Best Foods to Eat for Virility
New research shows what a man eats on a regular basis has a significant influence on his virility. Everything from his ability to get an erection and stay hard to sperm quality — even his perceived attractiveness and testicle size can be affected by a man's healthy snack choice. Yowza.
Guys, the secret to a strong sex drive and knock-your-socks-off bedroom performance is in the kitchen. Here's a list of the best foods for virility. The pleasure is all yours.
Coffee
A cup of morning coffee certainly has its, er … perks. Men who consumed between 85 and 170 milligrams of caffeine a day — the equivalent of two to three cups of coffee — were 42 percent less likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED), according to a recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE. Researchers attribute the benefits to caffeine's relaxing effect on the arteries, which improves blood flow to the penis. Make it two cups of joe tomorrow morning. How hard is that?
Carrots
The secret to healthy sperm? Carrots! Or so suggests a study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility that analyzed the effect of various fruit and vegetables on sperm quality discovered carrots had the best all-round results on sperm count and motility — a term used to describe the ability of sperm to swim towards an egg. Men who ate the most carrots saw improved sperm performance by 6.5 to 8 percent. The Harvard researchers attribute the boost to carotenoids, powerful antioxidative compounds in carrots that help the body make vitamin A.
Tomatoes
Double down on the marinara to protect your manhood. Men who eat over 10 servings of tomatoes each week have an 18 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer — the result of lycopene, an antioxidant which fights off toxins that can cause DNA and cell damage — a study in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention found. A previous study found the garden vegetable could also improve sperm morphology (shape); men with the highest tomato intake contributed to between 8 and 10 per cent more 'normal' sperm.
Serrano Chilis
Some like it hot, and the guys that do tend to be more virile, or so suggests a recent study by French researchers. They found that men who eat the most spicy foods tend to have higher testosterone levels than those with milder palates. Study authors attribute the T-boosting effects in part to capsaicin, a compound in chilies that previous research has associated with increased testosterone levels. Seriously spicy serrano peppers are also packed with quercetin, a nutrient shown to boost testosterone levels in the body by reducing the amount that's otherwise flushed out by the kidneys.
Fish
Forget the meet market and the meat market. Men looking to boost their sperm quality should head to the fish counter instead, research suggests. Sperm size and shape — one marker used to evaluate male infertility — was better in men who ate the most white meat fish as compared to men who ate the least, a study published in The Journal of Nutrition showed. And total sperm count was about 34 percent higher among men who ate the most dark meat fish, like salmon and tuna, than men who ate the least amount of fish. Meanwhile, men who reported eating one to three servings of processed meat had worse sperm morphology (shape) than men who ate the fewest servings.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are one of the best dietary sources of zinc and magnesium—essential minerals shown to boost testosterone levels and growth factor hormone, especially when combined. In fact, college football players who took a nightly zinc-magnesium supplement showed a 30 percent increase in testosterone levels and a 13 to 16 percent increase in leg strength, one eight-week trial found. The seeds are also a rich source polyunsaturated fatty acids shown to boost prostaglandins — hormone-like substances that play a key role in libido.
Watermelon
Watermelon just got juicier. Researchers say the summer staple contains an ingredient that can trigger blood vessels to relax much like Viagra does. It's called citrulline, a compound found in both the flesh and rind of the melon that, once ingested, is converted into an amino acid called arginine that's shown to widen the blood vessels and improve circulation. Experts say you'd have eat quite a lot to reap the benefits — at least six slices. But Dr Bhimu Patil of Texas A&M University who led the research believes that the juicy fruit could serve as a novel and natural antidote for erectile dysfunction.
Celery
We couldn't run a list on virility foods without at least one aphrodisiac. And it turns out celery, of all things, is one seriously sexy stalk. "Celery contains the androsterone, a male sex pheromone released through perspiration, which limited research has shown to increase flirty behavior among females," explains registered dietitian Keri Gans, author of The Small Change Diet. Ingesting the androsterone can boost also boost male arousal, and cause a dude's body to send off scents and signals that make him more desirable to women, according to Alan Hirsch, M.D., author of Scentsational Sex. Me-ow. Crudités, s'il vous plait.
Now check out our full report on the 50 Best Foods for Your Penis!
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