Foods for Better Health & Wellness

Kalee Carson

The Shellfish of Love

The famed 18th century lover, Casanova, was known to have eaten 50 of them for breakfast every day. They have topped the list of aphrodisiacs for centuries, and are, even today, on the appetizer list of every lover’s dinner menu. The humble oyster has now been given some credence for its proposed aphrodisiac properties among researchers. American and Italian researchers analyzed bivalve mollusks - a group of shellfish that includes oysters - and found they trigger increased levels of sex hormones.

Historically it was generally believed to be an old wives tale, that eating raw mollusks, oysters in particular, would raise the libido. Men would eat them and feed them to their lovers in the hopes of a passionate night of lovemaking ahead. It has long been known that one of the reasons for the potency is the zinc content.

Oysters are one of the richest dietary sources of zinc, with the red meat of beef and lamb in a close second place. The human body does not store zinc so we need it in our diet on a regular basis. The RDA for men is 11mg and 8mg for women. A mere half dozen oysters provides 33 mgs of zinc, and can go a long way towards boosting sexual libido and increasing sperm motility. In addition to the zinc in oysters, they have also identified 2 very specific amino acids that trigger a chain reaction of hormones that increase testosterone in men and progesterone in women. Increased levels of these hormones mean increases in sexual activity!

Zinc has been found in the content of a man’s sperm and he can lose as much as 5 mg. per ejaculation. It is obvious why it is so important for men to keep their levels up, especially during the childbearing years. This can be especially important for couples who are having difficulties conceiving. It has a large bearing on semen volume and also helps to keep men virile into their later years as well.

Ladies, I haven’t forgotten about you either! Zinc is good for us as well. It blocks the enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen in women and we all know by now that the ladies need a little testosterone to “get that lovin’ feeling” just like the guys, only not quite as much!
Zinc has some other really great health benefits for us that aren’t necessarily related to sexual health. It is really great for the immune system, and if taken at the onset of a cold has been proven to decrease the duration and intensity of the cold. Zinc may help treat and prevent acne, and plays an overall role in general skin health including helping wounds heal faster.
In some more recent studies, zinc has been found to boost the antioxidant mechanism of the liver. People with alcohol related liver damage were found to have low zinc levels. Bringing those levels up, helped reduce the damage.

Zinc helps our bodies to repair muscle damage due to stress and strain. This is where its role in cell building is most evident. Since the body stores the zinc it does have in the muscles for use. It is there that it performs its role as an antioxidant moving free radicals from the muscles that are produced during the intensive training of a work out.

For those of you who are interested, there are a couple of things to remember about adding zinc to our diets, whether it’s to improve our sex lives, or for general health. First of all, don’t try to do it all at once. Try to add foods to your diet that are high in zinc such as:

- Seafood 
- Chicken 
- Beef 
- Lamb 
- Oysters (yes, now you know, oysters really are an aphrodisiac!)
   Also, Mussels and Scallops
- Brown rice 
- Oatmeal 
- Pecans 
- Cashews 
- Peanut butter 
- Cheddar cheese 
- Milk
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Cashews

Work your way up to about 20-25 mg of zinc per day, but not much more than that without the guidance of a physician. There are side effects to overdosing on zinc so be careful, and if you start to experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea you could be experiencing “zinc toxicity”.

Now that we know that the oyster is truly an aphrodisiac and they are abundant at this time of year, especially in cooler waters, it is time to enjoy them!! The next time you are going out to eat, opt for your local seafood restaurant and treat yourself and your loved one!! You’ll be glad you did!!

Until next time, stay healthy!!

Love,
Kalee Carson

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