Pine Nuts or Pinus edulis,nutritional supplement source and good nut for Art of Love!
Contents
Aphrodisiac: Technical Article.:
Any of various forms of stimulation thought to arouse sexual excitement. Aphrodisiacs may be classified in two principal groups: (1) psycho-physiological (visual, tactile, olfactory, aural) and (2) internal (stemming from food, alcoholic drinks, drugs, love potions, medical preparations).
Despite long-standing literary and popular interest in internal aphrodisiacs, almost no scientific studies of them have been made. Scientific research is limited to occasional tests of drugs or hormones for the cure of male impotence. Most writings on the subject are little more than unscientific compilations of traditional or folkloric material. Of the various foods to which aphrodisiac powers are traditionally attributed, fish, vegetables, and spices have been the most popular throughout history. In none of these foods, however, have any chemical agents been identified that could effect a direct physiological reaction upon the genitourinary tract, and it must be concluded that the reputation of various supposedly erotic foods is based not upon fact but upon folklore.
It has been suggested that man's universal attribution of libidinous effects to certain foods originated in the ancient belief in the therapeutic efficacy of signatures: if an object resembled the genitalia, it possessed, so it was reasoned, sexual powers. Thus the legendary aphrodisiac powers of ginseng root and powdered rhinoceros horn.
With the exception of certain drugs such as alcohol or marijuana, which may lead to sexual excitation through disinhibition, modern medical science recognizes a very limited number of aphrodisiacs. These are, principally, cantharides and yohimbine, both of which stimulate sexual arousal by irritating the urinary tract when excreted. Cantharides, or cantharidin, consists of the broken dried remains of the blister beetle (q.v.) Lytta vesicatoria. It has been a traditional sexual stimulant fed to male livestock to facilitate breeding. In humans the substance produces skin blisters on contact, and attempts to ingest it as an aphrodisiac are considered extremely hazardous. Yohimbine is a crystalline alkaloid substance derived from the bark of the yohimbe tree (Corynanthe yohimbe) found in central Africa, where it has been used for centuries to increase sexual powers. Although it has been promoted as an aphrodisiac, most investigators feel that any clinical change in sexual powers after its use is probably due to suggestion, because stimulatory effects are elicited only with toxic doses.
Introduction to How Aphrodisiacs Work:
The "love" industry is booming, in case you hadn't noticed from your e-mail inbox lately. Spammers have hit on aphrodisiacs as a prime seller, and nutritional-supplement manufacturers are getting in on the action as well. What's usually missing is the clinical research to prove these aphrodisiacs?work.
Can certain foods, drugs and scents really increase sexual desire? Millions of people swear they can, but the scientific evidence is still in question.
we'll find out what types of things people believe are aphrodisiacs and whether or not there really is anything to it.
The Basic Idea:
By definition, aphrodisiacs are elements that evoke or stimulate sexual desire. Companies that produce drugs or concoctions that claim to enhance your sex life often mislabel these supplements as aphrodisiacs; in order to be a true aphrodisiac, they have to create desire -- not improve performance and ability. Viagra, for example, is not an aphrodisiac.
The Chemistry of Sexual Desire:
Before we can determine if something works, we have to understand what it would have to do in order to work. In the case of aphrodisiacs: What happens in the body and brain when we are sexually excited? For both men and women, it all boils down to hormones -- specifically testosterone.
Testosterone levels control sexual excitement in both men and women:
In other words, our sex drive is controlled by our hormone levels, with testosterone being the key. If the balance is off, things may not function as they should. When it's right, everything falls into place.
A chain reaction begins when we see, hear, feel, think, touch, smell or otherwise encounter something sexually stimulating. The process looks something like this: First, signals are sent from the limbic lobe of the brain via the nervous system to the pelvic region. These signals tell the blood vessels to dilate. This dilation creates an erection (in both men and women -- the female erectile tissues are found in the clitoris and the region around the vaginal entrance). The vessels then close so those erectile tissues stay erect. This erection is accompanied by rapid heart rate. At the same time, our brains are releasing norepinephrine and dopamine, neurotransmitters that tell our bodies that this is good and pleasurable. (For more about the chemical processes involved with love, read How Love Works.)
If we don't have enough testosterone, then interest in sex can dwindle. Other factors including stress, fatigue and depression can also have a big effect on sexual interest.
What Aphrodisiacs Do:
Experts say that aphrodisiacs can work in two ways: There are those that create sexual desire by working on the mind, and there are those that create desire by affecting parts of the body. For example, something that increases blood flow in the sex organs might simulate the feelings of sexual intercourse and have the effect of creating desire. Likewise, there are things that can make our bodies produce more of the chemicals associated with sexual desire. Something that lowers inhibitions in the mind, such as alcohol or marijuana, might also create (or allow) the desire to have sex. Sometimes, just thinking something is an aphrodisiac makes it appear to work as one.
There are also things that quell desire. These are called anaphrodisiacs.
Research:
Researchers are finding that some foods, herbs and other supplements do stimulate production of hormones or other chemicals that affect our libidos. What they don't know is whether those chemicals are produced in a high enough quantity for us to really notice the difference. There isn't much hard research in the area, primarily because libido is a somewhat difficult thing to study.
According to the FDA, aphrodisiacs have no scientific basis and are simply myth. While this may be true, many people swear by the effects of certain foods, herbs or minerals.
Historical Reasoning:
If it looks like a sex organ, it must do something...
What would make someone think that something like a rhino horn could have any power as an aphrodisiac? Well, for one thing, a rhino horn does bear a resemblance to an erect penis. It's this resemblance to sexual organs that has often made people think they must have some sexual powers. Vegetables such as carrots, asparagus and cucumbers have all been associated with aphrodisiacs, even if their chemical makeup shows no relationship (although some have been shown to have chemical characteristics that could possibly contribute to improved sexual desire).
You are what you eat...
Aside from resemblance to sex organs, people throughout history have made aphrodisiac associations with animals that are known to be virile and prolific reproducers. Rabbits, tigers, goats and bulls, for instance, have reputations for prolific reproduction, strength and/or virility. Historically, people ingested the sex organs of these animals to achieve an aphrodisiac effect and/or to enhance sexual performance. Cave drawings depicted hunters eating the testicles of animals they killed, and the belief is that they hoped to take on the characteristics of that animal.
Aphrodisiac Supplements and What They Claim to Do:
Like the aphrodisiac foods listed on the previous page, some of the aphrodisiac ingredients often found in supplements may have some research to back their claims, but most do not.
Arginine:
Arginine is an amino acid found in meat, nuts, eggs, coconut milk and cheese. It forms nitric oxide in the body, which increases blood flow to the genitals. Arginine, when combined with other supplements, is said to enhance sexual desire in women.
Epimedium:
According to pharmacognosist Albert Leung, Ph.D., and Arkansas herbalist Steven Foster, the epimedium herb has been proven to improve the sexual function of male animals in experiments. It acts somewhat as an androgen (sex hormone) and might stimulate sexual desire in women who are androgen-deficient.
Fennel:
Fennel is reported to increase the libido of both male and female rats. Fennel has compounds that mimic the female hormone estrogen. However, in doses greater than about a teaspoon, it can be toxic!
Ginseng:
Ginseng is another long-touted aphrodisiac. Recently, the Journal of Urology reported, "the Mean International Index of Erectile Function scores were significantly higher in patients treated with Chinese red ginseng than in those who received placebo." In animal studies, ingesting ginseng doesn't appear to have an immediate effect on testosterone levels, but the ginseng may trigger other mechanisms that lead to increased performance and libido.
Rhino horn:
Rhino horn is primarily fibrous tissue with fairly large amounts of calcium and phosphorus. Since low levels of these minerals can lead to weakness and general fatigue, taking large doses of these elements could increase stamina if levels were low to begin with. It's understandable, then, how it could have historically appeared to be an aphrodisiac (in addition to its resemblance to an erect penis). People who didn't have deficiencies of those minerals wouldn't have seen the same affect.
Spanish fly:
Probably one of the most famous aphrodisiacs is Spanish fly. It is made from a beetle that secretes an acid-like juice, called cantharidin, from its leg joints when threatened. Because it would be more difficult to remove just the juice, the entire beetle is dried and crushed to produce the powder. When Spanish fly powder is ingested, the body excretes the cantharidin in the urine. This causes intense irritation and burning in the urogenital tract, which then leads to itching and swelling of the genitals. This swelling and burning was once assumed to be sexual arousal and led to the belief that Spanish fly had aphrodisiac qualities. But cantharidin is highly toxic. The kidneys suffer inflammation as well and can be permanently damaged. Spanish fly can cause severe gastrointestinal disturbances, convulsions and even death.
Yohimbe:
Yohimbe is used both as an herbal aphrodisiac and in a prescription drug used for erectile dysfunction in men. It comes from bark stripped from a West African evergreen tree. Yohimbine, the primary active ingredient of yohimbe, blocks alpha-2 adrenergic receptors and increases dilation of blood vessels, which are both involved in achieving and maintaining an erection. The herbal form of yohimbe can be dangerous if taken in the wrong quantities.
Other Types of Aphrodisiacs:
Scents:
Scents have a powerful affect when it comes to romance. The memory of a scent of a romantic partner can stay with us long after the romance is gone -- so much so that when we run across the scent years later, we're immediately taken back with a flood of feelings and memories. Does that mean that scent is an aphrodisiac?
Photo courtesy Morguefile:
In a way, yes, in that scent can evoke desires:but typically not in an otherwise unwilling partner. For example, Alan R. Hirsch, MD, neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, conducted a study that looked at how different smells stimulated sexual arousal. He found that several scents were effective -- some more than others. The smell of cheese pizza, for instance, increased blood flow to the penis by 5 percent, buttered popcorn by 9 percent, and lavender and pumpkin pie each by 40 percent. For women, lavender and pumpkin pie also had a stimulating effect; however, the smell of Good an d Plenty? (licorice) combined with the scent of cucumber created the greatest increase in blood flow to the vagina.
Human pheromones, which still carry some weight in the field of love research, may actually create sexual interest. The word "pheromone" comes from the Greek words pherein and hormone, meaning "excitement carrier."
In the animal world, pheromones are individual scent "prints" found in urine or sweat that dictate sexual behavior and attract the opposite sex. They help animals identify each other and choose a mate with an immune system different enough from their own to ensure healthy offspring. They have a special organ in their noses called the vomeronasal organ (VNO) that detects this odorless chemical.
Scientists at the Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia and its counterpart in France discovered the existence of human pheromones in 1986. They found these chemicals in human sweat. A human VNO has also been found in some, but not all, people. Even if the VNO isn't present in all of us -- and may not be working in those who do have it -- there is still evidence that smell is an important aspect of love (note the booming perfume industry). Researchers conducted an informal experiment using identical twins. Both twins sat at a bar for an evening, and one of them was sprayed with manufactured pheromones. The result was that the twin who got the pheromone boost was approached three times more often than the twin who didn't.
Music:
Music can set the mood, carry the mood and ruin the mood. What appears to be the most effective element of music is the memory we associate with it. If you have fond memories of slow dancing to a special song with someone you loved in the past, it's a good bet that same song will have an effect on you later in life. After all, the dance is a bit of a mating ritual that most of us have experienced at some point in our lives.
Exercise:
Not only is it good for your health, but it's also good for your sex life. According to Discovery Health, the aphrodisiac qualities of exercise are associated with the endorphins that are released in the brain with vigorous activity -- like the runner's high. Endorphins are those "feel good" chemicals. Other aphrodisiac affects of exercise come from exercises that increase blood flow to the genitals. These exercises position the body in various ways that stimulate blood flow and can improve sexual abilities and desire.
Exercise and building muscle mass usually increases testosterone levels, too, which may be another reason why exercise increases sex drive.
Reference:
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- 1.Pine Nuts or Pinus edulis,nutritional supplement source and good nut for Art of Love!
- 2.Uses of rhino horn. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
- 3.Rhinoceros Trade.World Wildlife Fund.
- 4.Aphrodisiacs:Their Biological Basis.
- 5.Exercise As An Aphrodisiac. Discovery Health.
- 6.Aphrodisiacs Make Better Flirts and Lovers. University of Pennsylvania.
- 7.What Some Scientists are Saying about Supposed Aphrodisiacs. ABC7.com.
- 8.Kamhi, Ellen, PhD RN. Natural Aphrodisiacs.
- 9.The Myth of Spanish Fly.
- 10.Inhibited Sexual Desire in Women.
- 11.Take Two Anchos and Call Me in the Morning: The Medicinal POwer of Chiles.
- 12.The Effects of Odors On Penile Blood Flow.
- 13.Designer Aphrodisiacs.
- 14.Aphrodisiacs:Love Potions or Poisons?
- 15.The Scent of Seduction: How to Use Scent to Your Advantage in the Game of Love
- 16.Plants of Love: The history and aphrodisiacs and a guide to their identification and use," by Christian Ratsch, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA, ISBN: 0-898915-928-8
This article written and edited via herbalist of MDidea Extracts Professional. They run a range of online descriptions about this herb,including general information related and summarized updating discoveries from findings of professional scientisits this field related.Describe style aimed to form a useful detecting literature space where the intertwined threshold and related questions raise out and visualize themselves.
♣ last edit date:21th,Oct.2010.
