Herbs that Increase Your Libido

A healthy sex drive is vital for building a healthy relationship with your spouse. Your sex drive or libido indicates your health because it reflects your hormonal balance.

Hormones regulate every organ system and process our emotions and mood. Diet and exercise undoubtedly play a vital role in boosting sex drive in females, but there is something more that you can add to your daily diet to enhance libido. These magical, natural substances are ‘herbs.’

Herbs are a gift of nature to humanity. These are filled with different health-promoting compounds. Herbs boost the sex drive and improve hormonal balance in females. They are completely natural and come without any side effects.

Natural Libido Boosters for Woman

Let’s throw some light at how herbs increase your sex drive and rejuvenate your hormones:

Korean Red Ginseng

Ginseng

Korean red ginseng is a traditional and alternative medicine that grows in the cooler climate of the Northern hemisphere.

Studies have reported that KRG improves sexual arousal and eats sexual dysfunctions in women.

This natural herb has estrogenic effects on females. Because estrogen positively impacts sexual desire, it improves sexual function.

Ginseng improves the synthesis of nitric oxide, a vasodilator that improves the blood flow towards the vagina and boosts libido in women.

Besides this, ginseng is a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes the free radicals, which otherwise destroys nitric oxide production. Oxidative stress causes constriction of arteries, which may impair the blood flow towards the vagina. Hence, ginseng may help in lowering the burden of oxidative stress.

One exciting research found an improvement in female sexual function, particularly arousal, after consuming KRG for eight weeks. There was an improvement in more than 40% of women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder and female sexual arousal disorder.

Ginseng is safe to use, and here are some different ways to use ginseng:

• Ginseng is available in the form of capsules and powders.

• Dried ginseng powder can be added to tea, coffee and

Maca Root

Anti-depressant-induced sexual dysfunction is a complication in treating mood and anxiety disorders patients. This affects libido, arousal, and orgasm in females.

Maca is a plant used for nutritional and fertility-enhancing properties. Studies have found that 3 grams of maca root powder per day improved libido in women on anti-depressant medications.

Maca root helps in improving the mood reduces anxiety and depression. Hence, it prevents the primary side-effect of anti-depressant medications, that is, a low sexual desire in women.

Women undergoing treatment for anxiety or depression must add maca root to their diet to eliminate or lower the ill effects of the medications on sexual life.

Low energy levels can sometimes interfere with sexual desire or libido. Maca root possesses anti-fatigue properties, which may help you to pump up your energy levels.

Here’s how you can add maca root to your diet:

• Enjoy the benefits of maca by adding one teaspoon maca powder to a glass of smoothie.

• This nutritious powder can also be sprinkled on a bowl of oatmeal.

• Make a paste of maca powder with organic honey. Have one tablespoon of this paste regularly.

• Maca powder tastes good when added to a cup of hot chocolate.

• Maca can also be added to a pancake mixture or a cookie mixture.

Asparagus Root Powder

Asparagus Root (Shatavari Roots and Powder)

Asparagus Root (Shatavari) is a female tonic that improves that fertility and vitality. In modern Ayurvedic practice, the roots of Shatavari are an effective aphrodisiac.

It is a rejuvenating herb that boosts libido in females. It also helps in solving other problems which may interfere with sexual desire like:

• Asparagus root cures inflammation of the sexual organs.

• It also prevents vaginal dryness and moistens the dry tissues of the female sexual organs.

Low estrogen levels produce stress in the body cause vaginal dryness, which leads to painful intercourse. This results in reduced sexual desire or arousal in females.

Asparagus root possesses estrogenic properties, which help regulate sexual desire and mood in females. Shatavari may also benefit the sex drive in postmenopausal women with low estrogen levels.

How can you consume asparagus root?

• You can add asparagus root powder to a glass of warm water.

• Tincture

• Capsules

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha

Studies have reported that ashwagandha effectively treats female sexual arousal disorder, female orgasmic disorder, and hypoactive sexual desire disorder. These disorders result in reduced libido, dryness in the vagina, reduced arousal, and problems achieving orgasm. Ashwagandha further ameliorates diminished sexual desire in women.

In today’s modern life, chronic stress is the primary cause of sexual dysfunction and poor libido in women. Regular stress women are less motivated towards sexual activities. This further causes sexual arousal difficulties and vaginal pain.

Several studies have confirmed the anti-stress effects of ashwagandha. It reduces cortisol, a stress hormone, which causes stress and sexual dysfunction.

Such an effect of ashwagandha is attributed to the presence of phytochemicals; withanolides lactones.

How can you consume ashwagandha?

• Ashwagandha is available in the market in the form of tablets and powder.

• Ashwagandha powder can also be added to a glass of warm water.

Gingko Biloba

Gingko Biloba is an herb native to China. It facilitates blood flow, influences nitric oxide systems, and has a relaxant effect on smooth muscle cells. These processes are essential to the sexual response in women.

One interesting study found that treatment with ginkgo Biloba effectively treated anti-depressant-induced sexual dysfunction in women. It enhanced sexual desire and arousal and improved vaginal lubrication and orgasm in females.

Inadequate blood flow to the genital region can impair sexual arousal in women. Gingko Biloba enhances the flow of nutrient and oxygen-rich blood towards the genital area. Thus, it lubricates the inner wall of the vagina and enhances sexual arousal mechanisms.

Such an effect of Ginkgo biloba is attributed to healthy plant compounds, flavonoids, and terpenes.

Gingko Gingko Biloba is available in the market in different forms, such as:

• Tablets.

• Extracts.

• Liquids.

• Tea.

• Powder.

Start with small doses of Gingko Biloba. Taking large amounts of this herb may result in nausea, indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and dizziness.

Gingko Biloba is a blood thinner, so make sure you do not take it with other blood thinners and anti-seizure drugs.

Tribulus Terrestris

Tribulus Terrestris is an herb that may safely and effectively improve sexual desire in women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder. It helps treat a variety of sex problems in women, which include:

• Pain during intercourse.

• Satisfaction.

• Orgasm.

• Lubrication.

• Arousal.

After treatment with Tribulus Terrestris, an improvement was observed in the aforementioned aspects.

This herb stimulates the androgen receptors in the brain, which helps the body respond positively to the hormones.

It also boosts nitric oxide production in the body, which is required to improve sexual desire. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator that increases the blood flow towards the vagina. This enhances sexual arousal in women.

Besides this, Tribulus Terrestris positively affects the mood and reduces stress or anxiety, which may otherwise interfere with the sex life and overall performance.

This herb is available in the market in different forms; let’s have a look:

• Tribulus Terrestris

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• tea.

• Capsules.

• Powder.

• Liquid extract.

• It can also be combined with other herbs like ashwagandha.

Note:

All the herbs mentioned above are safe but ask your healthcare provider before starting with any of these herbs.

References

1. Chung, H. S., Hwang, I., Oh, K. J., Lee, M. N., & Park, K. (2015). The Effect of Korean Red Ginseng on Sexual Function in Premenopausal Women: Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Crossover Clinical Trial. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2015, 913158. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4700177/

2. Shin, B. C., Lee, M. S., Yang, E. J., Lim, H. S., & Ernst, E. (2010). Maca (L. meyenii) for improving sexual function: a systematic review. BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 10, 44. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-10-44 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2928177/

3. Sharma, Komal & Bhatnagar, Maheep. (2011). Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari): A Versatile Female Tonic. International Journal of Pharmaceutical & Biological Archives. 2. 855-863. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258448671

4. Dongre, S., Langade, D., & Bhattacharyya, S. (2015). Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Improving Sexual Function in Women: A Pilot Study. BioMed research international, 2015, 284154. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4609357/

5. Meston, C. M., Rellini, A. H., & Telch, M. J. (2008). Short- and long-term effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on sexual dysfunction in women. Archives of sexual behavior, 37(4), 530-47. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2863090/

6. Akhtari, E., Raisi, F., Keshavarz, M., Hosseini, H., Sohrabvand, F., Bioos, S., Kamalinejad, M., … Ghobadi, A. (2014). Tribulus terrestris for treatment of sexual dysfunction in women: randomized, double-blind placebo – controlled Daru : journal of Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, 22(1), 40. doi:10.1186/2008-2231-22-40. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4045980/