With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, check out our list of “love” foods guaranteed to fan the flames of romance. While you may have thought their affects on the libido were strictly myth, these aphrodisiacs contain nutrients that actually do have a significant impact on sexual drive and performance. So read on, and you’ll learn something new about revving up the lust quotient on February 14th.
#1 – CHOCOLATE
Considered among the ultimate aphrodisiacs, chocolate is rife with compounds that release dopamine into the feel-good areas of the brain. Also, let’s not forget the serotonin connection, which ignites a sense of pleasure that relaxes inhibitions.
#2 – GARLIC
Yes, it’s smelly, but if you both indulge, you’ll never notice the aroma. So load up, because garlic’s bounty of allicin powers blood flow, and that can only lead to passion in the boudoir.
#3 – OYSTERS
For maximum romantic affect, enjoy these delicacies raw on the half-shell with some Tabasco-laced cocktail sauce. Oysters are rich in zinc, which jumpstarts a male’s sex drive. Furthermore, the presence of tyrosine raises a gentleman’s dopamine level to enhance performance.
#4 – CHAMPAGNE
Don’t discount the sense of giddy euphoria stimulated by champagne or any fine sparkling wine. First, the bubbles speed alcohol to the brain, bringing on an almost instant sense of exhilaration. And second, the delicate champagne flutes represent the very symbol of romance.
#5 – ASPARAGUS
Grab a few spears and enjoy! Always a treat, asparagus is also a leading source of potassium, fiber, thiamin, folic acid, and vitamins A, C and B6. Put that all together and it’s a recipe for histamine production, which both sexes require for healthy sexual relations.
#6 – HONEY
Glaze carrots with it, drizzle it over sponge cake, or dip strawberries in it for a double dose of romantic inspiration. Honey is rich in boron, a trace mineral that increases both estrogen and testosterone levels. So don’t be shy. Mangia!
#7 – STRAWBERRIES
Strawberries heighten sexual drive by virtue of their intoxicating aroma and food-pairing versatility (great with chocolate, whipped cream, ice cream, champagne or cognac). But strawberries are also loaded with arginine, which is known to spark lust.
#8 – AVOCADOS
It’s the truth! There was a time when Spain’s Catholic clerics forbade parishioners from eating avocados for fear they’d spend all their time making love. Yes, the shape alone is sensual. But factor in the stamina-inducing folic acid, vitamin B6 and potassium, and consuming avocados will pave the way for one steamy night of passion.
#9 – BANANAS
Think Bananas Foster or Banana Cream Pie. If you do, you’re sure to make this Valentine’s Day one of the most sensual to date. Does this fruit sound the libido alarm? You bet it does, because bananas are chock full of B vitamins, potassium and magnesium, not to mention chelating minerals and the lust-driving bromeliad enzyme.
#10 – FIGS
Sexy in appearance, taste, texture and aroma, figs have oft been cited as Cleopatra’s favorite food. Considered more precious than gold by the ancient Greeks, these sweet treats have long been associated with fertility, virility, and romantic arousal.
