By Jennifer Mullen, NTM
“A nutritionally adequate diet rich in whole foods and plants is supportive of health on multiple levels, including promotion of optimal sexual function” -Dietary Approaches to Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health
Hormones are key
How can diet affect a satisfying sex life? Well, the trifecta of great sex equals balanced sex hormones, fast nerve impulses, and healthy blood vessels, and diet can affect this trifecta, either increasing or hampering pleasure.2 Hormones are key players in sexual function, and we have the ability to help them achieve their goal by actively supporting our body’s needs through diet and lifestyle.3 Obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance, all controlled by diet, affect the production of sex hormones, as well as cause injury to blood vessels and neurons leading to and from the genitals.2 These health conditions also affect the production of nitric oxide which, along with vascular health, is important for sexual function. Sufficient nitric oxide is needed for blood flow to and from the genitals, as well as for increased sexual response and pleasure. By including nitrate rich foods in your diet, you will increase nitric oxide stores in the body.1 Leptin, the hormone responsible for telling us when we are full, also induces nitric oxide synthesis and is disrupted by eating sweet. A high sugar diet will also lead to inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, obesity and metabolic syndrome. In addition, a high sugar diet alters dopamine in the brain, leading to compromised sleep, affecting sexual function.2 Nerves control hormones and neurotransmitters essential for good sex and orgasm,4 and the food we eat will drive how quickly and strongly our nerves fire by protecting them from oxidative stress helping to rebuild and repair damage.2
Vital Nutrients
There are several essential nutrients we all need for healthy and plentiful sex, the first being antioxidants. Oxidation is a chemical process which damages tissue, such as blood vessels and nerves,2 therefore, a diet rich in antioxidants will increase nitric oxide stores, decrease inflammation, and rid the body of oxidative activity.1 Some important antioxidants include vitamins A, C, E, beta carotene, the mineral selenium, polyphenols and flavonoids.2 Another important nutrient that has positive affects on sex hormones is dietary fiber. In addition to balancing sex hormones, fiber will also work to lower insulin levels, helping excess estrogen, as well as fat, pass out of the body.2 Vitamin D is also essential for sexual health and commonly deficient, especially in climates with fewer months of sunshine. Deficiency in this important nutrient is associated with increased blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and lower available nitric oxide, all leading to lower sexual response and less pleasure. Increasing vitamin D in the body helps reduce risk of erectile dysfunction, raises free testosterone, improves blood sugar balance and insulin levels, as well as reduces inflammation.1 Important for many body functions, B vitamins are also crucial for great sex by positively affecting testosterone levels and improving sexual function as well as being necessary for proper nerve conduction to and from genitals.2
Eat your veggies
What does a sex healthy diet look like? A diet rich in plants and unprocessed foods is linked to increased energy, decreased tension, anger, anxiety and depression, which all benefit sexual health,1 and there are also foods which are directly beneficial to great sex. Fruits and vegetables are huge players in the healthy sex game, providing the bulk of antioxidant vitamins, polyphenols and flavonoids. Fruits and veggies are essential to heart health, nerve health, microbiome balance, blood pressure, hormonal health, weight management, etc, which all affect how we experience sex.2,1 Green leafy vegetables are an important source of nitric acid forming nitrates. Cruciferous vegetables are packed with phytonutrients and minerals, which promote health and protect nerves going to and from genitals, improve cardiac function, reduce inflammation, improve hormonal balance and prostate health.2 B vitamins, which are essential for great sex, can be found abundantly in fresh produce, as well as nuts and seeds, salmon, and legumes.2 Nuts are also full of essential minerals and will also improve microbiome diversity, which plays a huge role in how satisfied we are sexually. One study showed that a handful of nuts per day actually increased orgasm intensity and sexual desire in men.2 Fish is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, which help boost nitric oxide, lower blood pressure, risk for blood clots and heart attack.5 Amazingly, mushrooms work as a powerhouse for sexual health with high antioxidant properties, promotion of microbiome health, healthy nerve function and blood vessels, and hormone balancing capabilities.2 The huge variety of mushrooms offer vast potential with all the properties they contain to enhance your health. “It can’t be understated that finding a way to work mushrooms into your diet will be great for your sex life.”2 Eating a diet that includes an abundance of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and healthy fats will ensure not only overall health, but will also keep you feeling sexy.
Avoid highly processed!
What foods should we avoid or limit for optimal sexual health? Well, overall, the standard American diet of processed foods, refined carbohydrates, high sodium and fat is linked to metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, obesity and sexual dysfunction.1 Too much fat can slow nerve conduction, making signals weaker as well as disrupt dopamine signaling in the brain, a neurohormone involved in sexual arousal, motivation, performance and orgasm. Dietary fat also accumulates on nerves and arteries, affecting function and stiffening blood vessels, making the heart work harder.2 Sodium, salt, is essential to life, but too much is bad, and heavily salted foods can impair artery function, causing reduced nitric acid release. High sodium also causes high blood pressure and damage to blood vessels.2 The processed foods that are prevalent in many typical, western diets tend to be high in sugar, fat and salt, and these fatty, salty meals cause oxidation and reduce nitric oxide release within penile and clitoral arteries, putting a big damper on both performance pleasure. Sugary foods, especially refined sugar, affect blood sugar balance, weight gain and heart health, and a high fat/high sugar diet negatively affects the reproductive cycle, alters hormone balance in women, and can lower semen quality in men.2 Taking steps to replace a high fat, high salt, high sugar diet with a more whole foods focussed one will go a long way toward more vibrant sexual health, as well overall, long term wellbeing.
**To learn more about how to continue nutritional and lifestyle support to increase and maintain your sexual health throughout life you can reach me at jengmullen@gmail.com for a free consult.
Medical/Health Disclaimer: This blog provides information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained herein, for educational purposes only. This blog is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment by a doctor or other qualified medical professional. Always consult with your doctor or other qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before embarking on a new health care program. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog.
references:
1.Kudesia R, Alexander M, Gulati M, Kennard A, Tollefson M. Dietary Approaches to Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2021 May 8;15(4):414-424. doi: 10.1177/15598276211007113. PMID: 34366740; PMCID: PMC8299929.
2.DeLozier, Christine, L.Ac. Diet for Great Sex: Food For Male and Female Sexual Health. Copyright 2020 by Christine DeLozier
3. Martinez CS, Ferreira FV, Castro AA, et al. Women with greater pelvic floor muscle strength have better sexual function. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2014;93(5):497-502. doi:10.1111/aogs.12379
4.Calabrò RS, Cacciola A, Bruschetta D, et al. Neuroanatomy and function of human sexual behavior: A neglected or unknown issue? Brain Behav. 2019;9(12):e01389. doi:10.1002/brb3.1389
5. Peter S, Chopra S, Jacob JJ. A fish a day, keeps the cardiologist away! - A review of the effect of omega-3 fatty acids in the cardiovascular system. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2013 May;17(3):422-9. doi: 10.4103/2230-8210.111630. PMID: 23869297; PMCID: PMC3712371.
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