9 Healthy Foods to Improve Your Sex Life

Sex is one of life’s most basic human functions. Besides the important job of procreation, sex brings pleasure and can deepen feelings of intimacy with your partner. Lack of desire, impotence, and other sexual problems can turn a sizzling hot sex life into a low-burning flame quickly. If your love life can stand a gentle nudge (or a substantial kickstart), look to your diet for help. These seven foods are packed with nutrients that can perk up your libido and may improve your overall health too.

1. Avocados

The Aztecs referred to avocados as, ahem, testicles, because of their physical shape. But the scientific reason why avocados make sense as an aphrodisiac is that they are rich in unsaturated fats and low in saturated fat, making them good for your heart and your arteries. Anything that keeps the heart beating strong helps keep blood flowing to all the right places; in fact, men with underlying heart disease are twice as likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED).

2. Dark chocolate

Fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants should be a part of your daily diet already because they can provide many health benefits. Luckily, delicious dark chocolate is chock-full of antioxidants so it’s a yummy way to get more of it. Antioxidants have been linked to reducing the signs of aging, reducing the risk for cervical cancer in women and enhancing sexual pleasure. With all those benefits and a devilishly good taste, this item shouldn’t have any trouble making its way into your grocery cart.

3. Salmon

Salmon is a popular poster child for heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. The pink-fleshed fish, as well as tuna and halibut, might be the key to enhancing your sex life too. Omega-3 may help prevent the buildup of plague in your arteries, thus improving blood flow throughout your body. A fatty fish diet may not be the love potion for guys who are at risk for high-grade prostate cancer, however. Studies published in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggest that omega-3 fatty acids could increase your risk for developing an aggressive form of the disease. Low-grade, slow-moving prostate cancer is not affected by eating foods rich in omega-3.

4. Almond

Topping my list of feisty foods, almonds have long been purported to increase passion, act as a sexual stimulant, and aid with fertility. Like asparagus (another one of my favorite sexy foods), almonds are nutrient-dense and rich in several trace minerals that are important for sexual health and reproduction, such as zinc, selenium, and vitamin E. “Zinc helps enhance libido and sexual desire,” says Dr. Berman. “We don’t really understand the mechanisms behind it, but we know it works.”

5. Celery

This fibrous vegetable can increase a woman’s sexual desire. It also contains androsterone, a hormone men release that appeals to women, getting them in the mood. Eating celery regularly can help keep the mood fresh and will likely increase the number of times a woman feels like having sex.

6. Apples

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, and could also improve your love life. Apples, along with berries, cherries, onions and dark-colored grapes, are rich in quercetin. This antioxidant, called a flavonoid, may offer a number of medicinal effects. As far as sex goes, quercetin plays a role in controlling symptoms of prostatitis and interstitial cystitis (IC), and promotes circulation. Prostatitis is the inflammation of the prostate gland, sometimes causing testiclular discomfort and pain with ejaculation. IC, or painful bladder syndrome, may also make sex difficult for men and women. Sexual-related symptoms of IC can include genital pain, erectile dysfunction, painful intercourse, and low desire

7. Garlic

High in an ingredient called allicin, garlic can help stimulate circulation and blood flow to sexual organs in both men and women. Although, you should try to eat this in moderation because the intense smell of garlic on someone’s breath, may kill the mood. You can also opt for garlic pills if you want to bypass the mood-killing odour altogether.

8. Strawberries

The color red is known to help stoke the fire: A 2008 study found that men find women sexier if they’re wearing red, as opposed to cool colors such as blue or green. Strawberries are also an excellent source of folic acid, a B vitamin that helps ward off birth defects in women and, according to a University of California, Berkley study, may be tied to high sperm counts in men. This Valentine’s Day, try making dark-chocolate-dipped strawberries. And while we’re on the subject, there’s a reason we give chocolate on Valentine’s Day: It’s full of libido-boosting methylxanthines.

9. Figs

These funny-shaped fruits have a long history of being a fertility booster, and they make an excellent aphrodisiac because they are packed with both soluble and insoluble fiber, which is important for heart health. Plus, high-fiber foods help fill you up, not out, so it’s easier to achieve that sexy bottom line—or belly.