Aphrodisiacs

Heather Hutchings, Jason Kopp & Ashley Greening

Introduction

Aphrodisiac: an agent such as food or a drug that arouses or is held to arouse sexual desire or something that excites.

Named after Aphrodite 1000’s of years old

History

First aphrodisiac was human body odor

Egyptians and Babylonians used mandrake plant

Cleopatra used aphrodisiacs Greek and Roman rituals Publicly sold potions in ancient Rome

History

Aphrodisiacs a threat to chastity once Roman empire ended

Church banned: Black beans Avocados Chocolate

History Aztec and Incan cultures used

aphrodisiacs for reproductive purposes Used plant and animal substances:

Figs Bananas Chocolate Cocoa bean

Ancient Asia used insects and animal parts

Today’s View Used widely throughout the world,

but Asia thought to be lead consumer Westernized countries see as folklore Scientists continue to study the

effects on the body Foods Herbs Other substances

Allen Hirsch M.D. studied how different smells affect sexual arousal

Types of Aphrodisiacs

100’s of foods, herbs and scents thought to increase sexual desire

Vision, taste and olfactory stimulants Chocolate, oysters and honey oldest

known

Chocolate

Aztecs were the first to link chocolate with sexual desire

Montezuma Aztec Emperor Scientist linked chocolate to

phenylethylamine and serotonin Serotonin linked to sexual arousal Phenylethylamine released when people

fall in love

Oysters Dates back 1000’s of years Casanova ate 50 raw oysters before with

lady of choice Law of similarity Contain high zinc levels necessary for sperm

production High in D-aspartic acid and N-methyl-D-

aspartate which increase testosterone levels Dr. Robert Shmerling “testosterone plays a

bigger role in libido”

Honey Dates back to Medieval times used for mead Ancient Persia celebrated “honey month” Today used to raise sexual desire through

folklore and science Contains nitric oxide which opens blood

vessels 3 ounces of honey increases nitric oxide

level by 50% Contains mineral boron which effects

testosterone metabolism

Herbs

Act through scents, taste and ingestion

Damiana and ginseng most popular in past and present

Damiana

Used in Mexico and Latin America Dates back to Mayan culture, used to

remedy “giddy love” In 1976 found to contain 5-hydroxy-

7,3’,4’-trimethoxy-flavone which thought to act on GABA neuro-receptors and induce relaxation

Stimulates nervous system as well as sexual organs

Ginseng

Widely known to increase sexual health and desire

First mentioned in ancient Indian Medicine

May be remedy for sexual dysfunction

Many believe it looks like a “little man”

Scents

Both natural and synthetic scents are thought to increase sexual desire

Natural scents such as pheromones Synthetic smells such as: jasmine,

vanilla, pumpkin and cranberry

Pheromones Biological signaling scents found in a

persons body odor Three types of sex related pheromones:

steriod, copulins and Major Histocompatibility complex factors

Androstenone (steriod)- initiate mating behaviors

Copulins- communicate metabolic state MHC- used for genetic disimiliarity

MHC

Basic steroid structure

Copulin structure

Synthetic Scents Used in air fresheners, candles, body

sprays and perfumes Jasmine one of most potent scents, thought

to increase sexual desire Called “Queen of the night” in old India Used to stimulate elephants to mate Mentioned in Kama Sutra as a tea Believed to have physiological and

psychological effects Shown to increase spermatozoa and assist in

impotence and frigidity

Conclusion Aphrodisiacs date back to the dawn of

civilizations Medical, religious and psychological purposes,

through both their physiological effect and suggestion of shape

Today however, technological advances and nutrition do not produce the same effect as they did in the past

Scientist have found chemicals in foods, herbs and scents that aid and improve health of sexual reproductive organs

Chemicals mimic neurotransmitters and produce the same affect

Overall they still remain in the realm of folklore

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