Food and sex have always been closely related since ancient times. In some legends, certain foods are said to have aphrodisiac effects, enhancing sexual desire and vitality. In our recent blog post, we discussed such foods and pointed out that there are no magical foods that can immediately produce the desired effects. So, what about the foods that lower sexual desire? Which foods in your regular diet might have a negative impact on sexual desire? First, let's quickly review how food affects sexual desire.
Can you control your sexual desire through food?
As mentioned above, people have long believed that food can affect one's sexual desire. However, as we mentioned in the blog "Which Foods Can Improve Your Sex Life?", the effect of aphrodisiacs is not as good as what is rumored. Nevertheless, although there is not much scientific evidence suggesting that such foods really enhance sexual desire, many people still believe that they can stimulate sexual desire through their smell, taste and texture.
So, which foods can reduce your libido? It might be hard to find a magical food that can suppress your libido, but there are many things that have an indirect effect over time. This is usually achieved through broader impacts on your overall health and condition. There is also a confusing issue - alcohol, which is an exception in both cases. Although some small studies suggest that drinking alcohol is related to sexual arousal, it also affects sexual ability.
Now, let's take a closer look at the alcohol and other foods that might have a negative impact on your libido.
Which foods can reduce your sexual desire?
Alcohol
While it is true that alcohol can help in lowering inhibitions and making you feel far sexier (not to mention making others appear more attractive too!) it can also cause several negative effects. This mainly comes in the form of lowering your testosterone and your sexual performance, and in extreme cases, lead to erectile dysfunction in men.
Fried Foods
Fried foods and plenty of carbohydrate heavy meals can be pretty delicious, but they tend to be less than healthy. This includes how they are prepared. Hydrogenated oils used to fry food can lower testosterone levels. Not to mention the trans-fat used in most fried foods is known to decrease the sex drive of both men and women. Trans fat can also increase abnormal sperm production in men and hindering the gestation periods of women. Of course, this is not including the wider health issues that can come with eating fatty foods excessively!
Bottled Water
Outside of the moral, ethical and environmental reasons for not drinking bottled water so you don’t contribute to pollution issues, there is another reason bottled water may be bad for you. BPAs found in plastic bottles are the main reason for this concern. Bisphenol A, commonly referred to as BPA, is a chemical component found in many plastic food containers including water bottles that can cause you harm.
This can include several effects on both men and women. For men, issues such as a lower total sperm count, and erectile dysfunction. For women, this can cause 27% less viable eggs to be produced and for both, a drop in concentration and vitality.
Mint
Having great smelling breath is important and so a lot of us rely on mints or mint-flavored chewing gum in a pinch to refresh and dispel any terrible odors from lunch. There are studies however that state that mint, especially spearmint and peppermint, have been shown to suppress and even lower testosterone levels. Most research on this so far has been conducted on women and animals, however. So until further research into human males has been done, you might still be safe with the occasional breath mint.
Coffee
Are you a caffeine addict? Then you might want to consider cutting down on your coffee bean intake if you’re having trouble with sexual performance. Of course, coffee is known for giving an energy boost throughout the day, which may include sexual activities, but it can also cause anxiety. Increased anxiety can lower your sex drive. While this is a common complaint of people with caffeine sensitivity, if you don’t suffer from this issue, then you should be able to keep drinking that java!
Canned Soups
A lot of canned soups contain surprisingly high levels of sodium, too much of which can lead to elevated blood pressure and, in turn, do damage to your heart. Additionally, sodium can inspire diminished blood flow, this includes having a potential knock-on effect of being able to effectively gain and maintain an erection. High blood pressure can also lead to several issues that may cause problems during sexual activities.
