Food and Sex: Edible Aphrodisiacs

"The sight of her face…together with the maddening fragrance of food, evoked an emotion of wild tenderness and hunger in him which was unutterable."
-Thomas Wolfe, April, Late April

Many of us do not realize the sexual nature of food. Yet food and sex have tied together throughout human history. They are intertwined from both being a basic human need to the words we use to describe them; hunger, appetite, need, spice, heat…

The old saying "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." may hold some truth after all. Look at how many first dates and special occasions are centered around a romantic dinner for two. A carefully prepared dinner may be capable of working magic especially if you set the table with love and romance in mind.

Throughout history many things, especially foods have been touted as aphrodisiacs. Aphrodisiacs are foods, drinks, drugs, scents or any devices that can arouse or stimulate sexual desire. The FDA says there are no known aphrodisiacs, which of course clashes with the traditions and uses of aphrodisiacs for over 5000 years. The FDA's small amounts of studies have found no scientific proof that any food, herb, or anything else has any special properties. They say all the aphrodisiac claims are based in folklore and not fact. In ancient times aphrodisiacs were sought out for many reasons including ways to increase performance and sex drive as well as to increase fertility.

Some foods were identified in ancient Greece others by the Aztecs. Some foods were believed to have sexual powers because they resembled human genitalia. We now know that many foods that are considered to be aphrodisiacs are rich in vitamins and minerals which can increase overall health therefore improving sexual function.