There’s a lot of debate going on about whether coffee is good or bad for your sex drive. To many people, a high coffee intake can have unfortunate consequences on their health such as palpitations, trouble sleeping, and increased blood sugar levels. To others, however, even just the aroma of coffee beans already stimulates them and improve their mood.
In truth, it really depends on how your body reacts to the caffeine buzz and whether you’ve got any medical or psychological issues going on, as well as how much and what kind of coffee you drink. Here’s why coffee is good for your libido and your sex life.
Coffee Can Boost Testosterone
If you’re looking for a great way to improve your testosterone levels through natural means, just drink coffee. Results of various studies indicate that men who regularly drink coffee tend to have higher testosterone levels than those who don’t drink coffee at all.
And if you’re having problems with your sex drive, a boost in your testosterone levels can do wonders for your libido. Testosterone is essential for regulating your libido and sexual behavior, which is why your sex drive takes a nosedive when your testosterone levels plummet.
Coffee Can Reduce Stress
For coffee lovers, even just the aroma of a freshly brewed cup of coffee can already perk them up. Research also indicates that the smell of coffee can reduce your stress levels and improve your mood.
When you’re stressed, it can dampen your mood for sex. In fact, stress is a known libido killer. To counter the effects of stress, you can simply head to your favorite coffee shop or brew your own cup of joe.
Researchers have also found that coffee intake can help increase women’s libido. So, before you head to the bedroom, you might want to enjoy a cup of coffee with your partner first. Not only will that help set the mood, but it can also give you the energy boost you need for sex.
Coffee Can Improve Erectile Function
Coffee contains two natural compounds that are particularly beneficial for your sexual function. The caffeine that you get whenever you drink coffee can actually help stimulate certain parts of your brain that are involved in sexual arousal. Plus, caffeine also helps increase the flow of blood to your genital parts, which is good news for your erection.
On top of that, coffee also contains nitric oxide, a neurotransmitter that’s important for both dilating your arteries and making your penile smooth muscles relax. When the smooth muscles in the corpora cavernosa of your penis relax, that’s when your penile arteries start to relax and dilate.
This means that if your penile smooth muscles stay contracted, you won’t even begin to have an erection. This is why nitric oxide is so important for your erectile function. Nitric oxide triggers the production and secretion of cGMP, which is the compound that stimulates your penile smooth muscles so that they will start relaxing.
Moreover, nitric oxide also affects the endothelial cells in your blood vessels. When there’s a problem with your endothelium, it can make your blood vessels stiff and constricted, thus resulting in impaired blood flow to your penis. This then leads to problems in initiating an erection.
Boosting Your Libido
When it comes to your sex drive, having healthy testosterone levels is crucial. Thus, if you want to boost your libido, you’ll need to make sure first that you’ve got sufficient levels of testosterone. Not to worry, though, since numerous herb-based remedies are available to help boost your testosterone levels.
Fenugreek is recognized for its aphrodisiac effects, which are mainly due to its testosterone-boosting properties. What fenugreek does for you is that it helps you maintain sufficient levels of free testosterone. That’s because fenugreek blocks the enzyme aromatase from taking your free testosterone.
If aromatase binds with your free testosterone, the enzyme will convert the hormone to estrogen. This conversion process is actually necessary since you also need a little amount of estrogen. However, when there is too much aromatase activities going on, your store of free testosterone can rapidly decline, thus leading to low free and total testosterone levels.
Aside from fenugreek, Tribulus terrestris also exerts inhibitory effects on aromatase. Tribulus terrestris is actually one of the most popular herb-based remedies for various male sexual issues, not just low testosterone levels or low libido.
Tribulus terrestris is extremely beneficial for men suffering from erectile dysfunction. In the past, researchers believed that the pro-erectile effects of Tribulus terrestris were largely due to the herb’s testosterone-boosting effects.
However, recent studies indicate that Tribulus terrestris also has positive effects on your nitric oxide and cGMP levels. Because the herb can affect your sexual function in various ways, Tribulus terrestris is truly exceptional as a sexual performance enhancer.
You can also take Tribulus terrestris in combination with Tongkat Ali, another herb that’s globally popular for its varied positive effects on male sexual function and reproductive health. Plus, Tongkat Ali is also effective as a testosterone booster, which means it also has positive effects on your libido.
Of the many herbs that are known to increase testosterone production, Tongkat Ali is considered one of the most effective. That’s because the herb acts directly on your testicular cells, particularly your Leydig cells.
The Leydig cells inside your testicles are the ones that synthesize testosterone, so by stimulating your Leydig cells, Tongkat Ali makes it possible for you to increase your testosterone production. Of course, with the increase in your testosterone levels, you will also experience a concurrent increase in your sex drive.
The fact that it raises testosterone levels so effectively is one of the reasons why Tongkat Ali is so popular among men. In addition, Tongkat Ali is also great for increasing energy and sexual stamina, as well as improving erectile function.
The Bottom Line
Getting your testosterone levels back up shouldn’t be a problem, as long as you’re living a healthy lifestyle. Of course, drinking coffee regularly, just like taking herbal supplements like fenugreek, Tribulus terrestris, and Tongkat Ali, can also give you that much-needed libido boost.