Foods to inspire romance
Human beings are on an eternal quest for love, sex appeal and sexual prowess.
Humans have been consuming weird and wonderful foods, herbs and beverages since the dawn of time in the hope and belief that these magic pills and potions will make them more attractive to the opposite sex or increase his/her performance in the bedroom.
Nowadays we have good drugs for erectile dysfunction, for example, but the old beliefs die hard and there are thousands of people who firmly believe that eating oysters and caviar, and sipping champagne, will turn them into super studs.
But how true are these ideas and beliefs surrounding dietary aphrodisiacs? Let’s take a scientific look at some of the most popular aphrodisiac foods to see if there’s a reason why they’e earned their reputation.
Seafood
Oysters, caviar, prawns, lobsters, shrimps, and other forms of seafood have always been regarded as aphrodisiacs. From a nutritional point of view, seafoods are rich in protein, iron, zinc and iodine.
Protein of animal origin found in seafood supplies the body with all the essential amino acids to build strong muscles and lean body tissue – both highly desirable traits in prospective lovers.
Iron is essential for the production of healthy red blood cells, which in turn ensure that your brain and muscles are supplied with plenty of oxygen and glucose, thus increasing stamina.
Zinc is one of the most important trace elements found in semen. The zinc level in semen is 100 times higher than in blood. In populations deprived of zinc, puberty is delayed and the sexual organs don’t develop normally. And this is where oysters come in – raw and canned oysters contain a whopping 91mg of zinc per 100g, probably the highest concentration found in any food.
Iodine is required for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is often referred to as the “power-house” of the body. If you produce insufficient thyroid hormones you will feel sluggish, tired, depressed and have little energy left for amorous pursuits. To be filled with vigor, you need an active thyroid. To keep your thyroid healthy, you require iodine, so tuck into seafood.
Love apples
When tomatoes were first introduced into Europe, they were called “love apples” because of the stimulating effect they were believed to have. This notion was pooh-poohed by the scientific establishment for many years. And yet, research is showing that tomatoes are the richest source of lycopene in our diet.
Lycopene, which is one of the so-called carotenoids, is proving to be a potent anti-carcinogen, particularly for prostate cancer.
A large study that was conducted over a period of seven years showed that lycopene in foods such as tomato sauce and pizza had a dramatic effect on the incidence of prostate cancer. Men eating ten servings of tomato-rich foods a week were 35% less likely to develop prostate cancer than men eating only one serving a week.
Tomato sauce has the highest lycopene content of all foods and gives the greatest protection against prostate cancer.
Lover’s menu
Cooking for your partner? Tuck into some raw oysters with all the trimmings, followed by a seafood pizza with plenty of tomato sauce and a large green salad garnished with olive oil. Have a mango sorbet for dessert, and champagne or red wine.
This menu isn’t too heavy to make you sluggish, yet it’s full of love foods that will boost your health, if not your prowess!
– (Dr I.V. van Heerden, registered dietician)