GUELPH, Ontario, March 28 (UPI) -- For those looking to spice up their love life, Canadian researchers suggest adding the herb ginseng or the spice saffron to their diet.
Massimo Marcone, a professor at the University of Guelph's department of food science, and master's student John Melnyk, examined hundreds of studies on commonly used natural edible aphrodisiacs to investigate claims of sexual enhancement either psychological and physiological.
The review, published online in the journal Food Research International, found panax ginseng, saffron and yohimbine -- a natural chemical from yohimbe trees in West Africa -- improved human sexual function.
"Currently, conditions such as erectile dysfunction are treated with synthetic drugs, including sildenafil, sold as Viagra, and tadalafil, sold as Cialis," Melnyk, says in a statement. "But these drugs can produce headache, muscle pain and blurred vision, and can have dangerous interactions with other medications. They also do not increase libido, so it doesn't help people experiencing low sex drive."
Alcohol may increase sexual arousal, but it impedes sexual performance, the researchers say.
Nutmeg, cloves, garlic and ginger are among substances linked to increased sexual behaviour in animals, but there is not enough evidence to support the widespread use of these substances as effective aphrodisiacs and more research is needed, the study says.
However, avoid Spanish fly and Bufo toad, they hurt sexual function and can be toxic, the researchers say.
