Top 5 Foods for Libido

What we put into our body plays a massive role in the outcome of how we feel. As highlighted in our recent blog post, the choices we make in terms of food can wield considerable influence over our overall vitality. Numerous food types harbor compounds and properties that can either sabotage our libido and drain our vigor or, conversely, serve as potent catalysts to ignite our sexual energy.

I remember when I used to eat processed food near daily, while under high periods of stress. Mornings greeted me with a profound lack of energy, a distinct absence of drive, and a noticeable decline in my desire for sexual intimacy.

That’s when I started doing deep research into how exactly each food interacts with our health and hormone systems. Some foods are able to directly enhance our libido through multiple different mechanisms, and taste great too!

I will cover foods that I consider perfect for the mission to optimize your libido and vigor within this blog, so continue reading if you wish to redeem your masculinity.

Onions

Onions hold many beneficial effects regarding sexual functioning. Firstly, onions increase testosterone through increased LH synthesis and increasing the antioxidant status within the testes ¹. The testosterone boosting mechanisms aren’t limited to this however, as the cysteine sulfoxides within onions also increase steroidogenic enzymes. It works by activating PKA (Protein Kinase A) and CREB, which play roles in the steroidogenic process and improve progesterone ². 

Besides direct testosterone enhancement, onions have other benefits surrounding sexual health, such as sperm quality. After being fed fresh onion juice, the sperm concentration of rats significantly increased ³. Sperm concentrations increased from 48.68 to 75.70.

Onions also provide protection against some toxins that are harmful for sperm, such as cadmium ⁴ and an insecticide known as permethrin ⁵. These effects seem to stem from the potent antioxidant properties. This may support evidence that, with the additional testosterone boosting properties in mind, it may be a great food choice for the aging male who is looking to re-find his vigor ⁶.

Furthermore, if you desire to achieve rock hard erections, onions should be a staple in your diet. Onions have been shown to attenuate vascular inflammation ⁷ and also boost nitric oxide synthesis ⁸, thus helping to increase blood flow towards the penis during arousal. This increase in NO may also indirectly support testosterone production.

For those who have had sexual issues ever since using 5ar inhibitors or SSRIs, onions may come in handy. Onions have been shown to restore erectile function after dutasteride-induced dysfunction ⁹. They have also been shown to improve the sexual and hormonal functioning after usage of paroxetine ¹⁰.

Honey

Honey is composed of many flavanols and bioactive chemicals that have been shown to increase testosterone ¹¹. Honey upregulates the enzyme StAR, which plays a large role in the steroidogenic cascade. Honey also increases LH and inhibits the aromatase enzyme, which further boosts testosterone production. In addition to this, honey has also been shown to protect the testes against the endocrine disruptor BPA ¹².

Besides the increase in testosterone, honey is also cardioprotective ¹³ and improves the vascular structure through the increase of NO ¹⁴.

It’s also worth noting that honey is a good source of carbs and is packed full of antioxidants such as quercetin (onions also contain this!), vitamin C and vitamin E. All of these qualities give honey the potential to lower excess cortisol, providing more stress tolerance and endurance when in the bedsheets. 

Eggs

Eggs are extremely rich in cholesterol, which is one of the building blocks for the androgen cascade. Not to mention the wide range of nutrients and proteins available, such as choline.

Mainstream narratives have pushed many people to think eating lots of eggs will lead to cardiovascular issues, however this is not true. Phospholipids within eggs have been shown to reduce high blood pressure and improve the vascular structure ¹⁵ ¹⁶. This is likely as it acts as an ACEI (ACE inhibitors prevent an enzyme in the body from making angiotensin 2 ¹⁷), and ACE promotes hypertension and insulin resistance through multiple factors.

Furthermore, eggs increase LDL and HDL equally without affecting the ratio, as well as improving clearance of oxidized LDL ¹⁸ ¹⁹.

Eggs also contain small amounts of steroids, such as testosterone, DHT, DHEA and androstenedione. Although it may be insignificant, this feature could provide a minor boost in libido. The amount contained should also be insufficient to cause endocrine suppression.

Ginger

Ginger has potent aphrodisiac effects. Just like all the foods above, ginger has positive effects on testosterone ²⁰. This study illustrates that ginger enhances LH production, increases cholesterol levels within the testes, reduces oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in the testes, enhances the activity of the antioxidant enzymes in the testes, and increases blood flow in the testes (and increases overall blood flow through cGMP and NO stimulation from 6-gingerol, thus also benefiting erection strength directly). It seems particularly effective in oxidative stress conditions, so those who are ill or going through a period of high stress may benefit the most.

Another interesting bonus of ginger is the reduction of disgust induced by bodily fluids during sex and the enhancement of arousal ²¹.

Tiger Nuts

Tiger nuts have been shown to increase sexual motivation in rats ²². This may be partially due to the fact that tiger nuts are high in quercetin, vitamin E, vitamin C and zinc; all of which have beneficial effects on androgen production. Tiger nuts were shown to increase serum testosterone in highly active rats and moderately active rats. All of these nutrients have also been shown to be beneficial for nitric oxide production, especially quercetin and vitamin C.

Tiger nuts are also high in resistance starch, a prebiotic fibre, which may enhance nutrient absorption and gut health.

Inspired by all of the obsessive research towards an optimal male diet, I have crafted “The Missing Link: The Ultimate Nutrition System for Peak Male Health”, a meal plan packed with the perfect foods for your vitality and hormones. So take a look if you are interested.

Unleash Your Vigor and Conquer Your Limits,

Thomas Muldoon