5 surprising stats about sex drive

Red wine can boost sexual desire

Sexual desire was higher in women who drank red wine moderately, compared to those who drank other alcohol or none, according to a 2009 study from the University of Florence, Italy. It’s believed the antioxidants improve blood flow to erectile tissue, enhancing arousal.

Coffee can boost arousal

Drinking coffee, especially if you don’t drink it regularly, can stimulate the part of the brain that regulates sexual arousal, says a 2005 study from Southwestern University in Texas. The researchers believe caffeine is the reason.

A plant-based diet can improve sexual functioning

Women with metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions including hypertension, abdominal obesity and insulin resistance) experienced overall improvement in sexual functioning after two years on the plant-based Mediterranean diet, according to 2007 research from the Second University of Naples, Italy.

Chocolate can get you in the mood

Chocolate may not directly affect sex hormones, but it does trigger the release of serotonin and other feel-good hormones. “It totally helps us to de-stress and relax,” says Tsang. But limit your intake to two squares daily of good-quality dark chocolate, to keep the calorie count down.

Yogurt can improve sperm count

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that male mice fed yogurt with probiotics had larger testicles-which seemed to give them a certain rodent swagger, since they produced more offspring than mice that were fed a diet of high-fat, low-fibre, low-nutrient foods meant to mimic junk food. Yogurt-eating females had bigger litters and more successful weaning. Bonus: The yogurt eaters had shinier, more luxuriant hair. Which is kind of sexy, even for rodents.

Related:
• 10 reasons why sex is good medicine
• 3 ways to spice up your sex life
• 6 reasons men say no to sex