What Aphrodisiacs Work?

a) Unproven speculative theory to begin with, one that largely recapitulates beliefs that were older than the theory of evolution; and

b) There haven’t been wallets or currency to put in them long enough for evolution to make their existence sexy to women.
If there were no natural instinctive forces leading women to find one guy sexier than another, the structural imperatives of our societies as they have been set up in tradition and law — making females economically dependent on males — is sufficient entirely unto itself to create a female “sexual preference” for male providers, i.e., they had to trade sexual access in for such support if they didn’t want to suffer lots of deprivation.

As patriarchy has continued to crumble and fall by the wayside there’s less and less evidence that women are hardwired to want male providers.

Spanish Fly

It may be protectors, and especially protectors of the children, more than providers.

Tell her that she is pretty.

Especially if she is not.

XTC, cocaine, alcohol, money, good looks, arrogance.

Oddly, I’ve found that some women are aroused by XKCD. Stick figures and esoteric humor drive them wild!

Whew–THAT I can do.

That “long walks on the beach” stuff? Borrrrring…

Listening before speaking.

Sec. of State Henry Kissinger, not among his era’s most handsome men, was asked how he always got the hot babes. He replied that power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

Ogden Nash said, “Candy is dandy,
But liquor is quicker.”

“How do you make a Margarita?” asks the old joke. “Get her drunk.”

In my experience, roses are remarkably effective. Strangely, the woman will ask, “How did you know?” before showing you how well roses work. Keep in mind, mid-February is the most expensive time to buy roses.

Actually, I was referriing to the same drug mentioned earlier: PT-141. According to the Wikipedia link, the use for sexual dysfunction has been abandoned.

For a while, it was all over the news. I think there was even a thread here discussing the ethics of using it.

Maybe not, seems like the inhaled version had some blood pressure spikes in a subset of test subjects, but a subcutanous injection may be ok, they’re trying to get the FDA to let them resume trials.

I don’t remember the thread you speak of, why did people think it was unethical?

My wife takes three Viagra every day for the last two years (for pulmonary hypertension), and reports no aphrodisiac effects. Coincidentally, she also takes Wellbutrin.

Makers Mark & Coke (more than 3, but less than 5) and good dark chocolate.

Never fails …

Ondansetron, which is an anti-nausea drug. It is not indicated as off-label use, but I have discovered that when my wife has taken it I know we will be busy in a couple of hours. Maybe it’s just because she’s feeling better.

Has anybody (women especially) tried maca, damiana, yohimbe or other herbal aphrodisiacs?

In the SD archives, Cecil isn’t convinced by any claims of the existence of aphrodisiacs.

Is chocolate an aphrodisiac? (August 23, 1985)

Will pheromones make you irresistible to the opposite sex?

Why does male sex drive decrease with age? Is there any remedy? (July 6, 1987)

As Ann Landers once said, the most important sex organ is the brain. And I’m pretty sure she meant the psychological part, not the neurochemical part.

Again, same thing.

Eh? I was thinking the reverse, no? I do agree with the second part of your post.

Our thoughts and behaviors are mostly if not all a result of electrochemical neuronal activity. Some people have problems with certain aspects of reducing a complex thought to neurons (a cell that responds to the sight of one’s grandmother etc.), but otherwise it’s pretty certain.