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A low libido is basically a lack of sex drive and although the problem affects both the sexes it is more common in women, and many women are looking for answers. In pursuit of this, some are asking if fish oil might be able to improve libido.
This is a question for which there isn't a straight forward answer. Put it this way, despite the fact that there is no official literature available that specifically states there is a direct link between taking a daily dose of fish oil and an improved libido, there does appear to be an indirect association.
First of all you can find plenty of people, both men and women, in internet chat rooms and forums who have tried fish oil and claim their libido has improved. These claims are echoed by sex educator Dr Yvonne Kristin Fulbright and environmental consultant Marenna Lindberg.
Dr Fulbright wrote about the benefits of fish oil in an article entitled "Can You Eat Your Way to Better Sex?"
"I'm a big fan of fish oil" she says. "This isn't simply because I'm Icelandic. I take two tablets every morning because there are so many health benefits. So I was delighted when I learned that animal and human studies show that fish oil raises dopamine levels in the brain."
"This neurotransmitter triggers lust. Dopamine can stimulate the release of testosterone, your hormone of sexual desire" wrote Fullbright.
Marenna Lindberg talks about the sexual benefits of taking fish oil in her book "The Orgasmic Diet". She herself suffered from lack of libido and rarely experienced orgasm but after taking lots of fish oil she reckons she's cured.
Lindberg talks of her first hand experience with taking fish oil in her book. "My libido not only picked up, it took off. I became a maniac. My husband was ecstatic!" she said. Now although Lindberg promotes lots of fish oil she also recommends eating a little dark chocolate every day and to stay off the coffee.
According to Lindberg, the improved libido is mostly a result of fish oil increasing the levels of dopamine and serotonin both of which are feel good chemicals released in the brain. She also claims that Fish oil increases the levels of nitric oxide in the arteries which increases blood flow to the brain and to the sexual organs which of course is important for sex.
So what do we know about fish oil that might validate these claims?
- We already know that Fish oil contains Eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA which can improve blood flow and we all know that a healthy blood flow is necessary for a male to be aroused but not many are aware that it's also important for female libido too.
- Taking a daily Omega 3 supplement really can boost levels of Serotonin and Dopamine.
- Fish oil has been clinically proven to alleviate the symptoms of many different types of depression, one of which just happens to be lack of interest in sex.
- It's well known that stress and anxiety can influence libido and as fish oil helps people feel less anxious and to cope better with stress then it could well play a role in improving sex drive.
- We know that Eicosapentaenoic acid can improve brain function and as the brain controls most functions in the body, including what happens when we have sex, then taking EPA fish oil could well influence libido.
The bottom line is that there is no conclusive evidence that fish oil will boost sex drive but because the fatty acids in fish oil have such an impact on both the mind and the body, the chances are you may well be more in the mood for sex if you start taking a daily dose.
