7 Foods Guilty of Ruining Sex Drive

7 Foods Guilty of Ruining Sex Drive

Food has a great impact on our physical and mental well-being. A Research finds that the most physiological and emotional activity we engage in, ‘SEX’ that is, has firm links with what we eat. Here are 7 foods guilty of ruining sex drive.

Certain foods, like truffles and dark chocolate, are well-known aphrodisiacs. The texture, feel and taste of these foods stimulate the pleasure center of our brain. This can have an arousing effect on us.

Yet, few people know that food can have an opposite effect as well. Certain foods can lower your sex drive, besides impacting your sexual health.

15% of American men aged 18 to 40 suffer from low sex drive and sexual health complications.

Here I list 7 foods that are guilty of ruining your sex drive. Avoiding these can help you immensely in restoring it to a great extent.

1. All-Purpose Flour

Making all-purpose flour strips whole wheat flour of its vital nutrients and vitamins. Whole wheat flour comprises testosterone-boosting magnesium, zinc, and fiber.

Magnesium and zinc increase blood flow and testosterone production.  Fiber helps to control the production of testosterone. As refined flour contains none of these nutrients, it stymies good sexual health and testosterone production.

What’s worse is that the primary use of all-purpose flour is to make a variety of sugar-filled, high-cholesterol food. This can contribute to obesity which is fast emerging as a major disorder. As many as 38% of adults in the US are obese today.

Obesity has major correlations with sexual disorders like Erectile Dysfunction. Plus, it causes issues like back pain, sleep apnea, and heart disease. By switching to unprocessed whole wheat, you can improve your sex drive.

2. Red Meat

A red-blooded American male has the ability to down steaks by the plate. But in reality, red meat is detrimental for a man’s virility. Red meat contributes to obesity and its production involves harmful hormones and steroids.

Even harmful pesticides sprayed on the grass find their way into grass-fed steak. These hormones and pesticides can contribute to prostate cancer.

Red meat increases estrogen levels which is harmful to women’s sexual health. This can cause problems in their reproductive health, prompting ovarian problems.

Like men, women consuming red meat are also at an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Besides sexual health complications, consuming red meat causes inflammation.

This can lead to liver pain and diabetes, which decrease testosterone levels. Cut down your red meat consumption for your sexual health. Every once in a while, you can eat leaner cuts, which are high in testosterone boosting zinc.

3. Shrimp

Shrimp a testosterone booster is a strange inclusion to this list. It contains high amounts of zinc and magnesium, which boost sexual health and drive.

Across different cultures, people eat shrimp as an aphrodisiac. What most people do not know is that the shrimp we eat is not organically sourced.

Its commercial production makes it lose all its healthy nutrients. Most shrimp have a food additive called 4-hexylresorcinol.

The purpose of this additive is to prevent shrimp from developing black spots. Once it is in your bloodstream, this chemical compound mimics estrogen. This causes disruptions to the natural production of hormones like testosterone.

As a result, shrimps end up doing more harm than good to your system. Furthermore, most of our seafood gets contaminated with bits of plastic caused by pollution in our seas.

Plastic similarly disrupts our hormonal balance and reduces testosterone levels.

4. Mint

Mint is a seemingly harmless herb that is often used to garnish and flavor desserts and sweets. In fact, many men and women swear by mint tea for its purported contribution to weight loss.

Mint is actually dangerous for your testosterone levels. A study found that regular consumption of peppermint or spearmint causes a dip in testosterone levels.

Mint acts as a hormone disruptor that inhibits the manufacture of testosterone. One one hand, this spells good news for women suffering from disorders caused by spiking testosterone levels (like PCOS).

On the other, this is not great news for men, since lowered testosterone levels affect sex drive. It is best to find a better alternative and avoid mint of all kinds.

5. Microwavable Popcorn

There are lots of reasons to pop a bag of popcorn—and yes, this includes good sex. Popcorn is high in magnesium and zinc, which contributes to greater testosterone production.

Plus, popcorn contains amino acids that result in better and longer erections. It also helps that popcorn is very low in fat and sugar. This means that you will not be compromising your health while snacking on bowls of popcorn.

The problem, however, is the popcorn we eat is not hand popped, but made in pre-sealed microwavable bags. Most of these bags contain perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA.

Researchers find that this chemical causes testicular cancer, problems with respiration, and liver damage. This acid also damages your endocrine system, which produces testosterone. This can lead to a reduced sex drive.

So the next time you want to Netflix and chill, stick to hand-popping popcorn in food-grade brown bags!

6. Sugar

Though we all are familiar with dental issues triggered by sugar but little do we know that oral issues can aggravate to more severe problem.

Now gum disease is linked with ED. The stress and phobia caused due to oral problems don’t help the cause either. Further, its effects on respiration and your heart are a common knowledge.

In fact, sugar affects your sex drive in several ways.

First, the glucose in sugar reduces testosterone production. Second, sugar adversely affects a hormone called leptin which controls both obesity and your sex drive.

If your sugar intake is excessive, it can result in a disorder called leptin resistance. In this state, a person is more likely to gain weight and have sexual dysfunction.

At the psychological level, sugar can make people stressed and anxious. This can affect how you feel in bed and lead to sexual dissatisfaction.

By reducing your sugar intake, you will see a noticeable difference in your sexual health. As a bonus, your heart and respiration ability will improve too.

You can also resort to natural sugar substitutes like honey and stevia. They are 10 times better than refined white sugar.

7. Alcohol

Taking that extra shot might give you the courage you need to ask out the person you have been eyeing all evening. But once you both are getting nice and cozy, alcohol may turn into your worst enemy.

No matter how much you want to, you may not get an erection. This is because excessive alcohol in your bloodstream can inhibit sexual stimulation.

Plus, alcohol intake increases a hormone called angiotensin in your body. An increase in this hormone is the primary cause of erectile dysfunction. Increased angiotensin, caused by alcohol, can be detrimental to your sexual health.

Don’t worry, this does not mean you have to completely give up drinking. Drink in moderation. In fact, drinking responsibly equates to drinking tea these days.

Final Words –

Food is not something that we merely eat for sustenance. Eating brings about several sensory experiences: touch, taste, smell and even sound.

Food can be a great aphrodisiac, as long as you are wary of avoiding certain foods. Avoid the foods listed above, and you will find your sex life is rejuvenated completely.