy and cucumber.
Previous research has shown that smells are important in attraction, says Barratt, but those studies have mainly focused on people's scents. "Clearly, we do know that how people smell has an effect on the sexual desire of a partner," he says, noting that a body's scent has a lot to do with the person's diet.
People throughout history have used aphrodisiacs, believing that certain edibles heighten pleasure between the sheets. Oysters and alcohol are two popular examples in today's society. There are also reports, such as a recent MensHealth article, that single out foods such as eggs, vanilla ice cream, and celery as helpful aids. Another television news piece from Florida says grapes, cereal, and blueberries can do the trick.
Many of these claims are based on the idea that particular vitamins and nutrients in some foods can boost an aspect of sex. For example, the vitamins in eggs can supposedly reduce performance anxiety and premature ejaculation, the calcium in vanilla ice cream evidently makes orgasms more powerful, and the folic acid in cereal keeps arteries clear, enhancing blood flow to the right places.
Camire recommends a healthy diet, regular exercise, and a good attitude. "If you're having a nice meal and you're with a partner you like, that's all you need," she says. "It's as much in the mind as with anything else."
Barnaby Barratt, PhD, president-elect of the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, couldn't agree more. He says a happy sex life ultimately depends upon ridding oneself of shame, guilt, anxiety, and inhibition. "Sex is first and foremost a psychological issue," he says. "Above and beyond that, things to do with food, diet, and so forth will be useful, but they're not going to provide magical answers."
Psychology is so powerful, notes Barratt, that for some people who believe in aphrodisiacs, specific foods may very well make them feel sexually alive and vigorous. Others may also find great pleasure in playing with food (such as licking whipped cream off of a partner's body) that it enhances the sexual experience.
The Sweet Smell of Sex
The mere scent of food and other items may be enough to sexually arouse men and women, according to research by Alan R. Hirsch, MD, FACP, neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. Hirsch conducted two studies that measured men and women's reaction to different smells. One study measured blood flow to the penis, and the other to the vagina.
The results: Men appeared to be turned on most by a combination of smelling lavender and pumpkin pie, and women by Good and Plenty candy and cucumber.
Previous research has shown that smells are important in attraction, says Barratt, but those studies have mainly focused on people's scents. "Clearly, we do know that how people smell has an effect on the sexual desire of a partner," he says, noting that a body's scent has a lot to do with the person's diet.
