Aphrodisiacs for Valentine's Day

Posting this one day before Valentine's Day might not have been the best timing as some of these herbs/foods may take some time to have an effect.

And everybody knows the best aphrodisiac is found between the ears.

I am not prescribing, I don't own stock, do your own research, (yohimbine may cause spikes in BP, etc.) and here is a place to start.

Please add to this list what works for you.

THE LIST

Yohimbe

Saw palmeto

Horney Goat Weed

Dong Quai

Damiana

Muira Puama

Clavo Huasca

Maca

Catuaba

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginseng

Ashwagandha

Foti

Tongkat Ali

L- Arginine

Oysters

Chocolate


What are your favorites?

Happy Valentine's Day!

CHOCOLATE ! And my best friend... my wife!

oat straw

Oh you people. What about music?

Gimme some Barry White, Al Green, Otis Redding, just to name a few.




And one of the best parts is that they start working about the same time the beat kicks in.

And I suppose there's always a little Nine Inch Nails.


What are some of your favourite musical aphrodisiacs?

-CK

I happen to know my beloved has bought me a floor sander.

I guess I probably shouldn't overthink his thought processes on this...

But hey, it's kinda cute!

Last gift exchange, I made my guy a berry dessert and he gave me magazines for my handgun. It worked well for us. ;)

Music is great too!

'Minds me of the book that came out in 2005:



Some people thought it was a one joke series, but I thought it was sexy as all get out.

hahaha saw palmetto! there are lots of palmettos where i live and once this homeless looking man, sitting on a fence and had gathered some of the fruits yelled at us from across the street "y'all know these berries make yo d!<k hard!?" ...we thought he was crazy, he probably was but it made me laugh to see them on the list. i guess he could be right

Just this week the nurseries started getting spring plants. I bought some thornless raspberries, and then informed Jon about what he got me.

For him I got a selection of local beer.

And we get cake! We’ve been cutting back on gluten so holidays with desert are exciting.

I would like to warn people that Yohimbe (included in the aphrodisiac list) has caused serious health issues for unaware individuals who have used it. Yohimbe bark has a history of use in Africa for potency. However, much of what you find on the market currently is not even the herb Yohimbe and does not contains the active alkaloid yohimbine. Perhaps this is good, since it’s constituent yohimbine can be unsafe for many people to use. The alkaloid, yohimbine, has been used successfully with male erectile dysfunction, orthostatic hypotension and narcolepsy. Although the mechanism is unclear, it appears to work by blocking alpha-2 adrenergic receptors in the brain. In the periphery, yohimbine has been suggested to inhibit alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenoceptors as well as enhancing the release of nitric oxide from cavernosal endothelial cells.
Safety is a big issue with this herb. Case reports of side effects from yohimbe or the alkaloid yohimbine have included progressive kidney failure, lupus-like syndrome and atrial tachycardia which required a cardioversion to stop it, and an erection that necessitated an emergency room visit and insertion of a shunt. From 2000-2006 in the state of California, 238 cases of adverse reactions to yohimbe/yohimbine consumption were reported to Poison Control. The most common issues were gastrointestinal distress, tachycardia, anxiety, agitation and hypertension. I personally have seen a case of atrial tachycardia due to ingestion of Yohimbe that required a cardioversion.
Contraindications: The side effects of the alkaloid yohimbine include high blood pressure, increased heart rate, manic reactions, bronchospasm, palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, shivering, sweating, nausea, flushing and headaches which all can be attributed to its central adrenergic activity. 15-20 milligrams of yohimbine alkaloid can induce hypertension; 12 milligrams can induce a hypertensive crises if taken with tricyclic antidepressants; 10 milligrams can induce mania in bipolar disease; 15milligrams have been associated with bronchospasm. The National Institute of Health also warns consumers about taking yohimbine supplements if they suffer from schizophrenia, anxiety, depression or post traumatic stress disorder. Additionally, they warn consumers about taking yohimbine or Yohimbe supplements with some of the antidepressants and antipsychosis drugs: “People should not combine Yohimbe with monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors as effects may be additive. Yohimbe should be used with caution when taken with medicines for high blood pressure, tricyclic antidepressants, or phenothiazines (a group of medicines used mostly for mental health conditions such as schizophrenia). People with kidney problems and people with psychiatric conditions should not use Yohimbe”.
Personally, I think as a general rule, it is better for most people to simply not use Yohimbe.

I am enough of a curmudgeon to feel that there are probably no truly reliable or even sporadically powerful aphrodisiacs.  But the concept wouldn't exist without our sometimes desiring or needing better sexual health than we have.  On that subject, I am no expert; but I have found useful material for men in herbalist Ryan Drum's Herbs And Men's Health: Some Thoughts And Notes.  In the same article there are also some notions about manhood I do not endorse, and that some might consider to verge on crankery; so as with all complex and interesting texts, it's best read thoughtfully and critically.  Enjoy!

Something is already working out in the field.

Awww, he's just come home with a nice bit of wood for me...

I think that floor's gonna get laid soon!

I've heard cardamom is an aphrodisiac.

I have had good results from saw palmetto, maca, fo-ti and ashwagandha, but not necessarily as “aphrodisiacs”... more like herbals that support the necessary functions that are associated with male performance.
There are drugs that can cause physical arousal, only real aphrodisiac is desire.

Once living armadillidium type woodlice taken as a pill. Half an hour later - zoom zoom.

Time to start planning for Valentine's Day!