Mr Loverman.
Arguably, almost as soon as we develop a libido it’s causing us trouble. In your teens and 20s it’s because you can spend your days getting turned on not just by someone you like, but doing your taxes, a Chinese takeout menu or an erotically shaped cloud.
You’ve almost too much get up and go at times. It’s a nice problem to have.
A little later in life however, the opposite is often true. It’s not that you have no interest in bedroom acrobatics … just maybe not as often, for as long, or as intensely. It’s generally accepted that as we age that fire in our bellies (and below) may start to die down a little.
Just because it’s accepted though, doesn’t mean YOU have to accept it.
It’s worth mentioning too that it’s not just older folk that struggle with their spark. There are plenty of reasons, besides aging, why your usual appetites might take a dip at any stage. These include:
Again, if you’ve noticed a downturn in bedroom activity, it’s no reason to panic, lock up the chastity belt and throw away the key. There’s plenty you can do.
Our preferred method for getting your mojo back is naturally stimulating your body’s testosterone output. Not only will it stoke those fires again, it’ll bring many other all-round health and performance benefits.
But if you’re main focus is your love life, there are a few organic supplements known to help with this area particularly.
Here are our top picks to help put any failing libido worries well and truly to bed.
Eurycoma Longfolia is a herb of many names – Longjack and Tongkat ali are a couple of others – but only one real use. You’ll often find in natural testosterone supplements, however most evidence tells us it only raises male hormone slightly in infertile men.
Where it appears to be more successful is in boosting libido and sexual satisfaction.
The benefits where first seen in sexually sluggish rats, but have carried over to an extent in human trials. At least one study showed between an 8% and 10% sent increase in volunteers readiness to go.
That might not sound like much but every little helps and at just between 100-300mg to see an improvement, it’s worth a shot.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19703544
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23243445
Fenugreek is an ingredient with many benefits, including being a natural means of balancing our blood sugar levels. It’s still widely used in cooking, especially Indian cuisine, and is considered an aphrodisiac.
The good news is the research seems to back this up. Fenugreek can really help put us in the mood.
In one study 60 healthy guys between 25 and 52 reported an increase in arousal and libido after six weeks of daily intake.
600mg was the magic number for those lucky fellas so anywhere around that is what you should be aiming for.
Also known as red ginseng, Korean ginseng or Asian ginseng and crucially not to be confused with American Ginseng. This herb has a history of being used in traditional medicine to treat all things bedroom related for dating back thousands of years.
It offers natural benefits for fertility, erection strength and sex drive.
A 2011 scientific review of supposed natural aphrodisiacs by the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada found that Panax Ginseng was one of the few organic options to make good on its rep. So we’re giving it the thumbs up for this list.
100-300mg is typically an active amount.
Usually you’ll hear us talk about this African herb as primarily a fat burner. That can be enough to help your sex life on its own to be honest, but yohimbe brings a little more to the table. Or bed. Or couch. Wherever the mood takes you.
There’s evidence to suggest that yohimbe can help with mild erectile dysfunction (ED) and enhance sexual pleasure.
It does this in the first place by increasing blood flow where you need it most. In the second, by stimulating and boosting adrenaline to nerve endings. That means heightened sensation and more enthusiasm.
It’s worth noting that yohimbe can cause side effects in some people but if you’re okay with it, 5mg – 15mg is a decent amount to try.
Also, as we point out in te fat burner reviews, yohimbe is not allowed to be sold as a supplement in the, it has to be sold in a licensed pharmacy.
You might think ‘spice up your love life’ is just a figure of speech, but when it comes to saffron, you can take it literally. One of the world’s most expensive spices, if it lives up to its stimulating reputation, it just might be worth it.
Along with ginseng, saffron was another natural love potion the 2011 the University of Guelph research review said checks out.
It’s useful here because it contains a compound thought to enhance sexual pleasure.
Saffron contains picrocrocin, a chemical which makes your body more sensitive to the touch. Especially the sexual organs. It stands to reason then that the more you enjoy something, the more motivated you are to do it.
Around 200mg a day should see you right.
Gingko Biloba is another alternative favorite because it can potentially help us in a wealth of ways. It has been known to improve memory, mood, energy and blood flow.
Some evidence also exists that it helps naturally restore libido lost in some through antidepressant use.
Admittedly isn’t our strongest contender for direct firing up of libido, but the multiple other advantages may have knock on positives. For increased blood flow can lead to higher energy and better erections, while any mood boosting effects make you more inclined to want to *ahem* celebrate,
200-250mg is a ballpark dosage if you want to make things happen.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9611693
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15549661
Note: None of these herbal options for our libido should be stacked. Rather it’s better to cycle them one after the other and see which works best for you personally.
These are a few aphrodisacs which you might here mentioned elsewhere but we decided to give a miss for the following reasons.
Maca – Macca may seem as important a part of any libido boosting list as it is to the lineup of The Beatles. True, it does perform in many studies. But the main drawback is the sheer amount needed to get results. Typically you need to take around 1 to 3 grams daily to notice any change.
Spanish Fly – This is the dried remains of a type of green beetle called the Lytta vesicatoria, ground up to powder. The issue here is that the active ingredient in spanish fly is something called cantharadin.
Cathardian it’s now understood is an irritant and blistering agent and can be toxic with prolonged use.
Tribulus Terrestris – You might have seen us trashing the supposed testosterone boosting powers of this plant elsewhere on the site. With good reason. But one area where it may help is libido. The problem again though, like maca, is the sheer amount needed to make a difference. Around 6g daily is the volume most successful in studies.
If you’ve had low libido for a long time, the problem could be with your testosterone levels. The male sex hormone is after all responsible for those kinds of urges. So rather than focusing solely on your libido, it’s smart to take natural steps to boost your T and watch things improve across the board.
Look around the site for the many simple ways you can safely raise your inbuilt T levels with exercise, diet and organic supplements.
Stress and fatigue are also huge mood killers so if you can it’s a great idea to find ways to unwind regularly and make changes to improve your sleep schedule. With any luck this will leave you with just one thing on your mind and plenty of energy to make it happen.
Almost any aspect of your life will be improved by a balanced diet featuring all the vitamins, minerals an nutrients we need to function. However if libido is your top priority then there are a few options we can try upping to stoke the old passion fire.
Dark chocolate, black raspberries, fish, eggs, broccoli, celery and oats are all worth adding to your daily diet.
Processed foods and alcohol on the other hand are best given the swerve. Booze may put get you horny in the short term, but as we all know can damage your ability to perform and libido over time.