Today, for Valentine’s Day, we will talk about human libido and sexual arousal. Everything that we know as aphrodisiacs, can they really help enhance these two aspects of our intimate life? What are aphrodisiacs? They are any food, substance or drug that can potentially increase libido and sexual arousal. Among the best known aphrodisiacs are shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels, etc.), chocolate, strawberry and various spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, saffron and nutmeg. Apart from the latter, there are several foods with aphrodisiac qualities attributed to them, and curiously enough, these resemble in some way human genitalia: cucumber, papaya, eggplants, grapefruits, turnips, carrots, peaches; and there are many others. In addition, some perfume producers would have us believe that various scents are aphrodisiacs. Among them, jasmine, rose, vanilla, ylang ylang and other perfumes and essential oils. And finally, less innocent aphrodisiacs in the form of drugs. Among them there are drugs with scientifically proven efficacy, such as viagra, and many others that do not have scientifically proven aphrodisiac effects. There are some drugs that are not recommended for use because they are not considered safe, such as cantharidin which can cause a long-lasting and painful erection in men, because they can have harmful and even fatal effects. And despite numerous deaths over the years, it continues to be marketed and demanded. So, do they work? As many scientific studies pointed out, aphrodisiacs (in form of food and perfumes) have no effect on our sexual libido and, even if there is any effect, it can only be attributed to placebo. And any over-the-counter medication that claims to be an aphrodisiac cannot be considered safe and effective. In some cases documented and included in these scientific studies, cases of intoxication, cardiac disorders, fainting, nausea, dizziness and, sometimes, even death have been observed after the intake of these drugs with supposed aphrodisiac effects. Apart from that, some drugs and supplements marketed as natural aphrodisiacs may contain substances that require a prescription, but these substances would not appear in the composition of the drug. Very often, sildenafil, the active compound of the Viagra, is found in aphrodisiacs. Sildenafil can be dangerous under certain conditions and in combination with certain medications and therefore should only be sold with a prescription. In addition, there is a risk of overdose because the exact amount of sildenafil present in such aphrodisiacs is unknown. We never know the exact content of the substance used in dietary supplements, because they are not controlled in the same way as pharmaceutical drugs. And, if a certain amount of a certain substance is declared on the package, this does not mean that dietary supplements will actually contain it. As to the highly commercialised perfumes with pheromones, which supposedly make a person more sexually attractive on a chemical level, there is no scientific evidence that there are certain molecules that can make people more sexually attractive. Moreover, humans are not guided by smell when it comes to being attracted to a person, because humans are visual animals, and like many apes, we are guided above all by visual attraction. A little bit about sexual libido To begin with, it is important to establish that libido is not what we normally imagine it to be, it is not a physical reaction. It is the level of sexual tension that we have that is measured above all by the fantasies and thoughts that we have related to sex; it is our sexual desire that does not need to culminate in a sexual act. Libido is not something that we suddenly feel like a wave of passion (a notion that we are used to thanks to Hollywood movies). Actually, sexologists teach us that we must know how to “control” libido consciously. So, if you want to organise a romantic dinner for your partner, know that “aphrodisiac” foods and pleasant aromas can stimulate your libido but only because we choose to work it up consciously, by putting ourselves in a libidinous mood. The “aphrodisiacs”, therefore, have nothing to do with what we feel physically and, of course, they will not have any effect on their own. Keep in mind that there are several reasons why libido can be reduced, but it does not mean that everyone who has a lower libido level has any kind of problem. In sexology, this kind of “problems” is considered normal if it does not cause distress to the person. The state of libido depends on many factors that a person can remedy on their own (by changing their lifestyle and attitude towards sex) or with professional help if it has something to do with physical or mental health problems. If you have a problem that really worries you, you should consult your GP, psychologist or sexologist, and, of course, do not try to solve it with “aphrodisiacs”.

Why do the holidays sometimes not bring the Christmas spirit, but rather bring sadness and even a feeling of depression? The holiday blues can happen for a number of reasons. We tend to expect something special around the holiday season, especially during Christmas time. This might be because since childhood we associate it with miracles and wish fulfilment. This is why we also tend to have very high expectations of these days. This can lead to a holiday blues, as these expectations are often unrealistic. We should try to remember that these are still ordinary days, despite the fact that for most they coincide with holidays. Thus, a person is expecting something special from an ordinary day, for example, he/she is not satisfied with the life he/she leads and hopes that everything will magically change overnight. We often treat the New Years and birthdays, especially anniversaries, as a kind of “deadline” for certain goals we have. It becomes difficult to keep up with them if these goals are unrealistic or abstract, such as “to take care of my physical and mental health”, “to have a professional career”, “to find harmony with myself.” It’s okay to have goals, but it’s very important to make them realistic. And it is also important not to forget to take notice of everything we have actually done and achieved during the year and not concentrate on what we wanted and could not do.On the other hand, social media contributes to the development of unrealistic expectations. Seeing how everyone boasts that they have been very productive all year and have achieved all their goals can negatively affect the mood. All of this can result in feelings of worthlessness, frustration, and eventually lead to holiday blues. One should remember that social media do not represent reality and, what seems ideal, is most likely far from being so. Let’s also remember that in real life, if a friend makes us feel bad, we will usually try to avoid any contact with him/her. Likewise, if we feel bad about some of our subscriptions, we can simply unfollow these people. Additional stress is generated by new burdens added to those we already had: deadlines at work, organisation of parties and vacation planning, alterations in diet and sleep schedule, gifts purchasing… If the latter is added to the already existing financial problems, it can become a real problem. And if we have to spend the holidays in isolation due to COVID or simply because it was impossible to reunite with our family and friends, we can feel alone and depressed, while the media show a reality of jovial holidays that are very different to ours.Let’s remember that holiday are just a couple of days. Don’t be overwhelmed planning the perfect parties with the perfect food, gifts and decorations, but rather think about what is truly important to you these days.

Some people say that alcoholic beverages with different degrees of alcohol should not be mixed when consumed, otherwise the hangover will be worse. On the eve of the holidays we explain why that is not true and how to consume alcohol to minimise its negative effects on the body. Of course, to minimise the harmful effects of alcohol, it is best not to consume it at all, but if you choose to drink during these holidays, the following information may be helpful for you to feel better and to have more fun. First, the degree of hangover depends on whether a person drinks on an empty or full stomach. Alcohol consumed during lunch or dinner will not bring an intoxication and/or hangover as strong as the same quantity of alcohol consumed on an empty stomach. It is also important to drink plenty of water to reduce the negative effects of alcohol. But it is important to note that water is not the same as soda. Carbonated soft drinks cause a faster absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream, so alcohol intoxication takes place more quickly. On the other hand, it is the amount of alcohol consumed that affects the degree of hangover, and not the mixing of drinks with different degrees of alcohol. A person who starts out with a lighter alcohol, such as wine or beer, is more likely to drink less quantity of strong alcohol later compared to a person who starts out with a strong alcohol from the first drink. This is because a person tends to consume more quantity of strong alcohol before feeling drunk than a person who has already had a beer and feels a bit drunk when they start consuming strong alcohol. For example, a person who has four drinks of tequila and then a beer wakes up the next day with more hangover than a person who first drank a beer and then only had two drinks of tequila to feel more drunk. As for the exact amount recommended by health professionals, it is not to exceed 40 g of alcohol per evening for a healthy man and 30 g for a healthy woman. The calculation of the grams of alcohol is made by multiplying the degrees of the drink by the millilitres consumed, and then dividing by 100. For example, 1 litre of beer with 5.5º of alcohol is (5.5º x 1000 ml) / 100 = 55 grams of alcohol. Don’t rush to drink too much alcohol all at once if you don’t feel drunk enough. Give it time to affect your body, otherwise you may feel a sudden and very strong intoxication, which you will no longer be able to control and hence enjoy the party.