For how long has humanity been obsessed with finding aphrodisiacs? From the bizarre and the inadvisable to certain foods, many things have been touted as a boost for desire and performance.
Oysters are one of the best known aphrodisiac foodstuffs. Oyster shells have been found amongst the evidence of the earliest humans. Perhaps they played a role in helping move the human species from just a few thousand to the planet dominating multitude we see today?
The scientific backing for oysters as a food for lovers comes from the presence of high levels of rare amino acids that can be found in bivalve molluscs like oysters. It is thought that these amino acids can cause hightened levels of sex hormones to be created in the human body when consumed. As an interesting aside, it has been suggested (controversially) that live oysters might actually count as a vegan food! This is because these bivalves lack a central nervous system.
Various other foods are thought to act as an aphrodisiac. Chocolate has been suggested as being one. Other foods that see a sales boost as the result of the randy and the optimistic include asparagus and bananas. In this case it seems that the shape of the food being vaguely suggestive is the main factor. If you are seeing that, then the chances are that you only have one thing on your mind anyway, and there is not a lot that an aphrodisiac would do for you anyway…
Some people attribute great things to the power of chilli. Chillies are high in capsaicin, the hot flavoured chemical that gives chillies their kick. This is technically a poison, but the pain of the ‘burn’ causes the brain to release endorphins, giving a mild buzz – and making spicy food addictive. It also increases circulation – so perhaps it is a good thing to eat when you are warming up for some loving.
What does make a good aphrodisiac food? Certainly the saying that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach still rings true – and many’s the woman who is impressed by a man that knows his way around the kitchen. Perhaps the sexist food is anything that you put love into. Do you have a special ‘lucky’ dish?
