Imagine a menu for a candle-lit dinner for two: oysters dressed with champagne mignonette; roast guineafowl with asparagus and liberal shavings of truffle; toasted marshmallow meringue with dark chocolate ganache. Is this the perfect meal for an evening of passion? Do these foods really enhance desire, performance and libido?

The romantic doctor in me believes that there must be something to it, but what does the science tell us? Are aphrodisiac foods real, or no deal? Let’s look at some of the likely candidates.

In mythology, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, emerged from the sea on an oyster shell, and the frisky little mollusc has been a central theme of food and love ever since.

The trace element zinc, in abundance in oysters, has an important role in testosterone metabolism. The concentration of zinc in the body correlates positively with total testosterone, and moderate supplementation from, for example oysters, plays an important role in improving androgen (sex hormone) levels. And The Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy published a trial of zinc supplementation that showed an improvement in female sexual function. A good start.

Since the late 1990s, phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (Viagra, Cialis and their pharmaceutical bedfellows) have changed the sexual landscape. This class of drug enhances nitric oxide-mediated smooth muscle relaxation, allowing additional blood flow to the phallus.

Are foods high in nitrates and nitric oxide able to reproduce the effect of popping a little blue pill? The Romans, ahead of their time as usual, had beetroot frescoes in the brothels of Pompeii. They swore by beetroot as an aphrodisiac... and beetroot is, indeed, extremely high in nitrates. Drop the morning latte and make the switch to beet juice?  The dark pink wee takes some getting used to, but it is harmless. Should you need reassurance, Aphrodite was also a beetroot aficionado.

To more exalted vegetation. Truffles are the fruiting bodies of soil fungi. White or black, these fungi exude volatile compounds that attract animals for their seed dispersal and thus reproduction. The pungent, musky aroma of truffles is similar to the pheromone androstanol, found in humans.  Any resulting sexual arousal might be a result of these volatile compounds, or simply the heady thrill of shaving something so valuable over your food. Napoleon proclaimed that “truffles increase a man’s power and woman’s desire”. He may have had a point, although, as far as we know, nobody asked Josephine.

Chocolate is also widely touted as an aphrodisiac. Is it merely the psychological pleasure of its consumption, or is there something chemical at work?  Cocoa contains antioxidants such as flavonoids which are thought to have some beneficial effect on the brain related to cognition and blood perfusion, but there is minimal scientific evidence for its aphrodisiac qualities. The consumption of chocolate is mired in ephemeral pleasure and guilt to such an extent that, in 1998, three scientists developed the Attitudes to Chocolate Questionnaire to evaluate different dimensions of cravings and remorse among chocolate eaters.

Ginseng or panax ginseng has long enjoyed a reputation as a powerful aphrodisiac, particularly in the Far East.  The root has been used in Chinese herbal medicine for centuries, and also as an additive to various foods and drinks: ginseng tea springs to mind.  Ginsenosides are the class of pharmacologically active components with possible roles in nitric oxide enhancement, antioxidant and immune regulation. These compounds are potent, and overdose can lead to unwanted drug interactions, poor sleep and agitation. In the journal ‘Spermatogenesis’  there is a comprehensive review on Ginseng and Male Reproductive Function, in which the authors suggest that the use of ginseng may be useful for development of new therapeutic agents for male reproductive diseases or disorders.

The list of other supposedly stimulating foods is long, and you might consider pomegranates, asparagus, chilli or (a favourite of the health-conscious TikTok generation) matcha green tea. A small number of studies suggest that traditional alcoholic drinks may have a link to arousal, although maybe disinhibition is the cause. However, too much and you risk falling prey to “brewers’ droop”.