People claim aphrodisiacs come in a variety of colors and flavors… or DO THEY?!
How you doin', I'm Trace.
This is DNews.
The idea of an aphrodisiac has been tantalizing the human imagination for hundreds of years:
Cobra blood, Tiger penis, components of whale vomit -- we’ll try pretty much anything
in search of just the right sexy substance to turn us on.
Unfortunately, even after centuries of trying, there’s no compelling evidence that any
of them could be responsible for more than just placebo effect.
By definition, an aphrodisiac is something -- often thought to be a food or drug -- that
raises libido or sexual desire.
The creation of desire by consuming something makes it sound like a love potion, right?
Arousal, desire, and motivation for sex are the result of a complicated chemical system
composed of many parts.
So being “turned on” means that something or someone activated the right balance of
brain chemicals to drive sexual desire -- that’s not easy to do with a food, potion, or pill.
According to the FDA, there are is no such thing as an aphrodisiac drug.
In fact, earlier this year they released a document that stated “Labeling claims for
aphrodisiacs for [over the counter] use are either false, misleading, or unsupported by
scientific data.”
The best we can do are prescription drugs like Viagra and Addyi, which are used for
the treatment of sexual dysfunction.
But the studies show that while viagra can be effective for patients who are experiencing
sexual problems, it doesn’t produce sexy feelings in people who don't have a problem
getting it up.
Aphrodisiac, it ain't.
And for women, who are often ignored in academic studies of sexual behavior, there’s no data
on non-prescription use of these drugs at all.
But outside of the pharmaceutical realm, what about household or street items claiming to
make me wanna leave the one I'm with, and start a new thing with you…
Science ruins the mood there as well.
In fact, a review in Pharmacognosy Review concludes that none of the many dozens of
herbal so-called aphrodisiacs used in Eastern and tribal medicines are 100-percent safe
to use, nor proven to work in humans.
Another study in Sexual Medicine Reviews of more common aphrodisiacs for Western cultures
was similarly unmoved.
Chocolate?
Nope.
It's correlated with increases in serotonin, but not connected to libido.
Oysters?
Nah.
They have zinc, which is good for producing testosterone, but don't increase libido.
Honey?
There are no studies on its successful effects -- and 'Mad Honey' found in Eastern Europe
and the Middle East can cause a tingle in the vagina, but that's just a toxin called
grayanotoxin, which can cause heart issues.
Tingles are not equal to libido.
Spanish Fly?
It causes irritation of the urethra -- the tube inside the penis, because Spanish Fly
comes from ground up blister beetles, which literally cause blisters.
The blisters are thanks to another toxin called cantharidin… also not libido, more like…
viagra.
It might give men an erection, but erections aren't equal true arousal or desire.
There are many, many studies on these substances, but each comes back with words like, "promising"
or simply call out the failure of safety, or rigorous scientific controls.
In the end there is no evidence to support the effectiveness of chemical aphrodisiacs
or sexy foods, but when it comes to sex… that doesn't actually matter!
There may still be a scientific reason you feel turned on after, for instance, eating
oysters: there is scientific evidence that visual stimuli can have a powerful effect
on sexual arousal.
So, a snack of oysters or bananas which physically resemble sexual organs may be enough to do
the trick.
Or visiting a Georgia O'Keefe gallery?
On top of that, there's of course the placebo effect, one of our favorite things…
like, in some cases, sexual desire is connected to social status … which is why it's not
a surprise that rich people are thought of as more attractive.
But status can also be connected to something like oysters, which are pricey, or hard-to-obtain
exotic material like penises of endangered animals or Spanish fly… meaning, simply
thinking some substance is rare might make you feel a certain way and you get all hot
and bothered.
The mind, apparently, is the only known aphrodisiac.
We would like to thank our sponsor Kay Jewelers for helping us make this episode.
For 100 years, every kiss begins with Kay.
And look, if you really want to increase sexual desire… maybe you should just go dance.
Quit being such a downer and get on the dance floor!
Science says it helps and here's why.
What do you think about aphrodisiacs?
Tell us in the comments, make sure subscribe for more DNews and thanks for watching.