Male libido: the factors that play a role
Men are generally associated with a high libido. You don’t often hear about men not being in the mood. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. Although it’s known as a ‘women’s issue’, men can also experience a temporary dip in sexual desire. If your libido is lower than normal or lower than you’d like, it’s understandable that you’d want to do something about it.
What is libido?
By libido, we mean the degree to which someone feels like having sex. A ‘normal’ libido differs from person to person. It can range from wanting sex several times a day to a few times a month. Because it depends on so many factors, there isn’t really a single ‘normal’. The key question is: are you satisfied with your sex life and your level of sexual desire, or would you like to increase it? If it’s the latter, it’s worth exploring why your libido is lower than you’d like.
What affects your libido?
The hormone testosterone is one of the factors associated with libido in men. Besides testosterone, there are other factors that influence your libido. Think of your age, lifestyle, stress, mental health issues, relationship problems, or performance pressure.
Supporting your libido naturally: 3 tips
Do you feel less like having sex than usual? Then it’s worth taking a closer look. Our tips:
1. See whether there’s an explanation
Is your relationship going through a rough patch, are you under a lot of stress at work, or are you not feeling quite yourself? That can affect your libido. Do a bit of investigating and check whether there’s an underlying cause of your reduced libido. Because no matter how much you adjust your lifestyle, if you don’t address the root of the problem, it’s likely to keep coming up.
2. Optimise testosterone production
Testosterone is one of the hormones involved in various processes in the male body, including libido. Improving your testosterone levels may therefore help to boost your libido. Read more about testosterone here.
3. Know what you eat
What you eat affects your libido. Consider zinc, for example, which contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood. But also soya, which contains phytoestrogens. Research is still ongoing into how these affect hormone balance, and the effects can vary from person to person. As a general lifestyle recommendation, it’s advisable to limit alcohol and highly processed (refined) sugars.
