Food, music, drugs and even scents can all help fire up flagging desire.
Food
Artichokes, like wine, are good for ladies when men consume them,
according to an old French saying. No surprise that the country that
invented champagne also had the idea that food can improve lovemaking:
until recently, French bridegrooms were given asparagus on the eve of
their weddings. There's no science to suggest it did any good – but is
there an evidence base for other favourite aphrodisiacs?
* Pumpkin seeds, along with Brazil nuts and almonds, are rich in the
amino acid arginine, boosting levels of blood to the genitals, making
them natural Viagra, according to both the nutritionist Patrick Holford
and the television pundit Gillian McKeith. in 2005, McKeith caused a
stampede on UK supermarkets when she revealed the power of the pumpkin
seed on the female libido – though there's no sign of either sex rushing
back to buy new supplies.
* Oysters, the richest source of zinc, nourish the prostate gland and
boost testosterone production, according to the nutrition consultant
Suzannah Olivier (author of Food Medicine, Robinson).
* Chocolate contains phenethylamine, a nutrient that enhances mood
and is the chemical we produce in our brains when we fall in love,
according to Olivier. "The higher the cocoa content of the chocolate the
better the effect, so stick to 60-70 per cent cocoa solid chocolate,"
she says.
* It's the smell of food rather than its constituent parts that gets
men in the mood, says the neurologist Alan Hirsch, the founder of the
Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. He
measured the effects of aromas on penile blood flow and found that
American men responded best to doughnuts, pizza, popcorn and
strawberries. Men, he concluded, are turned on by smells that evoke the
security and pleasure of childhood. Vanilla apparently works for the
same reason.
* Any dish can be erotic when enjoyed with sensual pleasure,
according to Dr Michel Odent. We all need substantial bursts of the
"love hormone" oxytocin to get sexually aroused – and that's less likely
to happen if his body is fizzing with stress hormones or her rational
brain is on overdrive. Physically enjoying food quickens production of
this pulsating hormone, as do dim lights and softly playing music, says
Odent. His book The Scientification of Love (Free Association) provides
the evidence base for the St Valentine's Day dinner date.
* Being wined as well as dined boosts endorphins, the pleasure
hormones helping to release tension and inhibitions as well as
testosterone, encouraging flirtatious talk. Too much wine, however,
reduces men's sex drive and women who drink too much are more likely to
have sex but less likely to enjoy it, according to research.
Prescription drugs
It's exactly 10 years since Viagra exploded into the public
consciousness. As the first oral treatment for erectile dysfunction
(ED), it quickly became one of the biggest success stories in
pharmaceutical history – outstripping the "sunshine" antidepressant pill
Prozac as the fastest-selling medicinal drug ever.
A consequence of Viagra's success was that it overturned the
widespread view that ED was mostly in the mind. While stress and other
pressures can disrupt male sexuality, persistent dysfunction usually has
a physical cause – most frequently the first signs that the blood
vessels are clogging up (atherosclerosis). "The blood vessels to the
penis are among the smallest in the body and ED is often an early
symptom of atherosclerotic disease, which is also a risk factor for
heart disease and stroke," explains Dr David Goldmeier, a consultant in
genito-urinary medicine at St Mary's NHS Trust in London.
Anyone suffering from ED should get their health checked for
diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol, all of
which need to be addressed. In the meantime, medication such as Viagra
can be used to improve penile blood flow and therefore erectile
function.
One in seven men doesn't respond to Viagra, however, while others
have unacceptable side effects. A firmer favourite is newcomer Cialis,
known as the first morning-after pill for men: the effects last for at
least 24 hours, which means men with ED can have sex at night and again
the next morning. "Preference studies have been published showing that
on the whole men prefer Cialis because they get a better erection," says
Dr Goldmeier – "though the studies were funded by its manufacturers of
Cialis and need to be treated with caution."
Hormones
Testosterone is essential to libido in both sexes and supplements in
the form of gels, sprays and patches are available for both sexes.
However, testosterone patches and gels (Andropatch, Testoderm,
Androderm) are only licensed for the one in five 60-plus men who suffers
from hypogonadism (very low testosterone levels). And female
testosterone patches and sprays that are on the market as "the female
equivalent of Viagra", to treat the newly recognised problem of female
sexual dysfunction, are highly controversial. The British Society for
Sexual Medicine does not recommend testosterone for women unless they
are shown to have unusually low levels: "Low female sex drive is a much
more complex thing than men not getting an erection," it says, warning
of excess facial hair as a common side effect – not necessarily the look
you want on St Valentine's Day. As Dr Phil Hammond points out in his
new book, Medicine Balls (Black & White Publishing): "If you look at
the criteria – not feeling like sex for a few days in the last month –
then I've got female sexual dysfunction too."
The impact of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on female libido has
been pretty well written out of the equation during the recent repeated
health scares that have linked post-menopausal oestrogen to a small
increase in the risk of breast cancer. Bear in mind, however, that HRT
was first seen as a miracle anti-ageing drug that zapped post-menopausal
low libido along with the hot flushes – with a series of older female
celebrities expressing their gratitude to the hormone therapy for
enabling them to remain a little bit tarty-looking well into middle age
and beyond.
The fine print of maintaining surging oestrogen levels was always a
bit vague. Perhaps the single most important effect is the role of
oestrogen in lubricating the tissues of the vagina – with plenty of
evidence that the devastating impact on couples' sex lives following the
menopause is particularly due to vaginal symptoms such as dryness and
discomfort. For those considering HRT purely as a sex aid, doctors are
likely to recommend oestrogen cream or slow-release suppositories that
have an impact on the genital area.
One step removed from these sex hormones is another popular
anti-ageing hormone, DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone), a natural precursor
of both testosterone and oestrogen that, according to enthusiasts, can
be taken as an oral supplement. It's widely touted on the internet as
boosting libido – though so far without a shred of evidence.
Counselling
Medication is almost never the whole answer to sexual problems: half
of men who begin Viagra or Cialis are no longer taking it after a year.
It takes two to tango, says Dr Goldmeier, and there isn't a prescription
drug to cure relationship problems – and good communication is also
needed.
The first step is to confront the problem: "Men so often feel
self-conscious about coming to me with their difficulty and don't
realise it's my job to talk to men in the same situation," says the
urologist Dr Mike Kirby.
But there can still be problems once everything is working properly.
Couples counsellor Tricia Barnes says it's common for couples to
continue to experience an emotional barrier which prevents them enjoying
their love life to the full, once the male partner can obtain and
maintain reliable erections again.
"The fear and anxiety about sexual functioning may have been
alleviated, but fear of establishing or re-establishing emotional
intimacy remains," she says. Marriage guidance or couples counselling
can help people communicate more openly and honestly including being
able to talk about their likes and dislikes in bed.
Body/Mind connection
The brain is said to be the biggest sex organ – so if you feel good
you're more likely to get sexually aroused, and vice versa. A sudden
inability to get an erection is most likely to have a psychological
background in a man: often caused by anxiety or loss of confidence as a
result of divorce, bereavement, redundancy or a similar life event.
More generally, sex becomes less alluring through boredom,
incompatibility, low self-esteem, depression and fatigue and,
particularly for women, a combination of lifestyle and physical changes
that occurs, for instance, with the arrival of children and their
departure from the family nest. So sensible guidance encourages a
multi-faceted approach to sexuality, including: exercise to improve
stamina and body image; improving skills to cope better with work and
financial stress; and, for women, pelvic floor exercises to create
better awareness of the muscles involved in sexual pleasure, boosting
libido and self-esteem at a stroke.
