The Facts about Aphrodisiacs

In trying to find sexual success it has been said that everything under the stars, and beyond, is an aphrodisiac. There are many products on the market that say they are the ultimate aphrodisiac, as it can be a potion, a food, a scent, or a device that will increase your sexual desire or help you be a better lover. Whatever claims are made there are no aphrodisiacs that have been shown to actually work.

Some of the things that have been touted as aphrodisiacs are Spanish fly, licorice, chocolate, and oysters. These are just a few of the hundreds of things that are supposed to bring out more sexual desire. But the sexual effects that these things are supposed to give are not based on any scientific fact. Currently there are no over the counter drugs or anything else that can increase a persons sexual desire.

What is a fact is there has been a shortage of studies to the effects of aphrodisiacs. There has been no proof that has shown that such popular aphrodisiacs such as oysters, ginseng, Spanish fly, or chocolate has any reaction sexually within a person. One stumbling block is the placebo effect. It is a fact that our mind is the most powerful aphrodisiac out there. It is hard to study an aphrodisiac because if you tell them they took one the response may lead to a sexual reaction that is not related to the so called aphrodisiac that is being studied.

Considering that psychological complications are not in animals there have not been many studies done on the various effects on certain drugs in the sexual activities of animals. But one drug that has been tested in animals, quite extensively, is yohimbine. Yohimbine can be found in the bark of a certain type of African tree and has been used for hundreds of years in both the West India and Africa because is believed to be an aphrodisiac. Yohimbine is supposed to be a stimulator for the spinal nerve center area that is the cause of erections. But studies in animals can’t be reliable to show how the drug will affect people.

For people the only evidence is only subjective and based on anecdotes. In order to measure sexual stimulation, scientifically, a study with a human body would have to be performed, which would compare a placebo to the aphrodisiac being tested. It would be better that the researcher and the patient did not know who was receiving the test substance. Few studies like these have taken place because of cultural taboos.

Another problem to getting proof of the effect of an aphrodisiac is that it may be the case that a drug may not have effects on a person sexually but can, in fact, change the mood of a person, and because of this be seen as an aphrodisiac. Alcohol is a good example as people drink for reasons such as relieving tension, relaxing, reducing anxiety, to name just a few. Because problems of a sexual nature can be the cause or increase psychological stress that moderate drinking can look like something that enhances a persons sexuality, an aphrodisiac. But alcohol is actually a depressant and can lessen sexual desire if taken excessively.

Basically, there have been no studies that have shown that aphrodisiacs work. Anything taken and that is supposed to be an aphrodisiac and it happens to bring about sexual effect is, more than likely, just a placebo effect. There may be some aphrodisiacs that can help become more sexual or enhance a persons sexual performance, but there have not been any studies that have scientifically proved it.