Foods that look harmless could be killing your sex life. Here’s how to identify libido busters
1. Cheese: Most commercial cheeses are made of cow’s milk treated with antibiotics and other growth hormones. Over-consumption of such dairy products will increase the exposure of these toxins (hormones) in your body, interfering with its natural production of hormones, including sex hormones (oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone). This accumulation of xenoestrogens (“bad” oestrogens from the environment and food) could contribute to sexual dysfunction and Coffee mood swings too.
2. Aerated drinks: In a study involving more than 21,000 individuals published in
The New England Journal of Medicine, it was concluded that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages can interfere with genes that affect weight increasing a person’s risk for diabetes. Dental cavities, diabetes, obesity, dehydration, and bone loss are just a few of the negative consequences of drinking too much of this sweet poison. All of these health issues result in poor libido.
3. Artificial sweeteners: If you’re trying to lose weight and are eating diet food that contain artificial sweeteners, chances are you’ve been consuming aspartame. This ingredient can down levels of the hormone serotonin and cause headaches, depression, irritability, anxiety attacks, and insomnia. Serotonin is considered a ‘happy’ hormone and without its sufficient supply, your mood and libido tend to suffer. It is proven that aspartame can affect the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is necessary in proper amounts for normal sexual behaviour. You should stick to small amounts of natural sweeteners like honey and jaggery.
4. Canned food: Canned foods are packed with sodium, substandard products, and artificial additives. Excessive dietary sodium and low potassium intake could lead to high blood pressure, which diminishes blood flow to the sexual organs. During times of arousal, adequate blood flow is necessary to ensure that they function effectively during the act of sex.
5. Crisps and chips: It isn’t trans-fats that you need to be wary of when gorging on potato chips, but most of these are prepared in rancid oils. To add to the woes, they are heated at destructive temperatures. This combination of bad fats with high heat can lead to oxidative damage of the tissues and cells of your bodies, interfering with sex hormone regulation.
6. MSG: Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is used as a food additive in packaged foods and at restaurants to impart a certain flavour and taste profile. Though it may contribute towards taste in some savoury foods, it is known to cause undesirable health effects. Medical experts say, MSG consumption could cause depression, cognitive issues and cardiovascular concerns. Poor brain health and depression can lead to a drop in libido.
7. Coffee: While your morning cup of coffee can boost your mood, habitual coffee drinkers are at risk of harming their adrenal glands, which are responsible for producing certain stress hormones. Over time, if the adrenals’s normal functioning declines, sex hormones in the body are affected.
8. Oils: Likewise, poor quality oils can be bad for those trying to conceive. Dietary fats come in many forms and while some are beneficial, others should be avoided. Poor quality oils such as canola and other processed vegetable oils are prone to oxidation, causing free radicals in the body. Reducing oxidative stress by eliminating these fats is important in protecting a woman’s reproductive system and increasing the ability to conceive.
