Are you struggling to get in the mood? Do you lack the energy to even try? Good chance the problem is your sex drive.
Low libido in men is common and, luckily for you, you can overcome it.
Libido is most commonly associated with sexual activity and sexual desire, but libido can also involve things like general energy levels, motivation, and excitement. Without them, you'll struggle to go at it.
So how to increase libido when your drive is down in the dump? Below I'll point out some of the best libido boosters, so you can start having some fun again! Read on; your partner will thank you...
What causes low libido in men?
Foods that increase libido
Other ways to boost libido
Male libido supplements that increase testosterone
What causes low libido in men?
Low libido can be a difficult problem, especially for young and healthy men who are supposed to be at the peak of their sexual prime.
Low libido can make it difficult for men to maintain their relationships and it can impact other areas of their life as well...
Symptoms of Low Libido
Low libido in men can cause a number of symptoms that can interfere with a man’s quality of life. Below I'll name a few.
Related article: How to arouse a man with a low libido
Low sex drive
Many men who struggle with low libido have a hard time maintaining their sex drive. They're often simply not interested in sexual activity.
This can be especially difficult for men who are in relationships and unable to meet the needs of their partner. If they don't find a way to boost their libido quickly, it might lead to serious relationship problems...
Impaired sexual function
Many men who struggle with low libido may also not be able to perform when they are in the bedroom.
One of the identifying symptoms of low libido is erectile dysfunction - an inability to get or to maintain an erection.
Low energy and motivation
Many men with low libido find that they don’t just lack energy for performing sexually - they have low energy around the clock.
This can make it difficult to complete daily tasks and find the motivation to achieve your goals.
Low Libido Causes
If you notice any of the above problems, you might be concerned about what might be causing your low libido.
There are a lot of causes of low libido, and before learning how to increase libido it’s important to first identify what’s actually wrong.
Hypogonadism / Low Testosterone
When men experience low libido, often their first suspicion is that they have low testosterone levels. Often they might be right, as
low testosterone can influence libido significantly. Let's go through some of the causes.
First, it could be a
medical condition called hypogonadism.
Hypogonadism is a condition in which men are unable to produce the necessary amount of testosterone for them to function properly.
Second, your testosterone might be low due to a range of other reasons.
Common causes are obesity, poor diet, unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking and drinking, or not enough exercise.
Low testosterone is known to cause a number of symptoms that can make life difficult for men, in addition to low libido.
In fact,
many of the symptoms of low libido and low testosterone are similar or identical. Other symptoms include:
- Lack of focus, concentration, or motivation
- Decreased muscle mass or difficulty gaining muscle
- Constant fatigue
- More body fat
If you’re experiencing a number of the above symptoms then you might be struggling with low testosterone. Seeking
natural ways to enhance your testosterone levels could fix your low libido.
However, if you’re not showing other symptoms of low testosterone, your low libido might be caused by something else.
Below, I'll run you through some of the other potential causes for low libido in men.
Medication
There are a lot of medications out there that can lower testosterone or otherwise suppress libido or sexual function. In particular medication dealing with:
- Blood pressure
-
Opioid medications (morphine, fentanyl)
- Chemotherapy medication, corticosteroids, ketoconazole, and cimetidine
- Many antidepressants
- Steroids or other forms of testosterone replacement can lower testosterone production in the long-term
If you’re experiencing symptoms of low testosterone or libido, talk to your doctor about switching medications.
Depression
Depression is a difficult condition to live with that can lead to a loss of motivation and decreased interest in a number of things - including sex.
In fact, many depressed people are known to be unenthusiastic or
uninterested in sexual activity.
Furthermore, antidepressant medications have been shown to reduce sexual desire even further. SNRI and SSRI medications, like Cymbalta or
Prozac, have been shown to be particularly effective at lowering libido.
Disease
There are a lot of diseases and chronic conditions that can negatively affect libido.
If you’re constantly sick or in pain, then there’s no wonder that you’d find less time in your mind to focus on things like sex.
A number of illnesses have been shown to be particularly potent in
suppressing libido, including:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Obesity
- High blood pressure (can interfere with erections)
- High or low cholesterol
- Chronic organ failure
- Sleep Problems
Some studies have revealed that men who
struggle with sleep apnea may not produce as much testosterone as other men.
The link between testosterone and libido suggests that this could create problems with your sexual desire.
Stress
Another one of the most common causes of low libido in men is stress.
Stress can seriously interfere with your hormonal health. Stress causes the body to release more
cortisol, a hormone that is notorious for causing effects that are undesirable to men.
Too much cortisol can also suppress libido.
Diet
Diet influences every aspect of our health and can be very important for maintaining and managing hormonal health.
If you have an unhealthy diet, chances are you will experience low libido - and a host of other symptoms that can make life a bit more uncomfortable.
Below, we have
a list of foods that increase libido.
Foods that increase libido
Knowing that diet is one of the best ways to increase your libido provides a simple option for helping to regain your sexual health.
A
healthy diet, rich in grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, is important for maintaining your general health.
However, a number of foods might be of particular interest if you’re simply wondering how to boost your libido.
Chocolate
Chocolate might not be a good staple for your diet, but it can certainly help to increase libido in the short-term.
Good, organic, dark chocolate (75% or more) contains a number of compounds that are useful for helping to get things going.
One such compound is
theobromine, a sister compound to
caffeine that boosts mood and can work as an aphrodisiac.
The best way to go about this is to find a source of raw, unprocessed cacao beans or cacao powder.
Be careful, though - if you’re used to the heavily processed chocolate they sell in stores, raw chocolate can pack a serious punch. Start small (and, if possible, share some with your partner and see how things go).
Oysters
Oysters are well-known as an aphrodisiac, and current belief holds that this is because they are such a rich source of zinc.
Zinc is necessary for the production of testosterone, and as such is important for anyone who is hoping to maintain their libido.
Suggested read: The link between zinc and testosterone – and how to get more zinc >>
Avocados
Avocados are another food that is known to be an aphrodisiac.
In addition to this, they’re simply great for you - a rich source of vitamin E, vitamin K, and omega-3 fatty acids make avocados a great daily food.
Walnuts
Walnuts are great for you, and they’re also good for your sexual health. Walnuts are believed to increase sperm quality, meaning that they will boost your fertility.
Strawberries and Raspberries
Strawberries and raspberries contain a lot of zinc in their seeds. While they might not contain as much as a tin of oysters, they are certainly more viable options for
vegans who are hoping to boost their zinc levels.
... not to mention the way that strawberries have been used in sexual advertisements for many, many years...
Other ways to boost libido
It’s not just your diet that can help you bump up your libido. Living a healthy lifestyle and following these tips will improve your sexual health.
Male libido supplements
There are a ton of supplements and
herbs that are known to help boost libido. Some of the most popular supplements that can be used solo include:
Yohimbe is a powerful African herb that’s known to function as a stimulant and an aphrodisiac.
This stuff is
very strong and should be used with caution - otherwise, you might find yourself awake with a quick heartbeat and a powerful erection for hours.
Gingko is a powerful herb that’s known to
increase blood flow throughout the
brain and body.
It can promote the health of erections and also reduce anxiety associated with sexual dysfunction.
Something as simple as garlic can work as
a powerful aphrodisiac. As long as your sexual partner doesn’t mind the smell, garlic can provide a serious boost to libido.
Sleep
If you’re not getting enough sleep, chances are you’re not going to be operating at your maximum potential.
This could mean that you’re not producing enough hormones, and this could impact your libido.
Increase Self-Confidence
Poor diet, unhealthy living habits, lack of socialization - all of these things can interfere with your self-image, making it difficult to approach the opposite sex or to find yourself sexually attractive at all.
Focus on your positive traits and remember past experiences in which you accomplished something or surprise yourself with your own behavior in a positive way.
Counseling and therapy can also be extremely helpful for boosting your self-confidence.
Meditation
If you are losing your libido as a result of being too stressed out, something as simple as meditation can help.
Meditation is
a very powerful technique that has been used for millennia to help ground the mind and the body, to reduce stress, and to enhance energy levels and cognition.
What yogis and Buddhists have known for thousands of years is now being proven by science. As a stress reliever, meditation can actually
reduce cortisol levels in the blood.
In turn, this can reduce any symptoms of low libido that are being caused by high cortisol. Meditation might not be the best testosterone booster for libido, but reducing cortisol is just as important.
Male libido supplements that increase testosterone
There are so many male libido supplements out there that it can be hard to choose one that ticks all the boxes. Luckily,
TestoGen does do just that.
TestoGen works in a fairly holistic manner by providing the body with a combination of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and adaptogenic herbal supplements that can
restore libido and boost energy levels by helping the body produce testosterone.
Some of the ingredients include:
- Zinc.
- Vitamin D, important for the synthesis of protein.
-
Panax red ginseng, an adaptogen and libido booster.
- Fenugreek, a seed often used in curry that has been shown to boost libido.
In addition to following a healthy diet and living a healthy lifestyle, supplements like TestoGen can help you
maximize your hormonal health and boost your libido.