The Surprising Way Asparagus Can Benefit Your Love Life

We all have a preconception of what might get us in the mood. The use of certain foods to seduce has been played out in both serious and comedic films — perhaps you even have the proof you need from your own experiences. Plump red strawberries carefully dipped in chocolate, a gleaming silver tray holding oysters on a bed of ice, or a long-stemmed champagne glass filled with a golden, bubbly liquid are all known for setting the mood. But it's unlikely you've heard that the long green vegetable known as asparagus could improve your sex life, too. Wait, what? 

Jennifer R. Berman, M.D., director of the Berman Women's Wellness Center in Beverly Hills, tells Health about how certain foods can liven up what happens between the sheets. "There's a growing body of evidence that some of the vitamins and components in foods can enhance sexual function and sexual experience," she says. And now we may be able to add asparagus to the libido-enhancing list.

So, here's how asparagus could benefit your love life.

Diana Hoppe, an M.D. and author of Healthy Sex Drive, Healthy You: What Your Libido Reveals About Your Life, explains to IVFMD that the high amount of vitamin E in asparagus may increase blood and oxygen flow to the genitals. She goes on to note that the green vegetable also contains high levels of potassium, a mineral that's associated with the production of sex hormones. 

In addition, asparagus is a rich source of folate and vitamin B6, which can increase arousal and improve orgasms. And CBS News reports that asparagus can help increase the chemical neurotransmitter, histamine, a compound that could contribute to a healthy sex drive. 

So the next time you're planning an intimate dinner, consider including asparagus in your spread of strawberries, oysters, and bubbles — you and your partner might just make it a regular addition to your diet.