Low libido? The fix could be on your fork. "Having the healthiest sex life possible requires having the healthiest body possible, which includes getting enough vitamins and minerals," explains Hilda Hutcherson, M.D., clinical professor of ob-gyn at Columbia University and author of Pleasure. These eats may help put the gleam back in your eye.
| Nutrient | Better-sex Benefit | How much* | Where to get it |
| A | Maintains the health of vaginal tissue and is key for the production of sex hormones | 2,310 IU/day | 1/2 cup cooked carrots (13,418 IU) 1 cup vegetable soup (5,820 IU) 1 cup cantaloupe (5,411 IU) 1 cup fortified skim milk (500 IU) |
| B6 | Creates dopamine -- aka "the desire hormone" in the brain -- and also helps make histamine, a chemical that triggers orgasm | 1.3 mg/day | medium baked potato (.7 mg) medium banana (.68 mg) 1/2 cup garbanzo beans (.57 mg) 1/2 chicken breast (.52 mg) |
| C | Helps make dopamine and norepinephrine, hormones that boost libido and increase sexual pleasure | 75 mg/day | 1/2 1/2 cup red pepper (95 mg) medium kiwi (71 mg) medium orange (70 mg) 1/2 cup strawberries (49 mg) |
| Folate | Boosts energy and increases histamine levels | 400 mcg/day | 1/2 1/2 cup cooked spinach (100 mcg) 3/4 cup 100 percent fortified breakfast cereal (400 mcg) 1/2 cup avocado (45 mcg) 1 slice whole-wheat bread (25 mcg) |
| Iron | Fights fatigue by raising levels of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen to the blood, helping keep energy up | 18 mg/day | 1 cup fortified oatmeal (10 mg) 1 cup lentils (6.6 mg) 6 cooked oysters (4.5 mg) 3 oz lean chuck beef (3.2 mg) |
| Zinc | Zips up production of testosterone, the hormone that gets you in the mood | 8 mg/day | 3 oz beef shanks (8.9 mg) 3 oz pork tenderloin (2.5 mg) 1 cup yogurt (1.6 mg) 1 oz cashews (1.6 mg) |
*RDAs for women who are not pregnant
