Lifestyle

How To Increase Male Libido Safely & Naturally

August 12, 2022

Libido is a term that refers to your sex drive and interest in sexual activity.

It's also a measure of sexual health. A guy's libido is primarily influenced by our sex hormones, but mental health can play a key role too. The most significant of these sex hormones is testosterone, and it plays a critical role in both the sexual and general health of all men.

Along with influencing your libido, testosterone helps distribute fat throughout your body, maintain mass, and regulate the strength and density of your bones and muscles. It also influences the production and quality of your red blood cells and sperm.

Low testosterone levels (a testosterone deficiency) are one cause of decreased sexual desire, low sex drive, and overall reduced libido in men that can interfere with your sex life.

What Causes Low Libido?

One reason that you might experience a drop in sexual interest or loss of libido is due to low sex hormone levels. Fluctuations in your testosterone levels can greatly influence the way that your sex drive changes as you age.

You always have testosterone, from fetal development through adulthood, but your body starts to produce much more testosterone as you enter puberty. As a result of more testosterone, men experience traditionally male physical changes like getting taller, a deeper voice, and growing facial, pubic, and body hair. As your testosterone production continues to rise through puberty, your penis and testicles mature and become fully developed as well.

Your testosterone production will continue to rise even after puberty and reaches its peak sometime in your late 20’s or early 30’s.

After reaching this peak, testosterone production begins to decline by an average of 1.6% each year, according to research.

Although testosterone is the primary factor involved in your sex drive, there are other influencing factors that can play a role in reducing your libido, desire for sex, and sexual satisfaction, including:

Certain drugs. Some medications can have a negative impact on your libido and testosterone production. Some of the common prescription medications that can influence your sex drive include cimetidine, spironolactone, ketoconazole, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), opioids, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, and certain chemotherapy drugs.
Mental health conditions. Depression, anxiety, and stress can reduce the pleasure or desire you experience during sex and might result in a loss of interest in the activity.
Erectile dysfunction (ED). ED is when you have trouble achieving or maintaining an erection firm enough for sex. Losing this ability can lead to a reduced sex drive for fear of not being able to get hard or adequately perform.

Man and woman in bed frustrated

How Can You Boost Your Libido?

Boosting your libido depends on what’s causing your loss in sexual desire.

For example, if low libido is the result of taking certain medications like those listed above, then changing your dose or moving to alternative treatments with the help of a doctor might resolve the issue. If it's caused by underlying medical conditions like high blood pressure, your practitioner can work with you to find a medication that can still help, while ameliorating these symptoms. You can also make lifestyle changes like adding more exercise to your regular routine or cutting out greasy or sugary foods that contribute to metabolic conditions.

If the root cause of your decreased libido is related to a drop in your testosterone production, resolution may require more than lifestyle changes.

One effective treatment for many men is testosterone replacement therapy, which requires a consult by an endocrinologist or physician.

In the meantime, you can try to naturally increase your testosterone and boost libido by trying some of the following:

Eat a Healthier Diet

Your diet plays a significant role in overall health and sexual function. Foods that are high in sugar, sodium, and fat can lead to diabetes and heart disease. Both of these physical conditions have a strong association with erectile dysfunction and can lead to obesity, which has its own links to ED.

Replacing these foods with more vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and low-fat meats like fish can help to improve sexual function and increase your male libido.

Additionally, the following foods are considered aphrodisiacs and are believed to have a positive impact on sexual desire in men:

Avocados, bananas, and figs may help increase blood flow to your penis.
Chocolate promotes the release of phenylamine and serotonin in your brain which can elevate your mood.
Oysters and shellfish contain a lot of zinc which is essential to the production of testosterone.

The takeaway? A healthy lifestyle with a quality diet can support healthy sexual function.

Get More Exercise to Increase Your Libido

Exercise is beneficial to your health in so many ways, helping to correct high cholesterol, high blood pressure, metabolic issues, and cardiovascular conditions as well as drop extra weight that might be impacting your sexual performance. Obesity and diabetes, for example, have been linked to erectile dysfunction, poor mental health, reduced testosterone production, and low libido.

The best exercise for losing weight is typically aerobic exercise, which focus on elevating your breathing and heart rate.

However, be sure to include weight lifting and resistance training in a stellar routine. These types of exercise have been shown to naturally boost the rate of testosterone production in older men.

A Few Herbs for Sex Drive?

There are a few natural supplements available that might be able to help improve your sexual function, though the research isn't conclusive.

For example, goldenrod has long been used as a potential treatment for erectile dysfunction, and ginkgo biloba has been shown to be effective at treating sex-related issues as a result of taking antidepressants. Garlic contains the chemical allicin, which can increase blood flow, possibly even to your penis. Some other herbs to consider for libido include:

Maca
Tribulus
Ginseng
Basil

Cut Out The Terrible Habits

Smoking and alcohol can negatively impact your general health in dozens of ways, but these vices can also lower your testosterone production and cause your libido to drop.

The nicotine in tobacco can reduce the erectile response to sexual stimulation, making it more difficult to become aroused. It’s also a vasoconstrictor, so it can restrict blood flow and increase blood pressure, making it more difficult to achieve an erection.

Alcohol has a similar effect, impairing your nervous system and the neurotransmitters necessary to quality sexual function. This leads to a dulling of physical sensations and a poor response to sexual stimulation. It can also impact the various systems responsible for creating testosterone and prevent them from functioning properly.

Consulting a sex therapist or other professional for counseling is also a great way to get help when it comes to the connection between mental and physical wellbeing and sexual function.

The Takeaway

Your libido may naturally decrease as you get older, but making a few lifestyle changes can help you maintain healthy sexual desire.

Testosterone levels are one factor in libido, and the amount of testosterone that you produce naturally declines as you age.

Eating a healthier diet, getting more exercise, certain supplements, and cutting out bad habits are a few ways that you can naturally boost your testosterone production.

But lifestyle changes might not be enough in all cases.

The physicians at Rex MD have heard thousands of similar stories before and can help you to understand your symptoms and decide whether generic ED meds might be a good solution. If appropriate, your prescription is written online and your meds sent right to your door.