By Kelsey Bulat
AmesEats Flavors writer
Have you ever compared the feelings you get when eating a decadent chocolate to the feelings of being in love? If this is you, there is some science that suggests why these two unrelated situations evoke such similar emotions. Chocolate has the ability to release the neurotransmitter, phenylethylamine also known as the “love drug.” Phenylethylamine causes your pulse rate to quicken, which results in a feeling much like falling in love. While chocolate may be the better known aphrodisiac, there are other foods that bring out that feeling we know.
- Bananas — This fruit helps release serotonin in the blood stream which then lifts your mood and calms your nervous system.
- Chili Peppers — This feisty little pepper contains the chemical capsaicin, that warms up your blood and gets your pulse racing.
- Caviar — These coveted, salty fish eggs are packed with iron which stimulates the formation of testosterone.
- Asparagus — It contains vitamin E, which stimulates the production of sex hormones.
- Avocados — It is also known as the “testicle fruit” by the Aztecs for the way this fruit hangs from its tree in pairs. Spanish priests once found this fruit’s traits so insulting that they forbade people from consuming them. Avocados contain the vitamin B6, which is a building block of testosterone.
- Walnuts — Instead of rice, the Romans once tossed this nut at newlyweds as a symbol of fertility.
- Figs — With its distinguishably similar shape to the female private area, this fruit has long been associated with love. It’s written that Adam and Eve used fig leaves to cover their privates.
