We have Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, to thank for the word "aphrodisiac" but since time immemorial, people have been in search of foods, formulas and functions meant to stimulate sexual desire and enhance performance.
From ram's testicles mixed with honey to ground rhino horn, the pursuit of aphrodisiacs has been an age-old quest with all the superstition and pseudo-science you could imagine, leading most scientists to dismiss aphrodisiacs as folklore. Until recently that is.
As medical science has given us a greater understanding of human sexuality and our own chemical processes that put us in the mood, research has uncovered how some well-known and not so well-known aphrodisiacs actually work with our body chemistry to lead to arousal and excitement.
To understand how certain foods, scents and even sounds can be aphrodisiacs, it helps to understand the chemical processes behind our sexual urges. It all starts with hormones. While estrogen is responsible for the development and function of female sexual organs, it's testosterone that powers the sex drive in both men and women.
Given the right balance of hormones, sexual stimuli passes to the limbic lobe of the brain, often called the "pleasure center," which sends signals via the nervous system to the pelvic region. Blood vessels in the genitals are prompted to dilate, admitting a rush of blood that inflates both male and female erectile tissues. Then, the vessels close off, preventing blood from flowing out of the area.
The result is an erection and all the other physical signs of sexual excitement. Simultaneously, neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and dopamine are released from the brain, sending messages of pleasure and arousal throughout our bodies.
Age, illness, stress or injury can all affect our body's ability to produce its own aphrodisiacs. When hormone levels drop, libido can lag and sexual dysfunction may develop.
Pharmaceutical "aphrodisiacs" like Viagra and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are a modern response to the desire for desire, but science is uncovering how vitamins and minerals in foods, chemicals in ancient aphrodisiac herbs, and even exercise can initiate the chemical cascade leading to the excitement of sexual desire.
