Your Goddess Room

All-Natural Libido Boosters

Pumpkin seeds contain zinc, the ultimate sex mineral. Studies show that women with a greater sex drive have higher levels of testosterone. To increase your testosterone, add zinc to your diet. Zinc blocks the enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen. A quarter-cup serving of pumpkin seeds may do the trick.

For increased arousal, try watermelon. The compounds present in watermelon may have a “Viagra-like” effect, relaxing blood vessels and increasing blood flow. Proper blood flow allows the tissues to become engorged, aroused and lubricated.

L-arginine, an amino acid available in supplement form, may dilate clitoral blood vessels, increasing flow to erogenous zones and helping to improve arousal.  Some foods that have L-Arginine are beans, walnuts, almonds, salmon and soy.

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What do my Hormones have to do with it?
It all starts with physical attraction.  All sorts of desires appear at this time, and they might include hunger or thirst, for example, alongside sexual longing, thanks to the catecholamine’s dopamine and noradrenalin and other neurotransmitters. (Which in some circumstances are considered hormones).

The next hormone that comes directly into play actually affects other people more than it does you.  During foreplay, hormones known as pheromones communicate to your partner through subtle sexual fragrances, arousing sexual desire.  Your partner actually inhales the pheromones (often unconsciously), which are secreted by sweat glands in the armpits and pubic area.

Once desire is aroused, estrogen not only allows for good vaginal lubrication, it also enhances the sense of mutual attraction by stimulating certain neurons on the brain and prompting release of more pheromones.  Studies have shown that women with higher than average estrogen levels report feeling more attracted to images of individuals than are women with low or average level.  Studies in monkeys, which have yet to be repeated in humans, indicate that estrogen works in similar ways in males as well as females.

Sexual desire gently increases as DHEA and especially testosterone stimulate sexual odor and sweat (in both men and women, though DHEA has a stronger effect in women than in men).  Meanwhile, two pituitary hormones, LH and FSH (luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone), compel production of more sex hormones, secreted in greater amounts.  They also stimulate sexual desire in the brain, the most powerful sex organ of all. 

DHEA a hormone made in the adrenals ovaries and brain has been found in a recent study to decrease vaginal dryness, decrease the “I am not in the mood feeling”, and increase orgasm.  We compound these suppositories or cream with great response!  (Get it?)  Remember that postmenopausally we make testosterone from DHEA so this makes sense.  We also make estrogen from DHEA so now it makes double sense that this would work.

Estrogen, progesterone and testosterone all have to be in balance to start the sexual ball rolling. It’s interesting that testosterone peaks mid cycle right at ovulation to make sure the woman is in the mood and producing eggs.  One of my favorite requests is for a topical testosterone booster dose to be used about an hour before sex or during foreplay and applied to the clitoris.  And of course people love our OMG cream which can be applied to the clitoris and penis before or during sex to increase blood flow which increases engorgement so important for response.  So there are lots of alternatives for women with hormonal sensitive cancers, or those who want to try something non-hormonal first.

Once sexual desire is aroused, testosterone stirs things up even more by stimulating fantasies.  During passionate kissing, hugging and other physical contact, more pheromones, derived from DHEA and estrogens, secreted through skin and saliva, arouse desire and enhance pleasure.  More and more cortisol is secreted, supplying energy and enthusiasm and generally getting both partners highly excited.

Vasopressin levels also increase, helping blood accumulate in the penis and clitoris to allow erection, assisted by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (another sometime-hormone), which dilates the blood vessels and makes blood flow into the penis and clitoris.  Testosterone brings on a man’s erection (and eventually ejaculation).  Meanwhile, neurotransmitters like serotonin (which act as a hormone) activate various areas of the brain to provoke erections of the nipples, clitoris and penis.

As both partners hug and caress, giving them over to love play, growth hormone provides physical endurance.  It also encourages a firmer and prolonged erection of both the penis and clitoris.

As excitation peaks, the nerves and adrenal glands secrete noradrenaline (a hormone) that allows for quick reactions to the unexpected, sexually speaking.  Nerves in the tip of the woman’s clitoris communicate directly to the sexual pleasure center of the female brain.  If the clitoral nerves aren’t sensitive enough, or if fear, stress, or guilt interferes with stimulation, the clitoris is stopped cold.  Loss of sensitivity of the vagina, clitoris and nipples to stimulation is a big problem encountered by many women.   Orgasm and ejaculation occur with a sudden discharge of adrenaline, dopamine, and oxytocin.  During orgasm, oxytocin provokes the contraction of the uterus and the muscles of the vagina.  (Oxytocin is also the hormone that signals for the release of milk in nursing mothers, explaining both the similar effect orgasm can have and the pleasant feeling that can occur during breastfeeding).

After orgasm, progesterone intervenes to subdue sexual drive, bringing on a state of serenity, relaxation and a feeling of fullness as well as a certain passivity and drowsiness.  This effect is stronger in women than in men, as women make much more progesterone.  Prolactin is also secreted profusely, encouraging drowsiness and reducing sexual desire, in men and women, although women might secrete more of it.  (Prolactin is the hormone that enables milk production, so it, too, plays a role in milk discharges during and after lovemaking in women who are breastfeeding a baby.)  Prolactin is reinforced by melatonin, which encourages deep sleep after sex.  Endorphins (a type of neurotransmitter) are also released, and while they are famous for their ability to fight pain, here their role is to inhibit sexual desire and make you feel drowsy but good.

And that certain sadness that can take hold of you after all is said and done? That’s thanks to the severe post-orgasm drop in aphrodisiac neurotransmitters and hormones.

Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are key players in the maintenance of body-wide functions such as circulation, nerve transmission, and cell division.  Because of this, it is easy to understand how an imbalance of these hormones can lead to changes in sexual response.  Estrogen-sensitive cells surround our entire network of nerve cells, so a decrease in estradiol levels, the most potent of the estrogens, during perimenopause and menopause, can dampen nerve impulses during sex, which, in turn, can make us less sensitive to touch and vibration.

Since estrogen hormones also increase the flow of blood to sexually sensitive areas, declining levels can slow, and even diminish, the arousal response.  Low levels of estrogen, as well as low testosterone, can cause dryness and thinning of vaginal tissue so that intercourse becomes uncomfortable or downright painful.

It is important to note that estrogen dominance, when progesterone production is inadequate, can block thyroid function, which also negatively affects sex drive.  A normal balance of progesterone calms and stabilizes mood, and supports normal thyroid function, which goes a long way towards enhancing libido.  In addition, very importantly, progesterone is also a precursor of estrogen and testosterone.  Therefore, we need a steady supply to maintain the right levels of these hormones for optimal sexual pleasure.

Testosterone also affects sex drive and though most women do not experience as appreciable a decline as men do in the midlife years, it can still drop to levels low enough to repress sex drive.  In these women, the appropriate amount of supplemental DHEA, the precursor of testosterone, as recommended by their healthcare provider, is often what’s needed to bring levels back up and with it, libido.  However, sometimes the decline in testosterone and hence libido is sudden rather than gradual.  For instance, women who undergo hysterectomy or oophorectomy, with removal of both ovaries, experience a dramatic decrease in testosterone production overnight, and will often need balanced natural hormone replacement to restore libido.  Testosterone levels can also be depleted with chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation.

At Murray Avenue Apothecary we offer comprehensive saliva/blood spot profiles, performed at home that can measure levels of estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol as well as Thyroid hormones, all which can assist in detecting the cause for loss of sex drive or a low libido, and provide a rationale for correcting the imbalance. The combo test kit combines both saliva and blood spot test collection materials in an all-in-one kit, allowing for a single, comprehensive report while providing the best overall value.