BL-24 - Flipbook - Page 102
FOOD & DRINK
Oysters, long hailed as the ultimate aphrodisiac, are rich in zinc, a mineral linked to testosterone and sexual health.
APHRODISIAC
FOODS: REAL
OR NO DEAL?
By Doctor Feelgood
Boisdale Life’s resident doctor, who has worked as a
consultant in the NHS for more than 30 years.
I
magine a menu for a candle-lit dinner for two:
oysters dressed with champagne mignonette;
roast guineafowl with asparagus and liberal
shavings of truf昀氀e; toasted marshmallow
meringue with dark chocolate ganache. Is this the
perfect meal for an evening of passion? Do these foods
really enhance desire, performance and libido?
The romantic doctor in me believes that there must be
something to it, but what does the science tell us? Are
aphrodisiac foods real, or no deal? Let’s look at some
of the likely candidates.
In mythology, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, emerged
from the sea on an oyster shell, and the frisky little
mollusc has been a central theme of food and love
ever since.
The trace element zinc, in abundance in oysters, has
an important role in testosterone metabolism. The
concentration of zinc in the body correlates positively
with total testosterone, and moderate supplementation
from, for example oysters, plays an important role in
improving androgen (sex hormone) levels. And The
Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy published a trial of
zinc supplementation that showed an improvement in
female sexual function. A good start.
Since the late 1990s, phosphodiesterase type 5
inhibitors (Viagra, Cialis and their pharmaceutical
bedfellows) have changed the sexual landscape. This
class of drug enhances nitric oxide-mediated smooth
muscle relaxation, allowing additional blood 昀氀ow to
the phallus.
Are foods high in nitrates and nitric oxide able to
reproduce the effect of popping a little blue pill? The
Romans, ahead of their time as usual, had beetroot
frescoes in the brothels of Pompeii. They swore by
beetroot as an aphrodisiac... and beetroot is, indeed,
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BOISDALELIFE.COM
ISSUE 24
