Spicy Foods Boost Testosterone And Libido In Men

A French study has found that men who enjoy spicy food have higher levels of testosterone and perform better during sex.

The study titled "Some Like it Hot" was conducted by researchers from the University of Grenoble-Alpes in France, and suggests that men who love spicy food have a heightened sex drive and are socially dominant. The study was published in the journal Physiology and Behavior.

As part of the study, 114 men in the age group 18 to 44 were served a meal of mashed potatoes with spicy pepper sauce and salt. Researchers found that there was a direct relation between spicy sauce preference and higher testosterone levels found in the saliva of the participants.

The saliva of participants who voluntarily and spontaneously consumed more quantities of spice had higher testosterone levels. This means that men with higher testosterone levels tend to spice their food with more hot sauce. No link was seen between testosterone levels and the amount of salt consumed.

A man's preference for capsaicin, the compound that makes chilli peppers spicy, has been associated with social dominance and bravado, too. Higher testosterone levels are linked to personality traits that characterize the typical 'alpha' male, such as aggression, unruliness and a heightened libido. On the other hand, low testosterone levels have been linked to lethargy or depressive moods.

According to study author Laurent Begue, frequent consumption of spicy foods "contributes to increasing testosterone levels" but the mechanism is still unknown. "A wide range of factors, including genetic, physiological, psychological and social forces, influence the liking and consumption of capsaicin-containing food," Begue writes.

Reference

Some Like it Hot: Testosterone Predicts Laboratory Eating Behavior of Spicy Food

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