Humans have weaknesses for aphrodisiacs. Why wouldn’t they? A quick fix for arousal just from eating or drinking something? Yes please. While some of us tend to associate aphrodisiacs with adventurous food, such as bull genitalia for example, there are many wholesome options. Like tea!
Plenty of teas can assist you in raising your sexual performance and stamina, and provide with sensory pleasure at the same time! Such herbal blends as cinnamon, ginseng and maca have been studied and proven for their aphrodisiac properties.
So what are you waiting for? Forget about the weird insects, and undrinkable soups, feast your eyes and tastebuds on ten teas that will hopefully improve your life in the bedroom.
Maca
The Peruvian maca root is strong enough to boost your sex drive and sleeping libido. This stuff has been used by the indigenous people of the Andes for thousands of years but recently made a mark in the West thanks to its aphrodisiac potential in both men and women. On top of boosting your sex drive, maca also increases sperm concentration and motility.
As it was deemed so powerful, only the royal court and imperial family could use maca for its aphrodisiac qualities when the Incas controlled the region. It was eventually shipped over to Spain. In turn, Spanish explorers brought the maca root to the American colonies. Reportedly, nine tons of maca root per year were ordered for the colonies.
Ginseng
Ginseng has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine, treating a vast range of ailments. Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) has been known to boost sexual performance more than American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). Studies have also shown that ginseng can increase your energy levels and help to fend off fatigue. More stamina in the bedroom? That’s not something anybody’s going to turn down given half the chance.
Ginseng increases blood flow to the penis and protects against oxidative stress. Countless studies have found that taking this root results in overall better erectile function and general sexual satisfaction. And it isn’t just for men. Women’s libidos and arousal can be boosted from drinking this in tea form.
Ashwagandha
Ayuveda, the traditional healing system native to India, counts ashwagandha among its finest herbs. Largely unknown in the West for centuries, in recent years it has become a popular choice for people wanting to alleviate stress levels in more natural ways, and what’s more natural than a cup of tea?
Ashawagandha increases testosterone levels in men, resulting in a higher libido and fertility rate. Testosterone levels in women remain the same but ashwangandha has been shown to increase their sexual arousal and ability to orgasm. Ashwangandha also helps relax and stimulate our bodies, putting us at ease or gearing us up for a heady night.
Muira Puama
Muira Puama, or the Viagra of the Amazon, is a good herbal remedy for low libido levels that acts in the same vein as ginseng in that it helps increase blood flow to the penis making getting and maintaining an erection a lot easier. In fact, men with erectile dysfunction reported an improvement within a month of drinking a herbal tea containing muira puama, which was a sweet, warm taste.
Women will likely also benefit from drinking herbal tea with muira puama as it’s been linked with an increase in sexual desire and ability to reach orgasm. Like most entries on this list, muira puama also works as an energiser.
Damiana
Damina is a herb sourced from a shrub found in central and South America. It was used by indigenous people to boost sex drive by making it into a tea with leaves of the plant and sugar. It has a sweet, minty, woody flavour with slightly bitter tones.
It went unnoticed by Europeans until they traveled to America and discovered the drink thanks to the Guaycura tribe in Mexico. It then became popular in trading, exporting the drink across the globe. In 1877, it reached the United States and was promoted by Dr. JJ Caldwell who sold the blend as a sexual tonic. Damiana was subsequently put into wafers and other drinks as a result.
Nutmeg
Chances are, you’ve probably never associated this wintery spice usually preserved for cozy coffees, as something to aid you in the bedroom, but studies have proven it as an aphrodisiac, benefiting performance and stamina overall. A good glug of this nutty, sweet, drink could be a quick fix for anyone with a low sex drive.
Nutmeg as a sex booster has been floating around the rumor mill for centuries. In some cultures, women have even been known to eat nutmeg before weddings or other huge events to relax, increase their sexual arousal and promote well-being.
Chocolate
Didn’t know chocolate tea was even a thing? Well, now you do. What’s more, it works as an aphrodisiac! Chocolate contains the chemicals phenylethylamine and serotonin, which are believed to be mood boosters and mild sexual stimulants. Chocolate makes you feel euphoric, and you feel euphoric, you wanna get down.
Chocolate goes way back. In Mayan times, it was used as currency. People would use it to pay for prostitutes. The Aztec ruler Montezuma was said to have consumed as many as 50 cups of cocoa elixir before running on over to his harem for a night of pleasure. Today, it’s known mainly as a tasty treat but its sex-boosting potential hasn’t gone anywhere.
Beets
Beets tea seems pretty antonymous to the erotic, but if you’re willing to chug down a glass or cup of this stuff, the rewards will speak for themselves. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, was said to eat beets to make herself more desirable, and it seemed to work for her!
Beets were also consumed heavily in Ancient Rome and Greece for their sex-boosting properties. It may also be a psychological thing. Beets are pinkish colored, and therefore reminiscent of love. Women in the 19th century also used the juice to colour their lips or cheeks. It’s the boron, natural to beets, that helps boost your sex hormones and increase stamina.
Yohimbine
Studies have shown that yohimbine treats erectile dysfunction, remedy low sex drives in women and eases the sexual side effects of antidepressants, which can be libido killers at the best of times. Reddish in color, expect this brew to have a bitter taste.
It comes from the bark of the Yohimbe tree native to Africa. The yohibine inside the bark is harvested and used to make tea, improving the sexual and athletic performance of those who drink it. It was said to be discovered by the Pygmies and the San in West Africa. Then German missionaries brought it back to Germany, where it was so popular that it was used to make “love candies”, a common gift of the era.
Cinnamon
Made from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree native to Southeast Asia, Cinnamon spice dates back to at least 2700 BCE and is most commonly used as a food flavoring, especially in baking as it adds a unique combination of sweet and spicy in both taste and aroma.
Cinnamon is a source of manganese, a mineral essential to sexual health with has been shown to boost libido. Like ginger and nutmeg, cinnamon increases blood flow and raises body temperature. Some people are said to rub cinnamon oil directly onto their private parts to speed things up, but you’ll probably be just as fine with a relaxing cup of cinnamon tea.