By David Blyweiss, M.D.,

July 19, 2013

• This is what makes sparks fly in the bedroom
• Fun foods to get your blood – and libido – pumping
• Make every romantic encounter like the 4th of July

It’s tough when aging starts taking a toll on your sex life. And while you might think it’s only men with erectile dysfunction who worry about bedroom performance, that’s just not the case.

As women age, they often experience a female version of ED. When that happens they are just as worried about performance as their male counterparts.

You see, it doesn’t matter whether you are a man or a woman. There’s one thing that absolutely has to occur for a perfect union and completely satisfying sexual experience.

Blood needs to rush into the genital area to give men a robust erection. This same reaction occurs in women, too. Extra blood flow into the female region creates a slight genital swelling and fires up a woman’s erotic sensitivities.

Put them together and it’s the Fourth of July. Sparks will fly over the bedroom!

But take the blood flow away and the two of you are stranded on a hot desert island without relief… driving each other crazy in the process.

Once this happens it’s easy to point fingers and place blame on the other party. And sadly, I see this happen all of the time. But pointing fingers doesn’t do anything to help solve the underlying health problem.

When your blood can’t get to where it’s needed, it robs you of a lot of life, including your sexual vitality.

But there is something you can do to get your blood flowing to exactly the right places… at exactly the right time…

The critical element here is circulation – getting your blood pumping smoothly through your arteries.

Now here’s the problem. When your arteries are tight and narrow, blood flow becomes restricted. It can’t get where it needs to go. So getting those vessels open and relaxed is key to a healthy sex life.

The most important substance involved in relaxing and expanding your blood vessels is nitric oxide, or NO. When nitric oxide is plentiful, your arteries, blood vessels and veins are wide open. Blood surges through them exactly the way it should.

However, research shows the levels of nitric oxide your body produces decrease with age. When your NO levels drop it causes your blood vessels to constrict. It reduces blood flow. And it also damages the delicate wall of your arteries, called the “endothelium.”

When this occurs, it’s harder for women to become aroused and find satisfaction in the bedroom. Since these encounters aren’t as pleasurable as they used to be, they often find it easier to avoid sexual activity altogether.

For men, the results are even worse. They may not be able to perform at all, due to an inability to get – or maintain – an erection. This is a big blow to the male ego. And once erection fears set in, it can be intimidating to initiate future sexual overtures.

What can you do?

There’s an amino acid that occurs naturally in your body. It’s called L-arginine. And it’s an immediate precursor to the production of nitric oxide. Your body couldn’t produce NO without arginine.

And you know what? It’s very easy to get plenty of arginine in the foods you eat…

• Shellfish, like crab, shrimp, lobster and shrimp are all high in arginine. So are mollusks (clams, mussels, oysters, scallops.) As an added benefit, these seafood delights are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for your circulation too.
• Spinach, asparagus, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, collards, kale and artichoke can also help boost nitric oxide. Some of these veggies, like cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, collards and kale have the extra benefit if helping to balance hormones.
• Chives, garlic, shallots and onions are also good sources of arginine.

And when you both want a snack, stay away from the chips and popcorn. Go for the nuts instead. Snacking on pumpkin seeds, peanuts, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts and pistachios will boost much-needed nitric oxide levels. And they’re good for you, too.

You can whip up a dinner – every night of the week – with these foods. Just pick your shellfish and choose a veggie. Then spice them up with chives, garlic, shallots and onion.

This is fun food you can both make together – and reap the benefits later when you are in the bedroom and your blood is rushing right where it’s needed.

But there’s another way to boost your nitric oxide levels even further! And once again, it’s with foods you’re going to love…

If your bedroom performance is flagging, eating foods high in arginine makes good sense.

But now scientists have discovered another amino acid that boosts your NO levels even better than arginine.

It’s called L-citrulline. And it actually increases your natural levels of arginine better than supplementing with arginine itself!

And do you know what that means?

More nitric oxide and greater blood flow to keep your sex life fun and exciting!

The absolute best food source of citrulline is watermelon. Today scientists are saying the citrulline in watermelon delivers a Viagra-like effect to the body’s blood vessels. And it may even increase libido.

And while cantaloupe is a distant second, it also contains citrulline. So add a fruity dessert of watermelon and cantaloupe to make your sexy encounter even better.

You can also try a citrulline supplement. I suggest starting with 1,500 mg daily. Plenty of research shows it is a safe and effective way to improve nitric oxide levels.

There’s absolutely no reason you can’t reignite your libido immediately, and make every encounter with your partner feel like the 4th of July!

Resources:
Allahdadi KJ, Tostes RC, Webb RC. Female sexual dysfunction: therapeutic options and experimental challenges. Cardiovasc Hematol Agents Med Chem. 2009 Oct;7(4):260-9.

Texas A&M University (2008, July 1). Watermelon May Have Viagra-effect. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 1, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2008/06/080630165707.htm

Collins JK, Wu G, Perkins-Veazie P, Spears K, Claypool PL, Baker RA, Clevidence BA. Watermelon consumption increases plasma arginine concentrations in adults. Nutrition. 2007 Mar;23(3):261-6