Search for recipes for men and the word aphrodisiac turns up quickly. This article looks first at the research: what reviews of natural aphrodisiacs found, what the date palm trials on PubMed measured, and the lifestyle steps on the NHS erectile dysfunction page. After that come three date recipes, written up as everyday food and nothing else.
Findings from reviews of natural aphrodisiacs
A 2010 review by Shamloul in the Journal of Sexual Medicine looked at the most popular natural aphrodisiacs. It found little evidence to recommend them for sexual desire or performance and concluded that the objective evidence does not support any natural aphrodisiac as an effective treatment for male or female sexual dysfunction. It also warned about the fraudulent addition of sildenafil analogues to natural aphrodisiacs.
West and Krychman (2015) reviewed about 50 articles on aphrodisiac products marketed in the United States. They advised avoiding yohimbine, Spanish fly, mad honey and Bufo toad, said maca, Tribulus, ginkgo and ginseng had limited but emerging data, and concluded that randomised trials are needed before health care practitioners can recommend most aphrodisiac products.
A 2020 review by Srivatsav and colleagues checked 10 of the most common ingredients in erectile dysfunction supplements. L-arginine had clinical data behind it, and the other ingredients had limited data. None of these three abstracts mentions dates.
Date palm trials and erectile function
A PubMed search for date palm trials that measured erectile function in men turns up two, and neither tested whole dates eaten as food. In Jahromi and colleagues (2022), 128 participants from infertile couples in Iran were randomised to a capsule or a starch placebo once a day for 30 days. The full text says each capsule held 300 mg of date palm pollen. Men in the pollen group had higher erectile function scores than the placebo group, and the trial was registered after it was done.
In Hooshang and colleagues (2022), 60 Iranian men who had had coronary artery bypass surgery took 3 grams of date palm pollen powder or a placebo powder twice a day for two months, 30 men in each group. Erectile function scores rose over time in the pollen group, with no significant change in the placebo group. Both trials used date palm pollen, not the fruit, so neither shows what eating dates as food does.
Lifestyle steps from the NHS
The NHS erectile dysfunction page says most men occasionally fail to get or keep an erection, and that this is usually caused by stress, tiredness or drinking too much alcohol. When it happens often, it may be caused by conditions such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, diabetes, depression or anxiety, or hormone problems. The page says healthy lifestyle changes can sometimes help: lose weight if you're overweight, stop smoking, eat a healthy diet, exercise daily and try to reduce stress and anxiety. It also says not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week, and to see a GP or a sexual health clinic if erection problems keep happening.
There is trial evidence for the weight-and-exercise part of that list. In Esposito and colleagues (2004), 110 obese men aged 35 to 55 with erectile dysfunction were split into two groups of 55. The intervention group got detailed advice on losing 10% or more of body weight by eating fewer calories and being more active, and the control group got general information on healthy food and exercise. After 2 years, the average erectile function score in the intervention group rose from 13.9 to 17, while the control group went from 13.5 to 13.6. The authors linked the lifestyle changes with better sexual function in about one third of the men.
These recipes are part of "eat a healthy diet" and are not offered for any other purpose.
Date and banana breakfast smoothie
Blend a cup of natural yoghurt, a handful of oats, a ripe banana and two Medjool dates with the pits removed, then add milk until it is thin enough to drink. The dates and banana sweeten it, so honey is optional. The NHS 5 A Day guide says to limit unsweetened fruit or vegetable juices and smoothies to a combined total of 150ml a day. It also says crushing fruit into smoothies releases the sugars they contain, which can damage teeth, and that smoothies should be drunk at mealtimes. Have this one with breakfast.
Canapés with chicken salad and dates
Mix chunky cooked chicken with mayonnaise, chopped tomato, shredded lettuce and a few chopped dates. Spoon a little into small pastry cases or lettuce cups and serve straight away. The same cases work with any salad you like, so swap the filling when you get bored of this one.
Frozen fruit blended with dates
Blend pitted dates with frozen fruit until thick, then spoon into bowls and top with chopped nuts. Fruits such as apples or pears don't need peeling. Just slice them and take out the seeds. Keep portions small: the USDA FoodData Central record 168191 lists 66.5 g of total sugars and 6.7 g of fibre per 100 g of Medjool dates, and one pitted Medjool date weighs 24 g. The NHS counts a 30g portion of dried fruit such as dates as 1 of your 5 A Day, eaten at mealtimes rather than as a between-meal snack.
Where the dates come from
Medjool dates originated in Morocco and are large, very soft and taste of caramel. For larger quantities there is also the wholesale site Date Wholesale Shah Alam. For a price quote, read about Kurma Nabi or send a WhatsApp message through the contact page.
This article is general information, not medical advice.
References
- Shamloul R. Natural aphrodisiacs. J Sex Med. 2010;7(1 Pt 1):39-49. PMID 19796015
- West E, Krychman M. Natural aphrodisiacs: a review of selected sexual enhancers. Sex Med Rev. 2015;3(4):279-288. PMID 27784600
- Srivatsav A, Balasubramanian A, Pathak UI, et al. Efficacy and safety of common ingredients in aphrodisiacs used for erectile dysfunction: a review. Sex Med Rev. 2020;8(3):431-442. PMID 32139335
- Hooshang H, Farahani AV, Rezaeizadeh H, et al. Efficacy of date palm pollen in the male sexual dysfunction after coronary artery bypass graft: a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022;2022:5032681. PMID 35388309
- Jahromi AR, Mosallanezhad Z, Hosini FS, et al. The effect of date palm on sexual function in infertile couples: a double-blind controlled clinical trial. BMC Res Notes. 2022;15(1):55. PMID 35168636
- NHS. Erectile dysfunction (impotence). nhs.uk
- Esposito K, Giugliano F, Di Palo C, et al. Effect of lifestyle changes on erectile dysfunction in obese men: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2004;291(24):2978-84. PMID 15213209
- NHS. 5 A Day: what counts? nhs.uk
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central, SR Legacy 168191: Dates, medjool. fdc.nal.usda.gov