29.03.2024

Dinner in bed: what foods will ignite passion

Valentine’s Day is a good occasion to finally set the festive table. But what should be on it if you do not intend to limit yourself to just one romantic dinner, but want to continue the holiday in bed?

And don’t forget that aphrodisiacs are about function, not about effect.

Together with the nutritionists, we have put together a menu for a stormy night and a list of foods you won’t want anything else. Look, don’t be confused.

Pheromones or aphrodisiacs?

The ability to attract the attention of individuals of the opposite sex with smells is good news, except for insects. Pheromones were discovered in 1959 by German scientists under the guidance of biochemist and Nobel laureate Adolf Butenandt, but the experimental subjects were silkworm butterflies. They really release enough sex attractant for the male to smell the female and begin to move towards her.

Thirty years later, in 1989, perfumers became interested in pheromones and released perfumes with «love hormones». It was believed that even a small number of them was enough to create inexplicable instant sympathy. Then perfume with supposedly human pheromones was even banned from production in order to avoid sexual dysfunctions. A beautiful story for the film “Perfumer. The story of one killer ”, but it doesn’t correlate with reality. Firstly, there is not a single study proving the existence of a pheromone molecule in mammals (including humans), and secondly, the human body is somewhat more complex than that of insects.

Pheromones are only useful if you are a silkworm

— For example, a male silkworm smells a pheromone and flies at him, regardless of whether the female is there or not, whether she is dead or alive. This is a kind of stimulus-response reaction that determines behavior, ”says flavorist Sergei Belkov. — In all organisms such as mammals, which have a nervous system and in which any decision on life is made by analyzing several stimuli (hearing, smell, sight, touch), pheromones are not only absent, but they cannot be. We make our decisions based on experience and analysis of all sensations from the environment.

There is an influence of smell, but in fact we do not even have a tool to distinguish whether this influence is genetically inherent or appears in the process of life experience. Moreover, it is impossible to conduct such an experiment, who could distinguish the genetic predisposition of the influence of smell from the influence obtained as a result of life experience. Because a person, like any mammal, learns, including smells. Once confronted with the smell of an orange, the second time we will already know that it testifies to the sweet taste of this orange. The same story happens with pheromones.

Unlike pheromones, the effects of aphrodisiacs have much more scientific evidence. Who has not heard about the amazing properties of chocolate, oysters, nuts and strawberries? Although their action is not about momentary excitement.

How do aphrodisiacs work?

It is not worth attributing to aphrodisiacs exactly exciting properties — they are about function, not about desire. Foods that dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow to the genitals are suitable here. For example, pumpkin, walnuts, and beef contain the amino acid L-arginine. In the body, it is converted to nitric oxide, which increases blood circulation. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, avocado) and the flavonoid quercetin (apples, berries, grapes, red wine, garlic, dark chocolate) also work.

True, the effect of such products will be most felt by people with impaired blood circulation. Those who do not have such problems may not notice the changes at all. Another question is if you want to slightly increase the amount of testosterone — the main hormone that determines sexual behavior in men and women. For its synthesis, products are needed that contain proteins, trace elements (zinc and iodine), vitamins of group B, as well as A, E, D. Therefore, nutrition significantly affects health in general and on sexual function in particular.

What products are worth looking at?

If you take up a list of foods that ignite passion, nutritionists advise you to put lean meat in the first place. It has everything you need for the synthesis of testosterone, including cholesterol, the precursor of all sex hormones. But do not get carried away — for a young man, eating meat 3-4 times a week is quite enough.

Do you want a bright continuation of a romantic dinner? These products will come in handy for you

— Nuts can be put in second place. The leader is a walnut, almonds, pistachios, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds are also useful, — says endocrinologist-nutritionist Natalya Efimova. — Another valuable product is fish from the northern seas, for example, flounder and mackerel. It contains protein, phosphorus, calcium, iodine, which is necessary for the normal function of the thyroid (hormones which contribute to the synthesis of testosterone) and gonads. It is healthier to eat steamed or baked fish. In fourth place, you can put quail and chicken eggs.

Natalia Efimova — endocrinologist, nutritionist of the highest qualification category.

— From food it is recommended to include oatmeal, tea, chocolate, pomegranate juice in the menu, — adds gastroenterologist Oksana Igumnova. — Ayurveda experts advise you to rely on spices. Cloves, saffron, ginger and red pepper are believed to improve circulation and blood flow to the genitals, causing mild arousal.

But overeating of all healthy products (and especially meat) in the evening before a romantic meeting, of course, is not worth it — dinner should be light. By the way, about lightness, you can easily get the trace elements necessary for a stormy passion from vegetables, fruits and herbs. Also useful are any cereals that, in addition to B vitamins, contain fiber, which normalizes the digestive tract. Due to this, the blood circulation of the pelvic organs is improved.

Do not overload your stomach — otherwise you simply will not be able to get up from the table.

It is also not worth getting carried away with spices — some of them have the opposite effect: they reduce the excitability of the nervous system and sexual desire. These are, for example, mint and tarragon (tarragon).

What other foods will “kill” libido?

In this matter, one must understand that libido does not disappear at once. We work on this for a long time and hard every day. Men, for example, already lose testosterone at a rate of 1% per year with age, and dietary habits can seriously accelerate this process. Fried and fatty meat, chips, coffee, soda, fast food, which is completely lacking vitamins, are the main products that will bring potency and sex drive to a strong and unshakable zero. In addition, various additives can cause harm: preservatives, dyes and flavor enhancers.

“Men also have a beer belly because of the large amount of yeast,” says nutritionist Kristina Korolkova. — Beer contains a lot of vitamin E and yeast, a lot of female hormones. This causes a serious hormonal disruption. In addition, an unhealthy, unbalanced diet (a lot of salty and fatty foods of animal origin, a large intake of empty simple carbohydrates) leads to a decrease in testosterone levels. Gastroenterologists have calculated that in just 10 years (from 30 to 40) testosterone levels can drop by about 60%.

PLOT

As for alcohol, there is an interesting story in general. Several studies have shown that its consumption causes arousal, but on the contrary, it can reduce sexual function. Although red wine may be indirectly related to sexual function due to its positive effects on the heart. But its link to cardiovascular health has not been conclusively proven.

If you have already set the table for a romantic dinner and you have some free time, check what else you know about delicious and healthy food.

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