Loss of libido affects 20 to 40% of menopausal women, but should only be perceived as a problem when it begins to have a negative effect on their relationship or personal well-being. A lot of women find it difficult to cope with their loss of libido during menopause because they enjoy being sexually active and sharing that part of their lives with a partner.
Loss of libido has afflicted people since the beginning of time, so many foods, rituals, herbs, and many other things, including oysters, have served as aphrodisiacs, which are meant to stimulate sexual desire. There is very little scientific evidence backing up most aphrodisiacs, but people tend to use whatever works for them, regardless of the science.
How Can Oysters Increase My Sex Drive?
Oysters are popular because they have been traditionally used as an aphrodisiac, dating back to when the famous lover Casanova ate fifty of them for breakfast every day in 18th century Italy. However, oysters have gained more legitimacy when recent scientific research published that oysters contain unique components that increase the production of sex hormones, and therefore increase sex drive.
Release sexual hormones
The scientific study published explained that D-aspartic acid and N-methyl-D-aspartate, are two amino acids found in high levels in oysters. These two amino acids raise the production of progesterone in women and testosterone in men. This is significant because when the body has higher level of these hormones boosts sex drive in men and women.
High in Zinc
Zinc is believed to be the most effective nutrient in enhancing libido in both women and men. Women need a small amount of testosterone, but during menopause when a woman's hormones become imbalanced, the production of this hormone is disrupted. Zinc is essential for the production of testosterone, and oysters contain high levels of zinc.
Amino acids
Oysters are also a good source of tyrosine which is an amino acid. Amino acids increase dopamine levels to the brain. This is what drives motivation, and plays an important role in stimulating our brain for sexual activity.
Foreplay food
For some, the texture of oysters is enough to get them in the mood, and they include the seafood in seduction methods, or even foreplay. The concept of sucking a raw oyster from her partner's body can be erotically stimulating for some women. It is the oyster's slippery sensation, and the art of sucking that makes this foreplay technique a successful libido booster.
Resemblance to female body parts
Oysters were originally seen as an aphrodisiac because of their resemblance to the genitalia of women.
How Can Oysters Be Enjoyed?
- Raw. This is how they are commonly eaten. Put the oysters on a bed of ice and enjoy with a splash of freshly squeezed lemon or with a spicy sauce of your choice. Suck the oysters from their shells.
- Cooked. The most popular oyster dish in the United States is Oysters Rockefeller. Open the oyster and discard the top shell. Fry some spinach, onion, and bread crumbs and then add Tabasco sauce. Spoon onto the oyster shell and then boil or broil until they are cooked through. Serve hot.
More Information about Loss of Libido
The severity of libido loss depends on several different factors and will vary from woman to woman during menopause. Women should be reassured that this happens to many women and that there are ways to regain libido or lively happily with a lower libido. Follow the link below to find out more about loss of libido.
Sources
- Studd, John. "Loss of Libido and Menopause". The Management of Menopause. Annual Review 1998. Partenon Publishing.
- Channon L.D and Ballinger S.E. "Some Aspects of Sexuality and Vaginal Symptoms during Menopause and their Relation to Anxiety and Depression". British Journal of Medical Psychology. June 1986. 59 (2): 173-80.
- Sarell, Philip, M.D. "Psychosexual effects of menopause: Role of androgens". American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. March 1999. 180: 3S-II.