By Dr Elenia Kolokotronis ©2024
We often overlook the possibility and importance of how food affects our sexual health – mentally and physically. When we look at the title of this article, we may feel confused as to how an apple, for example, can aid our sexual health or our desire for a more positive experience, and here is how:
The emotional aspect of nutrition on sexual health:
Most of us are not good eaters, meaning that most of what people eat is not considered whole foods or highly nutritious. When we look at the emotional stance of many, the psychological factors at hand, such as stress, insomnia, anxiety, and depression, to name a few contributing factors to emotional issues to contend with, highly affect libido/sexual drive. More often than not, the above is almost always accompanied by bad nutrition that in turn affects male and female hormones, energy levels, body discomforts, and compounding mood and sleep disorders. We can conclude that although eliminating stress from one’s lifestyle is almost impossible, we can see and understand that nutrient-rich foods support hormone functions and brain health, directly affecting and supporting brain health and emotional well-being. Foods known to support positive mood, sleep, and, in turn, sexual desire are foods that include omegas, B vitamins, and antioxidants. Nutrition is crucial in powering the body and mind with energy, function, and support. We cannot have balanced moods, balanced hormones, and, in turn, functioning libido if what fuels our entire beings is null and void foods with no nutritious contents. Poor, inadequate calories or nutrient deficiencies can lead to imbalanced hormones, low moods, low energy levels, fatigue, and reduced libido.
Maintaining a decent, balanced diet full of good, wholesome, and nutrient-dense foods supports overall health, including sexual health and libido. Low libido, erectile dysfunction (ED), sexual function, and arousal or sexual mood have all been studied and researched and have been found to significantly improve and, to some extent, heal due to better nutrition. For example, lacking vital vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, fats, and proteins in the diet can lead to hormone imbalances that can lead to mood disorders, body discomfort, and reduced libido. Emotionally, this can be very stressful and may have a negative knock-on effect on the person experiencing a lack of nutrition for their already struggling sexual health.
The physical aspect of Nutrition on sexual health:
As we covered above, when we eat a chemical, a physical reaction happens in our bodies, and, depending on what we are eating and if it is good or bad for us, we can expect a physical reaction that has ripple effects within us and outwards too. The first physical aspect we all will jump to is the physicality of how we look—are we sexually appealing? Do we feel fat or thin? Are we comfortable in our skin? Has eating badly contributed to excess weight or vast weight gain, and is that a blocking barrier to our desire, libido, and sexual health?
If we take this first aspect that physically causes us so much unrest, let us delve into the inner workings of the actual process of food and sexual health.
When we eat, we are either eating for health or illness. What we eat is either feeding our blood, bones, brain, hormones, and entire beings, or if it is the opposite, it will damage and destroy us. Our hormones are massively affected by food. Female sex hormones are vital for priming our bodies before sexual intercourse, desire and overall intimacy, and sexual wellness. The same goes for men. Testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen—these are all highly vital hormones that run and rule men and women and their sexual health. They are instrumental in sexuality, fertility, menstruation, sperm production, sex drive, and overall bodily function. Sex hormones are also vital for muscle strength and muscle structure. For these hormones to be optimal, our nutrition has to be optimal to feed the organs and bodily system for overall health.
In closing, we contend with many factors that may influence our sexual health and wellness; however, the most vital aspect is that we fully control it and have the complete choice to use it for our health or detriment. Nutrition is the Alpha and the Omega, not only in our sexual health and wellness but in our overall body and mind well-being. So yes, eat that apple. Because now you know why you should.
ASCHP (SA)
SAQA (SA)
Harvard ACCM
ESG (EU) & NARIC (UK)
MEPA (UAE & Middle East)
EST 2010
ELENIA K NUTRITIONS (PTY) LTD
2017/332711/07
