What is a Female Libido Supplement?

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The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists defines libido as the desire for, or interest in, sex. It is also called sex drive. Every person has their periods when the libido is low, due to a variety of reasons. And some people are in general not very active in terms of sexual life, which is a part of their individuality. However, a sharp drop in sex drive may be unwanted and frustrating.

Libido supplements are products that are supposed or advertised as something to improve the sexual life of a woman by stimulating her fantasies, increasing her desire for sex, and so on. They may be addressed as female enhancement pills in analog with Viagra which is a well-known medication intended for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. But Female Viagra, its generics, and other ED medications that belong to the phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors group (Levitra, Cialis, etc.) work only on the vascular level. They help with the blood flow to the cavernous tissue so the penis can be firm enough for intercourse but the man still has to have sexual desires. And female libido is much more complex which makes such a direct approach impossible.

In short–a female libido booster that works upon taking, is safe and scientifically approved, does not exist. The market is flooded with different supplements claiming that they have such an effect, but with supplements out of the FDA’s control, they are not being properly tested and reviewed. The outcome of buying and using such a product will vary from slightly beneficial to straight-up dangerous depending purely on your luck and individual sensitivity.

Female Libido Decrease

People with vaginas experience different levels of sex drive during life. It depends on age, physical and mental health, stage of the menstrual cycle, hormone level, personal circumstances, relationships, and thousands of other external and internal factors. The only reason to actually start considering your treatment options is when your libido is unsatisfactory for you. And the best plan to enhance female libido is to consult your family physician or ob-gyn.

Causes

There is no specific test to diagnose the level of libido as well as the cause of changes in it. The etiology of the sex drive decrease may include both physical and emotional factors or even a combination of those. To determine the cause of the patient’s low libido correctly and treat it in the safest and most effective way, the doctor will carry out a full survey, which may include:

  • asking the patient to fill up a specific questionnaire;
  • performing pelvic exam;
  • ordering blood tests;
  • ordering ultrasound research.

Let us look at the most common causes of the libido decrease among patients with female genitalia.

Age

Age is a powerful factor in the question of our wellness, including libido. Even without considering hormonal changes (we will talk about them later), later in life we face lower energy levels, get tired more easily, and have too much stress and responsibilities that can affect our sex drive in a negative way.

Another thing is a social stereotype regarding age and age-related changes in the body, such as gray hair, wrinkles, muscle loss, dry skin, etc. Succumbing to the thought that she is not attractive anymore, a woman loses her confidence and, as a subsequent, her desire to enjoy physical intimacy with her partner.

Stress

Depression or stress from everyday life might affect your sexual life as well. Stress at work, particularly while caring for a family, results in sleeping taking precedence over having sex. Depression and anxiety are more serious examples of mental health problems, and the lack of sex drive may be the first signal to visit a therapist.

Hormonal Imbalance

Hormones are chemicals that decide almost everything in our bodies, and it is essential to maintain a healthy hormonal level so your body continues to function normally. The changes in hormonal imbalance may be caused by a huge list of reasons:

  • pregnancy;
  • breastfeeding;
  • chronic conditions, such as diabetes or thyroid diseases;
  • hormonal contraceptives;
  • some medications, such as antidepressants;
  • surgeries on reproductive organs;
  • obesity;
  • lifestyle.

It is a task for your doctor to determine the primary factor that led to changes in your hormonal state and to start working from there. Please be careful about self-treatment: while you can make some adjustments by yourself, for example, establish a proper diet, ditch harmful habits, or start doing sports, only an educated medical professional can analyze the medications you take and potentially offer you another option.

Menopause

Menopause is a period of huge changes in a woman’s life. She experiences a drop in estrogen levels leading to lower libido and, in addition, vaginal dryness which makes sex painful. Lubricants and moisturizers are the way to help if you still want to maintain an active sexual life. There are also studies regarding testosterone as a female libido enhancer after menopause, but testosterone is not FDA-approved for women and further research is needed.

Other

The other possible reasons to lose interest in sex may include:

  1. Low self-esteem and poor body image. Unrealistic expectations, set by society, aggressive marketing, and television, may interfere with the desire to enjoy a physical part of a relationship.
  2. Relationship issues. Pending conflicts with the regular partner affect the sense of trust, safety, and intimacy, required by many women for having a sex drive.
  3. Negative previous experience. Awkward or even traumatic sex-related situations in the past may result in a copying mechanism of lower libido.
  4. Physical trauma or health conditions that make sex unpleasant or painful.

Symptoms

These signs are markers of decreased libido:

  • very little to no interest in having sex
  • minimal to no sexual fantasies or thoughts
  • absence of sex initiating
  • little to no pleasure from sex or genital stimulation

How To Increase Female Libido

Openness, trust, and willingness to communicate and collaborate are key to solving the problem successfully. Start with an honest conversation with your doctor and your partner. Sexual education and therapy will help you to work on your mental health issues while screening, including surveys, blood and urine tests, and ultrasound, will allow you to find physical causes for your current condition.

Vitamins and Minerals

There is no doubt that vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B6 and B12, vitamin D, vitamin E, magnesium, and zinc, are involved with many metabolic processes in the organism, including hormone synthesis. However, there is no evidence from studies to suggest that supplementing with high doses of any of these nutrients increases sexual libido. Heavy vitamin or mineral supplementation should always come after a consult with your doctor and blood tests.

Food

From ancient times, people have talked about certain foods being able to stimulate sexual desire, like oysters. In fact, scientific research has not found any food product that stimulates human sex organs. In terms of improving your libido, a balanced and healthy diet is your goal to maintain the proper balance of nutrients and overall wellness.

Aside from food stand edible cannabis products. THC gummies, CBD cookies, and other snacks enriched with cannabinoids are legal and quite popular in some countries. Their effect, however, is very individual and not properly studied. The increase in sex drive after consuming cannabis edibles may be linked to its anxiety-relieving effect, not an actual effect on genitalia.

Female Libido Supplements

Fenugreek, ginkgo, kava, and other many products on the market were never FDA-approved as female libido enhancers, and, thus, cannot be listed as such from the scientific point of view. There may be even some corresponding data regarding some of the substances being able to increase the sex drive of women participating in the study but the only conclusion is that further study is required.

Summary

Female libido works in a different way from male, which is why no truly effective and researched female libido booster exists. If you want to know what your options are to increase your sex drive, start with the work with both your doctor and your partner: a healthy lifestyle, screening, therapy, and sexual counseling are much better, more effective, and safe ways to enjoy full sexual life.

FAQ

How to increase female libido with supplements?

There is no direct, scientifically proven link between certain supplementation and female sexual desire.

Do female libido supplements work?

Supplements may have an effect on some people, and there is always a placebo effect, which is why we can say that it is possible for some supplements to increase sex drive. But finding which product is suitable for you may prove to be expensive, ineffective, and, in some cases, dangerous.

Are female libido supplements safe?

Some sexual function supplements may contain harmful contaminants or trace levels of pharmaceutical substances, such as PDE5 inhibitors, which belong to the same family of drugs as Female Viagra and other prescription prescriptions for erectile dysfunction. This may result in hazardous, even fatal, reactions.

How to increase female libido with home remedies?

There is no or little scientific confirmation supporting claims that some natural products can affect libido.