Can Eating Avocados Really Help Your Sex Life?
We're often told to eat healthy for the benefit of our overall health. However, sometimes foods are thought to also be good for other things. Like eating carbs or pasta before a big game or meet or chowing down on brain foods before a major test. And sometimes, there are a group of special foods that are allegedly great for helping you and your partner get into the mood in the bedroom. While it's disputed that foods classified as aphrodisiacs can actually do such a thing, some foods are sexual go-to's and worth a try anyway if you're feeling like spicing things up for a fun time.
Common aphrodisiacs include chocolate and oysters, but what about avocados? Funnily enough, NPR reported that the word "avocado" was originally known as "ahuacate," which was Aztec for "testicle" because of how it looked and because of the Aztec's belief in the food as a sexual booster. That doesn't really prove, in modern day, that an avocado can help your sex life, but its health benefits just might.
Avocados are thought to help ease women into sexual desire
First off, looking at the health properties of the avocado, it's not a surprise that it could help in certain ways for sex. According to a Penn Medicine article on "Food for Your Libido," the green fruit (yes, it's a fruit) is packed with vitamins like B6. This particular vitamin "can decrease symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (such as fatigue, bloating, and irritability)." This could help women be a bit more comfortable and ready to have sex, especially if they're nearing their period. They also write that, for men and women, avocados have monounsaturated fats, which have been proven to "reduce bad cholesterol levels." So a happy heart can lead to a happy sex life.
Lianne Young, a qualified nutritionist and sex and relationship therapist, told Metro that it's all about vitality when it comes to avocados. "Energy foods are fantastic for raising energy levels and of course a healthy libido is crucial for great mind-blowing sex –- avocados can give you both," she said. They also contain omega 3, which only adds to avocados' ability to help your heart and boost your energy, allowing you and your partner to potentially have a long night.
Do aphrodisiacs even work?
Even though foods like avocados have great energy-boosting properties and can help with your overall health — and, therefore, sex life — there isn't a ton of evidence that aphrodisiacs actually do anything for your sexual desires. As mentioned above, GoodRx also reported that there are very few human studies done on aphrodisiacs and whether they actually work. Even though there have been favorable results in non-human tests, the results from any human trials are too inconclusive to truly say whether aphrodisiacs are a surefire way to heat things up in the bedroom. As sexologist Megan Stubbs told CNBC, "It is all subjective," pointing at the fact that foods potentially helping with sex could be a placebo effect. "The power of suggestion is a strong motivator for sexual desire and the placebo effect can come into play as well," she said.
That being said, aphrodisiacs have existed throughout history, with Aztecs believing certain foods were for sexual assistance. And even though there isn't scientific evidence or enough to prove foods help in the bedroom, placebo effects can be quite powerful. Plus, foods like avocados often have energy-boosting nutrients anyway. So whether it makes you hot and bothered or not, between thinking that it does and the energy it's giving you, you'll definitely be thankful you ate some before your night gets steamy.