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Spicining up your sex life: a goal that has long been pursued by the human species. From strawberries to ginger, to more exotic extracts, aphrodisiacs hold out the promise of an exacerbated libido and increased sexual performance. But how are these love elixirs really worth when tested by modern science ?
Named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, aphrodisiacs have survived the centuries, carried by hopes and fantasies. Today, neurobiology is lifting the veil on the complex mechanisms of desire and pleasure and offers us new keys to understanding these sometimes controversial substances.
The neurological puzzle of desire and pleasure
For about fifty years, scientists have believed they held the key to pleasure with dopamine. This neurotransmitter, at the heart of the brain's reward system, seemed to be the Holy Grail of pleasant sensations. ” We all thought that the dopamine system was pleasure, that activating dopamine would produce pleasure ,” says Kent Berridge, professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Michigan.
However, the reality has proven to be more complex. Dopamine, far from being the architect of pleasure, would rather be its scout. It governs desire, pushing us to seek out pleasant experiences, without making them more pleasant. Pleasure, on the other hand, would be the work of the brain's opioid and endocannabinoid systems. The former is a system of natural neurotransmitters in the brain that plays an essential role in pain management and in producing sensations of pleasure and reward. The second is involved in many physiological functions, including the regulation of appetite, mood, memory, and sleep.
These two systems instead use neurotransmitters that act like “natural heroin” and “natural marijuana ” of our body to function, according to Berridge. This neurological duality explains why the perfect aphrodisiac remains so elusive: it should both arouse desire and increase pleasure, two completely separate brain mechanisms.
From traditional aphrodisiacs to modern molecules
Faced with this biological complexity, what are traditional aphrodisiacs worth?? A meta-analysis of 50 studies published in 2015 paints a rather mixed picture. Some products, such as “mad honey” (containing rhododendron nectar), Spanish fly (Lytta vesicatoria) or yohimbine, present more risks than benefits. In the case of the latter, it can cause manic attacks, insomnia or heart palpitations. Others, such as maca, ginseng or ginkgo, show results that are ” promising in some cases, but not generalizable “.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000The pharmaceutical world, for its part, has seen more concrete advances. Sildenafil, a molecule marketed under the name Viagra, acts as a physiological aphrodisiac by improving penile blood circulation. Its success is undeniable, with nearly 3.5 million prescriptions in the United States in 2022. For women suffering from hypoactive sexual desire disorder, flibanserin and bremelanotide offer promising avenues, although not without side effects.
The delicate balance of desire
In reality, the search for the perfect aphrodisiac comes up against the complexity of our biology. Sexual desire relies on a delicate brain balance, and disrupting it can have unexpected consequences. Dopamine agonists, used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, are a striking example. These molecules can induce hypersexuality in some patients, illustrating the potential dangers of manipulating the brain's reward system.
Research into aphrodisiacs continues, but it raises ethical and medical questions with it. This universality of the pleasure mechanism explains why certain substances can intensify the sexual experience, but also why their use carries risks of addiction.
After thousands of years of research, the perfect aphrodisiac is still a chimera. If science has unraveled some of the mysteries of desire and pleasure, it has also revealed in passing the complexity and delicacy of these mechanisms. The future of aphrodisiacs may lie less in a miracle pill than in a more refined and holistic understanding of our sexuality. Caution is therefore still required when faced with the dazzling promises of certain products and communication within the couple undoubtedly remains the best stimulant. What's more, it's perfectly natural.
- Sexual desire and pleasure are governed by separate brain circuits, making it difficult to create the perfect aphrodisiac.
- Most traditional aphrodisiacs lack solid scientific evidence, while some modern medications show promising but limited effects.
- Manipulating the brain's reward system to stimulate sexual desire carries risks, such as the hypersexuality seen in some Parkinson's patients.
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