Natural Aphrodisiacs - the World of Aphrodite and Its Immortality

The world of Greece was not always a kind one to Aphrodite, as the Roman world was not always kind to Venus. Goddess of the Greek and Roman mythology are associated with love, beauty, lust and reproduction. Aphrodite rose from sea fully grown, and while she is associated with love, she had little for her fellow gods or humans. She was married to Hephaestus, the god of fire and smithing, and she was eternally unfaithful to him. All of this does not paint a beautiful picture of a vain, uncaring and faithless woman of great beauty. While love was her first realm of power, she showed little. Thus, in the literature she is more associated with lust and love and beauty or reproduction.

Lending her name to the word aphrodisiacs comes directly in line with this propensity and association. Natural aphrodisiacs have long been for the creation of lust with little concern for love and beauty. Literature has attempted to change this and the marketing world of the twentieth century forced a different view on the buying public.

As her priestesses were forced into ongoing prostitution with little hope beyond the temple life, and the use of natural aphrodisiacs seems to have arisen from this role. For centuries natural aphrodisiacs have been touted for their effectiveness and include ginkgo biloba, ginseng, damiana, artichokes, strawberries, oysters, rhinoceros horn, tiger penis and chocolate. While the rhinoceros horn and tiger penis are illegal to obtain, the remainder of the aphrodisiacs are easily accessible in the modern world.

Different Natural Aphrodisiacs And Their Effects

An aphrodisiac is a substance which increase sexual desire, though they work in many different ways to affect sexual desire and sexual performance. Ginkgo biloba is a considered a natural aphrodisiac and comes from the seeds of the “female” gingko trees. They are widely used in natural remedies or several kinds and are generally available at most health food stores. The reasons for this is increased blood flow. The leaves are widely used in memory and concentration

Ginseng is also considered a natural aphrodisiac and comes from ginseng root and affect the central nervous system and gonadal tissues. Thereby, they work differently than ginkgo and several others on the list. This is widely found in health food stores.

Damiana is a shrub and the leaves are made into a tea that is used as a natural aphrodisiac . This plant works on widening the blood vessels, and it is easily found in any health food store. It can be produced in several variations for inclusion into food and drink.

Artichokes are considered a natural aphrodisiac , though have no properties which affect the human body other than to reduce hunger. The eating of the artichoke is considered sensual for the process. They received their reputation more from their association with Catherine de Medici, who was considered a very sensual woman. These can be found in any grocery store.

Strawberries are another food considered to be a natural aphrodisiac though like th artichoke simple for how they look, taste and smell. They have no medical change to the body to heighten sexual function or sexual arousal. These also can be found in any grocery store, though the ones picked during the regular growing season have a more full-bodied taste and scent.

Oysters are also listed in the natural aphrodisiac list, though this time with reason. They contain a high level of zinc which is required in the production of testosterone. Testosterone has been used to increase sexual desire and function in both men and women. Oysters are a shellfish that is much more commonly available on the coasts, but can be found in most grocery stores.

Since we are ignoring the illegal substances, we are left with chocolate, which is also considered a natural aphrodisiac . It has an effect on the human body, by increasing the serotonin levels in the brain thereby produced a happy feeling. Chocolate is widely available to almost any store.

Natural aphrodisiacs go back through the history of the written word and passed from generation to generation of the spoken word. What is true that all the of natural aphrodisiacs listed here have differing effects on the human body and may not work for everyone. However, its always fun trying.