Aphrodisiacs: The Food Of Love
Is there any such thing as a true aphrodisiac? The answer’s not simple.
On the one hand, there’s nothing you can eat or drink that instantly gives you back your sex drive, pumps up your desire and lets you go on all night. Some of the classic aphrodisiacs – oysters, for example – get their reputation because they contain some nutritional elements that you need for a healthy sex life but only really work long term. Others – like cucumber – look like sexy body parts but don’t have any actual effect when you’re bonking. (Others, like Spanish Fly, work by irritating the bladder and are dangerous - so don’t go there!)
Even Viagra, strictly speaking, isn’t an aphrodisiac because it only works if your desire is already high; it won’t do anything for you if the spark’s not there…
That said, if you’re planning a dinner a deux, there are lots of
things are worth a try. Some foods – think strawberries and cream - are
sufficiently romantic that they’ll immediately create the right
atmosphere. Luxury foods like caviar and truffles will make you both
feel cosseted and special – what more do you need to get sexy?.
Small amounts of alcohol reduce your inhibitions so can get you both in
the mood – though too much will make him unable to perform and her
unable to reach climax.
And chocolate apparently triggers the same sort of chemical reactions in the brain as does the early lustful months of a relationship… which may be why when we girls fall out of love, we often reach for the chocies…
Plus, if you have special foods that you’ve shared in the past – perhaps on your first date or your wedding breakfast – then eating a similar meal will trigger the memories and make you reach out for each other. Fish, chips and champagne, anyone?
Bottom line, our advice is to eat just a little of any delicious food you love, add a little alcohol to taste and then simply snuggle up… voila, the perfect aphrodisiac!