Did you know that cacao (or chocolate) is an aphrodisiac? It’s true! With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to share some of the aphrodisiac qualities of cacao with you today and give you a few ideas on how you can put the aphrodisiac properties of cacao to use in your own life.
Sound good?
Great! Let’s dive in.
First, What’s An Aphrodisiac?
Herbal aphrodisiacs are botanicals that have the ability to relax the body, open the mind, and stimulate the nerves. Some herbal aphrodisiac herbs have a direct action that increases libido, potency, or sexual pleasure, while others have indirect aphrodisiac effects due to their actions in other areas of the body.
So what about cacao?
Aphrodisiac Qualities of Cacao
Cacao effects both the cardiovascular and nervous systems – systems which are linked to sexual function – thus indirectly acting as an aphrodisiac.
Where the cardiovascular system is concerned, cacao is packed with polyphenols and flavanols which are believed to reduce LDL cholesterol oxidation, increase nitric oxide release in the endothelial cells of the vascular system, and reduce the risk of blood clots. When the cardiovascular system is healthy and functioning properly, the brain and reproductive organs also function properly.
Historically, cacao was used to stimulate Aztec warriors before entering into battle due to the theobromine and caffeine content of cacao. The alerting effects of caffeine is a nervous system response and is believed to be the result of the methylxanthine action on serotonin neurons, increasing locomotor activity based on dosage (source). So essentially, the more cacao you consume, the more caffeine you get, and the more active you feel. This neurostimulation can lead to boosted libido, endurance, and stamina.
Another nervous system effect of cacao is that, when eaten, it gives your brain a dopamine release as a biological reward response. Dopamine is a pleasurable, “feel-good” hormone (source) and your body typically wants to experience it regularly. These regular dopamine boosts can leave you with feelings of increased motivation, drive, and focus.
As you can see, cacao’s effects on both the cardiovascular and nervous systems can lead to this botanical acting indirectly as an aphrodisiac.
Okay, now that you know how cacao works to give you all the desirable feels, let’s talk about how to use it regularly – in a healthy way, of course.
Ways to Incorporate Cacao Into Your Diet
While cacao needs to be used regularly to benefit from the cardiovascular benefits, the nervous system benefits can be experienced quickly and are typically dose related. With that said, here are some healthy ways to incorporate cacao into your diet as you see fit.
- Herbal Adaptogen Vanilla Hot Cocoa
- Herbal Mushroom Hot Chocolate For Health & Happiness
- White Chocolate & Rose Coconut Bark
- How To Make A Delicious, Chocolate Herbal Cough Syrup
- A Tasty Chocolate-Banana Mushroom Smoothie
- Banana Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (With A Sugar-Free Option)
- 3 Herbal Chocolate Recipes To Inspire Love & Passion
- Cardiovascular Herbs: Cacao & Damiana Rose Chocolate Hearts
- Herbal Love Truffles
So there you have it, friend! A little new herbal knowledge to tuck away for future use, and some fun chocolatey recipes to try to see if you can notice the aphrodicac qualities of cacao.
Happy love day!
Love and light,
Meagan
PS. If you enjoy learning about the properties of individual botanicals and how they can be used, check out Herbal Academy’s Herbal Materia Medica Course as well as their membership site, The Herbaium. Both of these offer a deep dive into individual herbs, their properties, how to use them, safety and dosage information, and so much more!
Psst… You can save 15% on a year membership in The Herbarium now through February 15, 2023 by using my link and discount code BEGINNINGS. Click here to learn more and join.
PPS. You can also learn more about herbal aphrodisiacs in their Herbal Aphrodisiac Intensive – a 3-part study on herbal aphrodisiacs and sexual health where you’ll learn about the physiological processes that play into your sexual function and gain the understanding of an entirely new approach to using classic botanicals to support and jazz up your sex life. It’s great… I helped write it! 😉