What Are The Best Nutrients To Take For Increasing Libido?
Have you noticed that you frequently lack the desire for intimacy? Your partner seems eager and their flirtations are unmistakable. You understand their hints, and your mind is ready to engage, but it seems like your body missed the memo about wanting to "have fun." So what's causing this persistent lack of desire?
Although low libido is a complex issue and can be triggered by various factors, the most prevalent culprits tend to be physical or mental stress, inadequate calorie intake, over-exercising, low body fat percentage, poor sleep, and exposure to environmental pollutants or xenoestrogens. Furthermore, nutritional deficiencies also play a significant role in influencing your libido.
When your body is continuously subjected to any of these stressors, it instinctively prioritizes critical bodily functions to conserve energy. This instinctive response aims at optimizing your body's performance, especially when it perceives that you don't have the energetic capacity or are not in the ideal state of health for procreation. While maintaining a healthy libido is undoubtedly essential for your romantic, dating, or intimate life, it isn't vital for your daily survival. Despite its importance in procreation and pleasure, libido often takes a back seat when your body is focused on managing the effects of stress or energy conservation.
In this context, let's explore some essential nutrients that may be influencing your lack of libido. By understanding these, you might find ways to manage and potentially increase your libido.
Bodily Functions That Could Affect Libido
Low libido, while a complex issue, can often be traced back to various common causes. These can range from physical or emotional stress, inadequate calorie consumption, excessive exercise, and a low body fat percentage, to poor sleep patterns and exposure to toxins such as environmental pollutants or xenoestrogens. Nutrient deficiencies also play a crucial role.
It's entirely logical that under any form of prolonged stress, such as those listed above, your body begins to optimize its operations by prioritizing essential bodily functions. This is done to ensure energy conservation, keeping you functioning as effectively as possible, especially when your body recognizes that your energy capacity is low or that you aren't in the most optimal health condition for procreation. While a healthy libido is undeniably significant for your romantic relationships, dating, and intimate life, it's not a critical factor for your day-to-day functioning. Simply put, aside from procreation and the desire to mate, your libido primarily serves the purpose of pleasure. Understanding this is key in addressing low libido issues, and today we will delve into the essential nutrients that potentially influence your sexual drive.
Essential Nutrients for Libido Boost
In today's discussion, we aim to shed light on some crucial nutrients that might be impacting your decreased libido. Key among these are two minerals that can be easily identified by performing a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA). These minerals play a remarkable role in how your body absorbs and utilizes the other nutrients we are about to discuss, thereby profoundly influencing your libido. Let's venture more deeply into this subject to better understand how these vital nutrients contribute to your sexual health and desire.
Importance and role of Zinc in Libido
Zinc holds immense importance in contributing to the production of testosterone - the hormone which spurs our energy levels and amplifies our sex drive. It has a pivotal role in promoting healthy sperm in men and optimal ovulation in women. Considering that stress is a frequent culprit behind low libido, Zinc also aids in producing neurotransmitters like GABA, serotonin, and dopamine which assist in maintaining a healthy, calm nervous system.
These neurotransmitters are crucial in mood regulation, instigating feelings of joy, and providing a sense of relaxation, thereby reducing anxiety and depression. This might explain why foods abundant in zinc, like oysters, have earned the reputation of being aphrodisiacs. A 2021 study bolstered this understanding. It revealed substantial enhancement in sexual desire, orgasmic capability, satisfaction, vaginal lubrication, and reduced pain during intercourse in postmenopausal women with lower zinc levels who began taking zinc supplements.
If you're experiencing reduced libido and are looking for a suitable zinc supplement, you could consider our product, Upgraded Formulas Zinc. It could be your reliable companion in your journey towards a healthier, more satisfied life.
The Role of Vitamin D in Libido
While commonly referred to as the "sunshine vitamin", the role of vitamin D extends beyond promoting a healthy tan and uplifting mood. It has a multitude of vital functions in the body, among them is enhancing mood and aiding the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin.
Various studies offer compelling evidence linking Vitamin D deficiency to decreased libido in women. Supplementing with vitamin D was seen to increase their arousal and satisfaction levels. On the other hand, a study examined its importance for erectile function. The results concluded that vitamin D profoundly impacts almost all aspects of erectile health, from nitric oxide production and blood flow to hormone production and the activation of androgen receptors. Thus, maintaining an adequate level of vitamin D is critical to a satisfying intimate life.
Importance and Role of Vitamin E in Libido
Vitamin E, also recognized as tocopherols, is a fat-soluble vitamin, similar to vitamin D, that often doesn't receive due spotlight, particularly when discussing hormones. Acting as an antioxidant, vitamin E counteracts harmful free radicals and oxidative stress in the body. It consists of eight core compounds that co-function, splittable into two related categories: tocopherols and tocotrienols- each category having its alpha, beta, gamma, and delta forms.
vitamin E holds numerous benefits that specifically address libido, especially significant for men with blood flow disorders. It facilitates an increase in testosterone levels while preventing the aromatization of testosterone into estrogen in both men and women. A 2012 study titled "Evaluation of vitamin E in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in aged rats" found that male mammals deficient in vitamin E had reduced levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Produced by the pituitary gland, these hormones direct gonadal function. FSH, in particular, influences testosterone levels, and thus libido, and also regulates sperm production. The study revealed that the male rats supplemented with vitamin E had elevated levels of LH, FSH, and testosterone in their testicular tissue and blood plasma.
Moreover, vitamin E also supports female fertility, alleviating estrogen dominance and reducing the risk of iron overload through its natural iron-chelating properties. We also have an article about Iron Overload. You can source vitamin E from foods such as sunflower seeds, avocados, almonds, wheat germ oil, peanuts, and fatty fish. Ensuring adequate vitamin E intake can significantly enhance sexual health and overall well-being.
The Relationship between Magnesium and Libido
Following our mention of Vitamin D, it's essential to note that an indispensable mineral, Magnesium, is required to activate Vitamin D. As an individual nutrient, magnesium plays a central role in regulating libido, and here's why. Magnesium is vital for generating energy - also known as ATP, within each of our cells. In addition, it plays a crucial role in stress reduction. Ensuring adequate magnesium intake is crucial for a healthy stress response from the adrenal glands and the nervous system. If our bodies are persistently under stress or anxiety, the instinct to procreate is naturally not prioritized.
Furthermore, magnesium aids in promoting sleep and recovery, enabling the body to rejuvenate and recover swiftly from stressful encounters or situations. A well-rested body is more likely to have a healthier libido. For anyone interested in supplementing their diet with magnesium, we offer a product called Upgraded Magnesium that may support your overall wellbeing and sexual health.
Effects of Carnitine on Libido
L-Carnitine, widely recognized as carnitine, is not just a conventional amino acid. Contrasting the typical eight essential amino acids that we must obtain through our daily diet, our bodies naturally produce carnitine from protein. Its principal role pertains to energy production at a cellular level, supplying mitochondria with crucial fatty acids needed for energy metamorphosis.
Yet, carnitine is not limited to this singular function. It has been proven to augment testosterone production, indirectly promoting muscle growth and strength. Simultaneously, this amino acid enhances blood circulation, particularly to extremities including the gonads, thereby increasing endurance. If you're concerned about carnitine deficiency, enrich your diet with foods such as red meat, poultry, and fish, which are potent sources of this essential amino acid.
Importance and role of Arginine in Libido
Arginine, a readily available amino acid, is commonly found in red meat, poultry, and seafood. Known for its beneficial effects on both male and female libido, arginine elevates blood flow to the gonads and relaxes muscle contractions, ultimately facilitating the attainment of orgasm.
As arginine raises nitric oxide levels in the bloodstream, blood vessels consequently dilate, heightening sensitivity to pleasurable activities. This process not only intensifies sensations but also bolsters stimulation in areas where we experience the most enjoyment, leading to a more gratifying overall experience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the decline in libido isn't a predicament to be overlooked. Though it might seem like a minor inconvenience initially, long-term low libido can induce frustration, interfere with relationships, and potentially indicate a more critical underlying health issue. Instead of letting the circumstance develop into a more significant issue over time, it is advisable to focus on managing the root causes. Acknowledging the numerous factors impacting your sexual health, including nutritional deficits, is unquestionably a step in the positive direction. Supplementing your diet with essential nutrients that regulate libido - such as zinc, vitamins D and E, magnesium, carnitine, and arginine - can form an integral part of this strategy. With an understanding of how these nutrients affect your sexual health, you are better positioned to address the situation and pave the way for a healthier, gratifying intimate life.
Barbara Madimenos
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis Practitioner
Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner
Integrative Health Coach