There will no doubt be plenty of ‘loving’ going on with it being Valentine’s day, and although Viagra was launched onto the market in 1998 as the new wonder drug for virility, what the makers didn’t realise, it’s actually been around naturally, and has been used for, oh, at least as long as the pyramids. In ancient Egypt, the blue lily was linked to fertility and sexuality. Thanks to a chemical analysis by the Egyptian section of Manchester Museum, it appears there is a scientific reason for this link – the chemical make-up of this plant contains phosphodiesters, the active ingredients of Viagra.
The blue lily wasn’t the only libido-booster used by the ancient Egyptians. Lettuce rated highly and was said to be the favourite food of the fertility god Min. Fennel dates back to Egyptian times as a stimulant as does ginger, pomegranates and radishes mixed with honey. Honey has long been an ancient Viagra and with good reason – it contains boron, which stimulates the sex hormones in both males and females.
The Egyptians were also fond of coriander or pearls dissolved in wine and one I’m not so sure of; apparently baboon faeces were added to enhance aphrodisiac ointments. Perhaps this is because not only was the baboon admired in Egypt for its intelligence but also for its sexual appetite.
Those ancients were a saucy lot and the ancient Egyptians were not alone in their quest of finding virility enhancing substances. Indeed, the father of medicine, Hippocrates and the Greek philosopher Aristotle recommended lentils to help out in the bedroom. Aristotle also apparently advised Alexander the Great to ban his soldiers from drinking mint tea during campaigns because he believed it to be an aphrodisiac. Hippocrates would disagree with Aristotle on this one though, as he believed the frequent eating of mint diluted sperm, hindered erection, and tired the body – either way, probably best not to let soldiers drink mint tea when they are about to go into battle.
A few years later, the Greek historian Plutarch suggested the way to a strong libido was to eat fassolatha (a bean soup and the national dish of Greece). Other ancient Greek libido-boosters include onions, garlic and leeks although one wonders if the partner in bed would agree with this…. however, they were often eaten with other libido-boosters, honey and sesame seeds.
Oysters are renowned for increasing libido, and in a satire written in the 2nd Century AD by the Roman writer Juvenal, he described ‘the wanton ways of women after drinking wine and eating giant oysters’. Another legendary aphrodisiac from ancient Rome which has withstood the test of time are truffles and they are still among the most prized ingredients in the culinary world today.
Moving across Asia, Chinese culture has always regarded sexual activities as very sacred, but it still needs a bit of help from time to time. The appropriately named horny goat weed and ginseng were (and still are!) recommended, and deer antler is another ancient Chinese remedy for sustaining stamina in the bedroom. Liquorice also has its roots in ancient Chinese medicine and it is one for the girls. Apparently chewing on its root is meant to augment one’s lust. Another highly prized aphrodisiac by Chinese women was nutmeg – but be warned, if eaten in quantity, it can have an hallucinogenic effect.
Even the Bible proffers advice and makes mention of the root mandrake for its potent qualities.
Weird, wacky or unusual as they seem, as the analysis of the blue lily shows, under the scrutiny of modern science many of these ancient aphrodisiacs may have chemical stimulants which contribute to maintaining sexual hormone levels and/or sparking neurotransmitters that trigger feelings of love or sexual arousal.
However, maybe baboon faeces aren’t the way to go if you’re on a hot date tonight…..
wadders007 