If you are not as “in a mood” as you were, do not bother yourself. You can never be alone in it. This happens to almost everyone at one stage or another. Of course, there are many good ways to naturally increase your libido.
Studies reveal that in the United States, about 15% of all the men and 32% of all the women (age 18 to 59) have low sex desire (1). Although the study indicates that emotions contribute most to decreased libido, certain lifestyle (such as insomnia, and after effects of medication), and diet may also lessen your desire.
It is usually a difficult task trying to comprehend what motivates sex drive. However, the levels of hormone play a major role in this situation. This explains why many of the natural cure for low libido is targeted at improving the levels of the hormone.
The hormones androgen, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are the main sex hormone. They influence sexual desire a lot. When one of these hormones are in inadequate amount, this leads to a suppression of sex drive (2).
Testosterone is about the most powerful hormone that influences sex desire (3) and (4) Although testosterone is generally considered a male hormone, women also produce this hormone but only in small amounts in the adrenal glands and ovaries.
Below are some habits that lead to low sexual desire.
- Stress levels
If you are experiencing stress in any area of your life, it can diminish your enthusiasm for life and affect your sexual desire.
Stress negatively affects your sexual desire because it increases your levels of cortisol in your blood. Cortisol is the main hormone that helps to control stress (6). Recent studies have revealed that when the levels of blood cortisol are very high, it can affect or reduce the production of testosterone in both sexes (7)
Since all of your hormones are in close relation, when one does not occur properly as it should, it affects all the other hormones. For example, the body may release cortisol several time in order to respond to stress. This production can result in a lack of communication between all the other hormones and may lead to hormonal imbalance (8)
- Exercise
Exercise also has a profound effect on the levels of your libido. If you engage in over-exercise, chances are that you will experience physical stress, and this will increase cortisol levels. As we have discussed earlier, that is a strong link to low levels of testosterone.
Also, engaging in too much exercise can affect progesterone and estrogen production in women. And studies have revealed that this is strongly linked to the menstrual disorder. (9)
However, moderate physical exertion especially exercises of high intensity is considered to improve the levels of testosterone (10) So the bottom line is this; if you have a very low sexual desire, you need to be exercising at least 40 minutes every day. You may also consider including some levels of high-intensity training to your regimen. Then observe to see if there are any differences.
- You are eating too much processed food.
Whether or not your hormones will be healthy and balanced depends on certain diets like omega-3 fatty acids, Omega-6 fatty acids, fiber and amino acids (11)
Some of these nutrients can only be found in unprocessed foods like fruits and vegetables, and fish. They are never found in junk foods.
Processed foods do not contain nutrients and this can result in nutrient deficiencies when you eat them regularly. The sugars they contain within them can well destroy the balance of your hormone and sexual desires in the future.
For example, let us take refined sugar as a study. Refined sugar is very concentrated, hence it does not contain the necessary nutrients like fiber. This lack of essential nutrients leads to a delay in its release down the bloodstream. So, if you eat refined sugar, the levels of blood sugar rise rapidly.
Indeed, studies have shown that when the levels of the blood sugar are balanced, it leads to menstrual disorder. Also, it may reduce the flow of blood towards the genitals in both sexes (male and female), this may decrease libido (12)
Hydrogenated oils are trans-fat that have the ultimate negative effect on the health of the hormone. These types of fats encourage inflammation inside the body, and this affects the production of the hormone.
- Alcohol intake and smoking
Adding to the effects of processed foods, too much intake of alcohol and excessive smoking may result in nutritional deficiencies.
Regular consumption of alcohol will negatively affect your liver; this will stop the body from actively detoxifying the hormones that are no longer needed by the body.
- Oral Contraceptives
What birth control pills do is that they help to prevent conception by preventing ovulation from occurring. Since the period of ovulation indicates the most fertile period, and also the best time you may want to indulge in sex. Therefore, disrupting this natural occurrence will definitely lead to a suppression of sex drive. About 15% of women have reported a loss of sex drive during birth control (13)
Let us now look at some the ways to naturally increase your libido
Addressing some or all the issues presented above may be the beginning of a more active sex life, however, there are quite a number of effective natural ways to totally improve your sexual desire, and that is what this part of the article will present.
- Consuming foods that actively and naturally increase the level of dopamine.
Recent studies have revealed that the loss of sex drive otherwise known as libido has a strong association with lower dopamine (14)
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter called reward or pleasure because it is released when we are suddenly satisfied. For example, when you suddenly receive a large amount of money.
However, dopamine is incredibly difficult to understand, and scientists have not completely understood the way it works in the body. All we know is that it plays a major role in controlling the positive emotional reactions that may improve your libido.
Dopamine is synthesized by the body from L-tyrosine, which is an amino acid. If you add foods that are rich in this amino acid to your regular diet, you can naturally increase the levels of dopamine. Foods like cocoa powder, almonds, eggs, banana, and avocados are rich in L-tyrosine.
- L-arginine
Arginine can increase your libido by converting it to nitric acid, and this improves the amount of oxygen in the blood and enhances the dilation of the blood vessels (15)
When oxygen is normal, you will be revitalized and this may improve your libido or sexual desire. Also, your erectile function is increased when the levels of nitric oxide are increased.
As matter of fact, recent research found that men who experience erectile dysfunction, took about 5g of nitric oxide a day for a period of six weeks, and they saw a significant reduction in erectile dysfunction (16)
Fortunately, many foods rich in arginine are approved in paleo diets; spinach, chicken, asparagus, broccoli, and chard.
A research was carried out with healthy people who volunteered, and it was revealed that taking arginine supplements had no significant increase in the oxygen content in blood (17)
- Essential Oils
Nutmeg and turmeric are some of the essential oils that increase libido or sexual desire. It was revealed in a study that was carried out in male lab rats that crocin increased sexual desire. At the same time, nutmeg also increased the sex performance of the male rat (18)
Although the effects of these essential oils on the libido of a woman are still not clear, the natural calming scents it provides may help decrease the levels of stress, which in turn improves the libido.
- Aphrodisiac food
You are probably starting to see the fact here; you can have a healthy sex drive when you address the diet you consume.
Foods that contain enough vitamins and minerals are regarded as aphrodisiac foods. Including such vitamins as Vitamin C; which increases the flow of oxygen from the blood to the genitals. Zinc also enhances libido by controlling and improving the production of testosterone.
There are other natural foods that are best aphrodisiacs, such as oysters, arugula, pineapple, figs, chocolate, and watermelon.
Of course, all untreated foods provide the essential nutrients that guarantee improved sexual desire. Therefore, when you look at this discussion from my point of view, you will find that all natural foods provide all the necessary nutrient that encourages a good sex drive.
Body Building or Strength Training
As we have discussed earlier, more intense exercises such as bodybuilding will improve the production of testosterone and thereby improving sexual desires.
Research has revealed that regular strength training has the most important effect on the levels of testosterone. However, testosterone production may be improved after having a bodybuilding session once.
Although strength training increases the libido on a level of physiology, it also helps in weight loss and body fat reduction. This can help you improve on your general confidence both within and outside the bedroom.