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Consumer Health: Is chocolate a natural aphrodisiac?
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Do natural aphrodisiacs work?
Many people would say chocolate is delicious and satisfying. But its power as a natural aphrodisiac is less clear. Certain foods and supplements, such as chocolate, spicy food and saw palmetto, sometimes are claimed to affect libido. Research, though, has shown them to be largely ineffective at producing a sexual response in either men or women. Some preliminary evidence is slightly more encouraging for a few natural supplements, such as ginkgo, ginseng and maca, but more research is needed. And other products marketed as natural aphrodisiacs have been found to contain prescription drug ingredients that aren't disclosed on the label and can be dangerous. Learn more from Dr. Brent Bauer, director of Mayo Clinic's Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program.
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