We get it, you’d rather not even think about it. It’s tough to admit when things aren’t going your way in the bedroom.
But the truth is when things “down there” aren’t responding the same way they used to, simply ignoring it isn’t going to help make your problem go away. In fact, it may make things worse.
But before you give in and make an appointment to see your doctor about a risky prescription drug, let’s take a look in your kitchen. Because if you’re eating certain foods you could be killing your sex drive without ever knowing it.
Are these foods wrecking YOUR libido?
A food doesn’t have to be bad for your health to put a damper on your sex life. Although some unhealthy foods are unhealthy for your libido too (we’ll touch on a few today), some perfectly healthy foods can still cause the bedroom blues for some guys.
If you’re having a rough time in the sack it’s worth removing the following 12 foods from your diet to see if that improves your sex drive.
Some of them are bad news and should be permanently removed from your diet anyway, but others can be tested in an elimination-style diet (cutting out each food for several weeks) and returned to the menu if they don’t turn out to be a trigger food for your issues.
1. Beer:
Yeah, we hate seeing this one on the list, too, but beer can kill your sex drive in two ways.
Any alcohol, including beer, can make it more difficult for your body to process estrogen (and yes, men do have estrogen, too). But then, to make matters worse, beer contains a plant-based estrogen, as well.
Which means not only is your body holding onto its own estrogen, but you’re putting more in on top of that. That much estrogen could kill any guy’s libido!
2. Canned foods:
Hopefully, you’re not eating too many canned foods anyway. The estrogen-mimic BPA alone is reason enough reason to give them up. But it turns out canned soups and vegetables can cool things off in the bedroom in another way too.
There’s so much junk sodium in canned soups and veggies that if you’re salt-sensitive a regular diet of the stuff could send your blood pressure soaring, affecting your blood flow. And you don’t need us to tell you how important blood flow is to putting on a good performance in bed.
Eat fresh veggies instead and make your soup from scratch. They’ll not all taste far better, you might find your sex drive come rushing back too.
3. Cheese:
It’s not cheese that’s the real problem here. It’s the synthetic hormones given to the cows that produce the milk that’s then used to make the cheese that’s the issue.
You see, all those extra hormones can, and will, mess with your own hormonal balance. And the result could be a libido that’s on vacation or plumbing that’s gone on the fritz.
The good news is that you can find cheeses that are hormone-free. You just may have to look a little harder for them. Try a local natural food store or Farmer’s market.
4. Coffee:
Coffee has a variety of health benefits and it can be a libido booster. But for some guys it can have the opposite effect.
Some men report that the caffeine in coffee makes them too jittery and can even cause anxiety. If you’re one of these guys, quit the coffee for your sexual AND mental health.
5. Diet soda:
If you’re still drinking diet soda—and you shouldn’t be—its effect on your sex life might finally be the reason you stop.
The artificial sweetener aspartame may mess with your serotonin, or “happy hormone” levels. Researchers have found a link between diet soda and an increased risk of depression and decreased serotonin levels.
Serotonin effects your mood, allowing you to feel happy and upbeat. And let’s be honest, it’s hard to feel frisky when you’re feeling down in the dumps.
Ditch the diet soda and you may be able to restore your serotonin levels and your sex drive.
6. Soy:
Like diet soda, there are a ton of reasons to go easy on – or even flat out avoid – soy products from fertility issues to thyroid health.
And yes, sex drive is one of them.
The estrogenic isoflavones in soy may hinder your body’s ability to produce and use testosterone. In fact, in one study it took a remarkably small amount of soy, less than a serving, to lower men’s testosterone levels significantly. And animal studies have shown a link between eating soy and erectile function.
7. Licorice:
If you’re a licorice fan and you’re having problems in the sack it’s time to drop this candy from your shopping list.
The glycyrrhizic acid in licorice can cause testosterone levels to plummet and plummet fast. In one study, it only took 4 days for levels to drop 35 percent!
8. Deli meats:
Stopping by the deli might seem like an easy way to solve the “what’s-for-lunch?” question, but it could also be hurting your home life. Processed meats aren’t just linked to cancer, they could be turning your sex life into a dud too.
Many delis wrap their meats in plastic wrap sheets made from PVC (Polyvinylidene Chloride) which leach estrogenic chemicals into your lunch meat. Those chemicals can cause hormonal fluctuations.
So cook and slice your own. Or if you’re married to the convenience of supermarket lunch meats at least, buy fresh carved and ask them to wrap it in paper.
9. Microwave popcorn:
Snuggling on the couch, watching a movie is supposed to be romantic. But if you’re sharing a bag of microwave popcorn, you’re probably not going to get the results you’re hoping for.
The chemical PFOA that’s used in the lining of many of those microwave popcorn bags can wreak havoc with your hormones. Worse, they can cause cancer over time.
And while there are some PFOA-free microwave popcorns on the market now, there’s no telling what hormonal havoc is being caused by the other chemicals found in their packaging. Pop your own and let your evening be as romantic as you’d planned.
10. Mint:
Onions at lunch might have you reaching for some mint to freshen your breath, but you could be trading in your dragon breath for a lagging libido.
Research has found a link between lower circulating or free testosterone levels and peppermint and spearmint. And those lower levels could cause your libido to pull a disappearing act.
If things have turned frigid in the bedroom scale back on the cooling mint and watch your love life heat back up again.
11. Shrimp:
The fresh, bright-pink color of non-organic shrimp might be appealing to your eyes, but it could also be the kiss of death for your love life.
You see, that artificial color which keeps shrimp from turning brown is typically produced using the estrogen-mimicking chemical 4-hexylresorcinol.
Also known as a xenoestrogen, 4-hexylresorcinol is a potential endocrine disruptor, which means it can disturb the way hormones are produced and used by your body.
Buying organic is always the best choice – but with shrimp, it should be your only one.
12. Sugar:
Now everyone knows processed sugars are unhealthy, that’s no surprise. But it turns out they could also be doing a number on your libido.
The reason why is simple. Sugar creates belly fat, which in turn causes your testosterone levels to drop and your estrogen levels to rise. Avoid added sugars, especially belly-fat building high fructose corn syrup, and not only will be end up trimmer, you’ll likely find yourself getting more of a workout in the bedroom.
Are any of these libido-wrecking foods are on your menu?
Don’t panic. Just try eliminating them one at a time until you find out which ones are robbing you of a satisfying love life. And before you know it you’ll be back in the saddle again!
Healthier Talk
We believe that everyone has good ideas about how best to care for our loved ones and ourselves. Many of our contributors are doctors that have spent their life’s work invested in the health and well being of the human body and mind. Some have spent their lives tirelessly researching health and the human body, developing new vitamins and products dedicated to making people healthier.
Others are ordinary people that have natural family cures passed down from generations, or discovered an inexpensive home remedy out of necessity or even by accident.
So Healthier Talk not only offers professional advice and solutions, but also provides much sought after natural family cures and at-home remedies, right at your fingertips!
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