Are there really foods that can increase and improve your sex health? Studies have shown that a healthy sex life can add years to one's life, build a strong immune system and even lower prostate cancer risk. Too good to be true? Well there's no harm in trying!

Figs
A favorite food of ancient Greeks and Romans were figs. They're loaded with magnesium, a mineral your body needs to produce sex hormones.

Chocolate
Addicting in so many ways, chocolate has always been associated with Valentine's Day. A compound in dark chocolate, phenylethylamine, releases endorphins brought on by sex.

Hot chili peppers
They have a compound called capsaicin that gives peppers their heat and may also increase your libido.

Oysters
There's an old joke that if eating oysters increased your sexual appetite: "I ate twelve but only six worked!" This food has been considered an aphrodisiac for centuries. The key mineral is zinc which is useful for testosterone production, a hormone that increases sexual desire in both men and women.

Asparagus
Another food that has been considered an aphrodisiac is asparagus. The reason can be attributed to folate: a nutrient that can deter erectile dysfunction.

Eggs
The thought of eggs may not be sexually stimulating, but they are a source of L-arginine, an amino acid that can reduce erectile dysfunction.

Beans and lentils
Another food that doesn't exactly conjure up warm and intimate feelings is beans. But its B vitamins and iron boost serotonin levels, the happy hormones, and sex drive.

Whether there is hard concrete evidence or not, you can't deny that the mind may account for nearly 50 per cent of improved sexual desire of both men and women. And there's nothing wrong with that! So tonight start off with some oysters as your appetizer; a spicy vegetarian dish filled with beans, some grilled asparagus and of course, the pièce de résistance, chocolate.

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• Figs

  A favorite food of ancient Greeks and Romans were figs. They're loaded with magnesium, a mineral your body needs to produce sex hormones.

• Chocolate

  Addicting in so many ways, chocolate has always been associated with Valentine's Day. A compound in dark chocolate, phenylethylamine, releases endorphins brought on by sex.

• Hot Chili Peppers

  They have a compound called capsaicin that gives peppers their heat and may also increase your libido.

• Oysters

  There's an old joke that if eating oysters increased your sexual appetite: "I ate twelve but only six worked!" This food has been considered an aphrodisiac for centuries. The key mineral is zinc which is useful for testosterone production, a hormone that increases sexual desire in both men and women.

• Asparagus

  Another food that has been considered an aphrodisiac is asparagus. The reason can be attributed to folate: a nutrient that can deter erectile dysfunction.

• Eggs

  The thought of eggs may not be sexually stimulating, but they are a source of L-arginine, an amino acid that can reduce erectile dysfunction.

• Beans and Lentils

  Another food that doesn't exactly conjure up warm and intimate feelings is beans. But its B vitamins and iron boost serotonin levels, the happy hormones, and sex drive.

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