List of Foods Having Aphrodisiac Qualities

Apart from satisfying our hunger and taste buds, foods also have fringe benefits to them. Some foods are claimed to be able to increase arousal in both male and female. Here are the theories behind the aphrodisiac potential foods.

Arousal for Men
There are some components in oysters that have aphrodisiac qualities. For one thing, oysters contain varying levels of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that affects the arousal center in our brain. The effect is straight away. Secondly, oysters contain high level of zinc, that is important in raising level of testosterone in men. The effect, though, is not immediate.

Arousal for Women

Parsley and truffles may have aphrodisiac potential, as these food smell like that of androsterone, a pheromone usually responsible for men's musky body smell. This smell can influence arousal in women.

More Arousal
Ginger, cayenne pepper and garlic also can stimulate the arousal centers in the brain. Garlic which has anti-clotting properties can affect libido by increasing blood flow to brain and sex organs.

The smooth texture of chocolate and the cocoa's serotonin creating chemical, tryptophan, contributes to chocolate's aphrodisiac potential.

Happy experimenting potentially aphrodisiac foods! Best served with soft dimmed light or maybe during candlelight dinner. Do share stories of your experiences with these food (^-^)

'Man Boobs' in Young Boys

If you happen to be a fan of lavender and tea tree oils, you may want to watch out and use it carefully if you have boys at home.

New England of Journal Medicine has published a study that suggests these lavender and tea tree oils can cause young boys to grow 'man boobs'. These oils can act in similar way to hormone oestrogen. They can also block male hormones that control both masculine characteristics.

It is indeed very rare for young boys to develop temporary breast enlargements during puberty. However, it does happen to very few unlucky boys. The term for this condition is called prepubertal gynaecomastia.

The case involved the 4-year-old "who was using absolutely nothing on his skin except a lavender oil preparation that his mother had obtained from a homeopath". Her mom always rub his chest and body using lavender oil every night, because she, as we all know too, that lavender has some healing properties. The boy start to develop 'boobs'. It was only several months after stopped using the lavender oil, his breasts returned to normal size.

However, further study should be conducted to determine the prevalence of prepubertal gynaecomastia in boys using products containing lavender and tea tree oils. Until then, personally, I would rather to have my boys stay clear from these oils, and forbid them from using soaps, shampoos, lotions, hair gels or other stuffs containing lavender and tea tree oils.

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For reference
New england journal of medicine: http://content.nejm.org/