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Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Could your diet be ruining your sex life? Nutritionists reveal key foods to avoid - and the ones you should be sticking to instead
Loss of libido is a common problem thought to affect up to 1 in 5 men and 1 in 3 women across the UK. But thankfully, nutritionists have now shared the top foods to avoid to keep your sex life as active as possible - and the produce you should be sticking to instead. Vinny Kodamala, from LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor, and Kerry Beeson, a nutritional therapist from Prep Kitchen, revealed to FEMAIL the best and worst dishes for a low sex drive. Those to avoid included full-fat dairy, red and processed meats and baked goods, such as biscuits, cakes, and pastries. The products can increase high cholesterol, which can negatively impact your sex drive, according to Vinny. Meanwhile, Kerry suggested that the romantic oysters and champagne duo works perfectly as a starter during date night because they do actually have some scientific backing when it comes to being aphrodisiacs. She also suggested incorporating leafy greens and watermelon in your diet for their nitric oxide-boosting properties, which helps to widen blood vessels and aid blood flow around the body, including to the genitals. Read on to find out the food items that can help improve a person's sex drive, according to the nutritionists, and the ingredients to avoid... EAT WHOLE GRAINS & HEALTHY OILS Vinny explained: 'The food we eat plays an important role in maintaining our health. The same goes for sexual health, as eating the recommended amount of fruit, vegetables, and whole grain products can help reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction. 'Some dietary choices can also increase the risk of men getting erectile dysfunction. As erectile dysfunction is related to blood flow, your blood vessels need to be in good health. 'Therefore, eating healthier foods reduces your risk of common vascular problems caused by high cholesterol, high blood sugar, high triglyceride levels, and obesity.' 'Ensuring you're eating a balanced diet with the recommended amount of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains is a brilliant place to start,' continued Vinny. Examples of whole grain products include oats, brown and wild rice, barley and quinoa. Elsewhere, the best fruit and vegetables to eat are produce such as watermelon, pineapple, pomegranates and cucumber. Meanwhile, the expert added: 'Studies have found that a Mediterranean diet involving lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and healthy oils like olive oil, can prevent or improve erectile dysfunction.' AVOID FOODS WITH LOTS OF SATURATED FAT Vinny warned: 'You'll want to avoid foods that contain a lot of saturated fat or raise triglyceride levels such as cakes, pastries and biscuits, as these increase levels of bad cholesterol.' Try to limit your intake of the following: fatty foods, full-fat dairy, sugars, processed and fried food, suggested the expert. Vinny continued: 'Saturated fats tend to come from animal products, though they can also be found in some plant-based foods. These are often referred to as "bad" fats, as consuming too much can lead to increased cholesterol levels.' Top sources of saturated fats are red and processed meats, including beef, lamb, pork, bacon, and ham, milk and cheeses, especially hard cheeses, full-fat milk, and butter as well as baked goods and snacks, such as biscuits, cakes, and pastries. The expert also warned against trans fat, a type of unsaturated fat, that are found in bread, margarine, doughnuts, cakes, and pastries and some fast food products. Vinny explained: 'They typically come from an industrial or artificial source, but they're also found in hydrogenated vegetable oil, a type of cooking oil that can be added to food to prolong its shelf life. 'Like saturated fats, trans fats can raise cholesterol levels in the blood, however, they are considered more damaging.' DITCH FAST FOOD 'Avoid eating large amounts of processed or fast food, as these are often high in fat and sugar, which can contribute to obesity,' warned Vinny. Continuing her advice, the nutritionist said: 'You'll want to avoid foods that can contribute to high blood sugar when eaten in large amounts - such as sugary and highly processed foods. 'While starchy foods like pasta and potatoes can be part of a balanced diet, it's important to enjoy them in moderation and opt for wholegrain or less processed versions where possible.' Meanwhile, Kerry insisted: 'High-fat foods like pizza and deep-fried foods are hard to digest, so you're likely to feel tired and sluggish afterward.' TRY OYSTERS AND CHAMPAGNE Kerry suggested that the romantic oyster and champagne duo works perfectly to help improve a person's sex drive. The nutritional therapist said: 'Oysters contain high levels of zinc, an important mineral for the production of testosterone, a vital hormone for sexual function in both men and women.' Discussing champagne, she continued: 'It's thought to boost nitric oxide production in the body. Nitric oxide helps to widen blood vessels and aid blood flow around the body, including to the genitals. 'However, while alcohol can relax us and may initially encourage libido, as Shakespeare famously said: "It provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance".' DON'T DRINK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL Vinny said: 'While some individuals may mistakenly believe alcohol is an aphrodisiac, excessive alcohol consumption can increase a man's risk of developing erectile dysfunction and can make it worse. 'If you drink regularly and you're experiencing erectile dysfunction, you should try and reduce your intake or give it up to see if this helps.' STICK TO NITRIC OXIDE-BOOSTING FOODS INSTEAD Instead of relying on alcohol to improve libido, Kerry suggested considering these nitric oxide-boosting foods instead, which can be incorporated into meals at home. 'Spinach, kale, and cabbage are rich in nitrates, which your body converts to nitric oxide,' explained the expert. She continued: 'Watermelon contains citrulline, an amino acid that your body converts to arginine and then into nitric oxide.' Kerry also suggested sunlight, saying: 'Did you know that sunlight can be a surprising ally in boosting your libido? 'Along with its role in vitamin D production, sunlight also stimulates the production of nitric oxide.' ENJOY SPICY FOOD 'Using strong flavours and spices can enhance the sensory experience of your meal. Chilis are also a known aphrodisiac - they contain capsaicin, which improves circulation and blood flow,' explained Kerry. She added: 'Beyond nutrients, the way you eat can be just as important in boosting your libido. 'Foods that you might eat with your fingers like asparagus, watermelon, or oysters, can heighten your sensory experience and add to the mood.'
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dietitian Shares The 1 Cooking Oil Rule They Follow For A Healthy Heart
Some people worry that seed oils (like sunflower, peanut, and soybean oil) are bad for us because they contain an omega-6 fatty acid (linoleic acid). But this, experts claim, does not actually cause the inflammation it's accused of creating. Kerry Beeson, a qualified nutritional therapist at Prep Kitchen, previously told HuffPost UK: 'Seed oils are objectively quite healthy, in that they're typically low in saturated fats.' Writing for UC Davis Health, cardiovascular dietitian Margie Junker, who focuses on how our diets affect heart health, shared that she loved flax and peanut oil. 'Liquid plant oils are rich in unsaturated fats, which reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and heart disease risk,' she said. But, she added, she avoids one particular type of fat for cooking. 'I stay away from fats that are hard at room temperature, such as bacon grease, shortening and margarine,' she told the university. According to the World Cancer Research Fund, most cooking fats are higher in saturated fats. 'Too much fat in your diet, especially saturated fats, can raise your cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease,' the NHS added. Other solid cooking fats include ghee, lard, and butter. 'I also avoid tropical oils (coconut, palm, and palm kernel), animal fats (butter and lard), and partially hydrogenated fats,' Junker shared. Coconut oil has some of the highest saturated fat levels of all common cooking oils (86% to butter's 52%). So, while Junker said she 'occasionally' adds coconut oil or butter to a dish for flavour, she chooses not to cook with them. The British Heart Foundation recommends rapeseed oil as their best pick alongside olive oil, while Junker likes avocado oil most. But though some oils and fats are higher in saturated fats than others, fats of any kind should not make up more than 35% of our diet. 'Current UK government guidelines advise cutting down on all fats and replacing saturated fat with some unsaturated fat,' the NHS shared. Combining lower-saturated fats with moderation is key to better heart health. Are Seed Oils Really Bad For You? I Asked A Nutritional Therapist The Only 3 Cooking Oils Mary Berry Says We Need Sorry, Your Essential Oils Are Essentially Useless
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Are Seed Oils Really Bad For You? I Asked A Nutritional Therapist
Those who like to stick to a Mediterranean-style diet will have already heard about the beneficial polyphenols in fresh, high-quality olive oil (though these degrade faster than you might think). But depending on which corner of social media you inhabit, you might have seen quite a lot of claims about the 'bad' effects of seed oils on your health, too. Some people argue that an omega-6 fatty acid (linoleic acid) in seed oils, including canola, sunflower, soybean, grapeseed, safflower, and peanut oil, contributes to inflammation in the body. But some research says that the ingredient, which is found in 'virtually all commonly consumed foods,' does not seem to alter the arachidonic acid levels people suspect it of raising (blamed, arguably inaccurately in this case, for inflammation). Harvard writes that not only does linoleic acid create less arachidonic acid than you may think, but that the supposedly inflammatory acid may be misunderstood; the body turns it into molecules that calm inflammation and fight blood clots, too. So, I was pleased to hear from Kerry Beeson, a qualified nutritional therapist at Prep Kitchen, about her thoughts on the topic. 'Seed oils are objectively quite healthy, in that they're typically low in saturated fats,' the expert shared. They 'contain beneficial nutrients like antioxidants, linolenic acid (an essential omega-6 fatty acid), and some contain small amounts of omega-3,' Beeson added. 'We don't make these fats in the body, so we must obtain them from our diet.' The NHS says that omega-6s, which people say are to blame for inflammation, contain polyunsaturated fats which can help to lower 'bad' LDL cholesterol. While the seed oils are often present in processed foods, which tend to provide little nutritional benefit thanks to high levels of salt and, typically, less fibre and protein, this is not due to the oil in and of itself (though too much fat may be included in some of these products). Some worry that the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3s in our diet, which has shifted towards most of us eating more omega-6s without healthy omega-3s to balance them, gets thrown off further by the consumption of seed oils. But Beeson, the American Heart Association, and Massachusetts General Hospital agree that we don't yet know for sure what an ideal ratio is. And the expert says that eating more omega-3s, which experts agree the majority of us are lacking, is as simple as eating 'oily fish, flaxseeds, chia seeds, or walnuts.' As Harvard Health wrote, 'To improve the ratio of omega-3 fats to omega-6 fats, eat more omega-3s, not fewer omega-6s.' The NHS says that fats (found in all oils, butters, and ghee) are bad for us when eaten in excess. 'Too much fat in your diet, especially saturated fats, can raise your cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease,' they shared. But coconut oil has some of the highest saturated fat levels of all common cooking oils (86% to butter's 52%), while the British Heart Foundation recommends a seed oil (rapeseed) as their best pick alongside olive oil. With that said, fats of any kind should not make up more than 35% of our diet. As Benson wrote, we should 'aim to eat a wide variety of healthy fats in your diet [and] avoid eating lots of processed foods.' Eating enough fruit, vegetables, and oily fish (or other sources of omega-3) will go far, the British Heart Foundation says. New Study Finds The Exact Age Bad Health Habits Catch Up To You Running Got Me Out Of The Worst Mental Health Dip Of My Life – Here's How I Started From Zero 'Fart Walks' May Be The Secret To Healthy Ageing, Doctor Says
