Everyone wants to be loved. The desire to be loved and to love is as timeless as the phrase “is as timeless as”. It comes as no surprise then that one constant in the human spirit’s relentless search for knowledge has been the quest for those potions and lotions that will increase sexual desire and performance. Food has been at the forefront of this sexual safari, largely because it is so accessible and partly because it is so sensual. So eager have we and our ancestors been to stoke the fires of passion that we have been willing to consume just about anything to fan the flames of desire. However, among the panoply of touted aphrodisiacs and love enhancers over the centuries, there have been some howling frauds so let us see what we can safely ignore and what might actually be of some use.
The chemistry of desire
The first thing to be clear about in the pursuit of aphrodisiacs is that there are two levels to desire: the mental arousal that creates the scenario for interest in another and the physical arousal that, hopefully, follows.
On a physical level, desire begins when a sight, smell or sound causes signals to be sent from the limbic system of the brain via the nervous system to the pelvic region. These signals tell the blood vessels to dilate. This dilation creates an erection in both men and women. For women, the erectile tissues are found in the clitoris and the region around the vaginal entrance while in men they are found in the penis. After allowing a literal rush of blood, the vessels then close so that those erectile tissues stay erect. This erection is accompanied by a rapid heart rate. At the same time, your brain is releasing hormones and neurotransmitters that tell your body that this is a good and pleasurable thing to be happening.
That is what happens when you are aroused
