The Brain in Love: 12 Lessons to Enhance Your Love Life (22 page)

Asian ginseng is commonly used to treat sexual dysfunction in men and is available in the United States. Recent lab studies in animals have shown that both Asian and American forms of ginseng enhance libido and sexual performance. The effects of ginseng have several probable causes. There is a direct effect of ginseng on the central nervous system and genital tissues. There is good evidence that ginseng can facilitate erection by directly increasing blood flow to the penis. The effects of ginseng appear to work through the release of nitric oxide (similar to Viagra). Ginseng also affects the brain and has been shown to enhance the activity of neurotransmitters and hormones involved in sexual behavior. Ginseng is considered an adaptogen that enhances physical performance, promotes vitality, and increases resistance to stress and aging. When used appropriately, ginseng appears to be safe. Nevertheless, documented side effects include hypertension, diarrhea, restlessness, and vaginal bleeding. Most published research studies have used a standardized Panax ginseng
extract in a dosage of 200 mg per day. Other sources recommend 0.5 to 2 g of dry root per day on a short-term basis, with the ginseng taken in tea form or chewed. Capsule formulas are generally given in a dosage of 100 to 600 mg per day, usually in divided doses.

The prettiest brains I have seen are those on ginkgo. Ginkgo biloba, from the Chinese ginkgo tree, is a powerful antioxidant that is best known for its ability to enhance circulation, memory, and concentration. The best studied form of ginkgo biloba is a special extract called EGB 761, which has been studied in blood vessel disease, clotting disorders, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease. There are also reports that it enhances sexual function. Many psychiatrists use ginkgo to counteract the sexual side effects of SSRI antidepressant medications. There are many different forms of ginkgo, making dosing confusing. In the United States Ginkoba and Ginkgold (Nature’s Way) are brands that have been compounded to reflect EGB 761. The usual effective dose is 60 to 120 mg twice per day. There is a small risk of bleeding in the body, and the dosages of other blood-thinning agents being taken may sometimes need to be reduced. Before taking supplements, make sure to talk with your doctor.

Yohimbine, extracted from Yohimbine bark, can facilitate erections by stimulating the nervous system and increasing blood flow to the penis. But it is not for everyone. Common side effects include increased heart rate, raised blood pressure, anxiety, and nausea. Available by prescription, Yohimbine should be used under a doctor’s supervision.

L-arginine is a naturally occurring amino acid that is a precursor to nitric oxide. It has been used with some success to enhance sexual function because it is believed to improve blood flow to the genitals. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark reported that in rats L-arginine helped regulate vaginal smooth-muscle tone and also affected blood flow in all areas. L-arginine coupled with yohimbe has been found to make a positive difference in women with low sexual desire. Researchers from
the University of Texas, Austin studied twenty-four women using this combination and found it significantly increased blood flow an hour after they were given these substances.

Sexy Scents

Humorist Dave Barry once wrote, “Of all the human senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, and the feeling that a huge man with a barbecue fork is lurking in the closet—perhaps the least appreciated, yet most important, is our sense of smell.” In treating patients who suffered from loss of the sense of smell, psychiatrist Alan Hirsch, from the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, found that almost 25 percent had also developed sexual dysfunction, suggesting that odor can have a large impact on sexual arousal. Your sense of smell is the strongest of your five senses and highly involved in sexual function, pleasure, and irritation. Scientists discuss the concept of “smell print,” where memories are associated with certain smells. Years later, a smell will vividly cause a person to recall the memory associated with it. Smells are like fingerprints, highly individualized.

The deep limbic brain is involved with our sense of smell and interest in sex. The two go hand in hand. The smell of cooked cinnamon, on the one hand, is a natural aphrodisiac for men. The sex organ in the brain that is responsive to sexual-interest hormones is two and a half times larger in men than in women. When I told my mother about cooked cinnamon, she hit her forehead and said, “That is why I have seven children! He would never leave me alone.” The Lebanese cook with a lot of cinnamon.

Dr. Hirsch has studied many smells associated with sexual interest in both males and females. Measuring penile blood flow, with a device that looked like a small blood pressure cuff, he found that certain scents or combinations of scents activated the erector machinery more than others. The combination scent of lavender and pumpkin pie was at the top of the list, increasing penile blood flow by 40 percent! Other winning scents included doughnut and
black licorice, doughnut and pumpkin pie, doughnut and lavender, orange, cheese pizza, roast beef, and cinnamon buns.

Which ones work for females? To uncover this sweet-smelling piece of information, Dr. Hirsch measured vaginal blood flow with a special monitoring device. Increased vaginal blood flow is a sign of sexual arousal in women, while decreased blood flow is the opposite. He started by measuring the response to men’s colognes. All of them decreased vaginal blood flow. Don’t waste your money.

In my lectures, I ask the audience what scents they think most increase vaginal blood flow and sexual interest. Audience members blurt out some interesting answers, such as sweat, chocolate, vanilla, coffee, strawberry, and freshly minted money. The most interesting audience response came from a stunning, redheaded woman in Atlanta, who, in a very sweet southern accent, said, “The smell of fresh leather from a new Mercedes Benz.” Very few crowds get the answer right. One of the best scents according to Dr. Hirsch’s research was baby powder. “Baby powder!” I hear people in the audience say in amazement. “Why baby powder?”

The brain works through association, which is why certain smells or sounds trigger powerful feelings or memories, such as the smell of fresh baked bread taking you back to the comfort of Grandma’s kitchen when you were a child. What do women associate with baby powder? Freshly diapered, cute little babies. Then, unconsciously, they want one; thus, the increased vaginal blood flow and interest! Dr. Hirsch also found that cucumber, licorice, lavender, and pumpkin pie all increased vaginal blood flow, while the smell of cherries and barbecues had the reverse effect.

Despite Dr. Hirsch’s research, many ancient societies believed perfumes were aphrodisiacs and some new research suggests they may have been right. The Romans and Egyptians used lavish amounts of perfume containing musk. The musk used was from the anal glands of the Ethiopian civet cat. Current research suggests that the scent of musk closely resembles that of testosterone, the hormone that enhances a healthy libido in both men and women.

In scent studies performed at Toho University in Japan,

Professor Shizuo Torii showed the impact of floral and herbal essential oils on the nervous system. Sexual arousal and response is controlled by the two parts of the nervous system: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which prepares us for physical action or emergencies, also called the fight-or-flight system; and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which stimulates relaxation. For those who need to relax in order to get in the mood of sex, the PNS should be dominant, while those who need to be stimulated would do better by enhancing the SNS. Professor Torii found that the PNS was stimulated by the scent of sandalwood, marjoram, lemon, chamomile, and bergamot. The SNS was increased by the scents of jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose, patchouli, peppermint, clove, and bois de rose. Aphrodisiacs need to be tailored to individuals, not large groups. Find the scents most appealing to you. Buy the essential oils of these substances in health food stores and dilute them by putting a few drops into a carrier like olive or canola oil.

Sexy Foods

A romantic meal can put you in the mood for love. The intimacy created by candlelight and soft music is important, but food also plays a starring role in our sexuality. The sweet texture of melted chocolate, the sweet juice and fragrance of an orange, the shape and smell of a cucumber—all stimulate the taste buds and the imagination. Additionally, several societies regard foods like bananas, cucumbers, asparagus, and carrots as erotic stimulants because of their penislike shape. The ancient Aztec name for avocado was
ahuacatl
, or testicle, because of the fruit’s appearance. Virgin girls were forbidden from going outdoors during harvests of avocados. Today, researchers have verified that some of the ancient aphrodisiac foods do in fact contain certain vitamins and minerals that contribute to a healthy reproductive system and perhaps even a healthy libido. Here is a list of several potentially sexy foods.

Almonds (or nuts in general)

Almonds are a major source of essential fatty acids. These are vital as they provide the raw material for a man’s healthy production of hormones and help the brain work better. The smell of almonds has also been reported to arouse passion in females. Almonds enhance phenylethylamine (PEA) production, as does chocolate, to increase brain stem activity, enhancing alertness. Try lighting some almond-scented candles to encourage your partner’s mood and snacking on some (but not too many) yourself to store up energy for your performance. Eat them raw (with no added salt or sweetness), or, crush some fresh almonds and sprinkle them on your salad to get the energy you need.

Apples

Apples have been given as gifts of reverence for years, be it to teachers, friends, or loved ones. They actually belong to the Rose family and have been used in Yuletide rituals to symbolize fertility in nature. Apples not only clean the teeth and inspire the flow of saliva, but they also sweeten the breath, which is always a wonderful stimulus for the foreplay of kissing.

Artichokes

Artichokes contain a substance by the name of cynarin, which helps to strengthen the liver. Artichokes were traditionally used by the French as aphrodisiacs.

Asparagus

Many foods thought to be aphrodisiacs were considered so because of their phallic shape. Asparagus, however, has more than suggestive form. It is rich in vitamin E, a vitamin considered to stimulate production of our sex hormones and that may be essential for a healthy sex life.

Avocado

The Aztecs called the avocado tree
ahuacatl
or “testicle tree.” While avocados can indeed look like that body part, they contain high levels of folic acid, which helps metabolize proteins, thus giving you more energy. They also contain vitamin B
₆
(a nutrient that increases male hormone production) and potassium (which helps regulate a woman’s thyroid gland), two elements that help enhance both male and female libido. In addition, avocados are loaded with phenylethylamines, even more so than chocolate. Plus, they have omega-3 fatty acids that help the brain work better, so you’ll be more likely to get lucky.

Bananas

Bananas contain the bromelain enzyme, which is believed to improve male libido. Additionally, they are good sources of potassium and B vitamins such as riboflavin, which increase the body’s overall energy levels.

Cabbage

Cabbage is wonderful for helping to increase circulation, therefore stimulating sexual energy.

Celery

While it may not be the first food that comes to mind when it comes to sex, celery can be a fantastic source food for sexual stimulation, as it contains androsterone, an odorless hormone released through male perspiration that turns women on.

Chili Peppers

Chilies may heat up your sex life, too, due to capsaicin—the substance that gives kick to peppers, curries, and other spicy foods. Capsaicin stimulates nerve endings to release chemicals, raising
the heart rate, making us sweat, and possibly triggering the release of endorphins, giving you the pleasurable feeling of a natural high that is conducive to love-making.

Chocolate and Cheese

In addition to the silky texture of melted chocolate, this quintessential lovers’ gift contains PEA, considered by some researchers as the “love chemical”—it imparts a feeling of well-being and excitement, like endorphins giving a natural high—and theobromine, a substance very similar to caffeine. Do not give too much chocolate, however. A little helps your partner focus, a lot gives him or her low blood sugar, which may put them to sleep. Cheese actually contains more PEA than chocolate. So order a cheese platter after dinner and see if it gets you both in the mood. If you still prefer chocolate, make it dark rather than milk. It has a much higher cocoa-solids content (and therefore more feel-good chemicals). To get him or her ready for sex in the morning, make your partner cereal with chopped apple and almonds—both have high levels of PEA, which will help get him or her in the mood.

Damiana

Damiana, or wild yam, has a traditional use as an aphrodisiac and chemical analysis shows that it contains chemicals that can increase sensitivity in the genitals. Damiana also has a reputation for inducing erotic dreams, when drunk at bedtime, although it has not been proven in clinical trials.

Eggs

Although not the most sensual of foods, eggs are high in vitamins B
₅
and B
₆
. These help balance hormone levels and fight stress, two things that are crucial to a healthy libido. Eggs are also a symbol of fertility and rebirth. Some people will eat raw chicken eggs just prior to sex to increase their libido and maximize energy levels;
however, please be aware of the possibility of salmonella contamination in uncooked egg products. All bird and fish eggs contain B
₅
and B
₆
.