Aphrodisiacs are purported to instantaneously increase sexual desire. However, from a scientific point of view, there has never been any proof that they actually work. That is, until now. 

Although this may not come as a surprise to many, since science is always proving or disproving all sorts of noteworthy data (and let’s face it—what’s more exciting than sex)?, the source of this libido-boosting ingredient could definitely shock a few.

So, out of all the aphrodisiacs noted throughout history over a period of thousands of years, the one that has been singled out as having proven sexual-enhancing properties is good ole’ straight from the breast: mother’s milk!

As disappointing as it is to note, there is a slim body of research examining the effects of food and drugs on sexual arousal. However, the scientific and medical community have always alleged that aphrodisiacs appear to gain their reputation from a variety of principles, most notably the placebo effect, in which individuals achieve desired results from aphrodisiacs simply because they believe they will.

In addition, researchers have hypothesized that if aphrodisiac compounds do exist, they are likely to be in the form of substances that are smelled, rather than eaten. Pheromones, which are chemicals that trigger a natural response in the same species, are inhaled through the nose and can rapidly affect the nervous system through the olfactory nerve, which is where our sense of smell is stimulated.

This makes perfect sense since compounds that are eaten or drunk must survive a prolonged trip through stomach acids and the gastrointestinal tract. They then must circulate through the blood and eventually wind up in the brain. Only after completing this lengthy process could one then hope to develop the sought-after aphrodisiac effect.

Unfortunately, one cannot simply bypass this necessary digestive route and during this journey, the body is given an opportunity to dilute or block whatever has been ingested (whether it be oysters, chocolate, Spanish Fly, et cetera) from ever accomplishing it’s objective to get you turned on!

Years of supposition have finally resulted in statistical evidence confirming earlier assumptions. In a controlled study of healthy women aged 18 to 35, who were asked to apply pads laced with a combination of breast milk and underarm secretions collected from mothers who were exclusively nursing their newborns, it was noted that breastfeeding compounds increased sexual motivation by up to 24 percent.

The research, which was conducted by the Institute for Mind and Biology at the University of Chicago, found that participants exposed to breastfeeding compounds had a 17 percent increase in sexual fantasies as compared with a 27 percent decline in the desire of women in the control group.

Researchers also found that participants with a regular sex partner “experienced enhanced sexual desire, whereas those without one had more sexual fantasies.”

What has always fascinated researchers is that “none of the purported aphrodisiacs work on a statistically significant percentage of those who take them,” the Post reports. “There are also wide cultural differences in alleged aphrodisiacs, suggesting that the context in which they are taken is the key.”

“This is the first evidence of a natural compound that increases human sexual motivation, states Martha K. McClintock, who headed the team of researchers. McClintock also noted that similar results have been found in rats.

Although breast milk is the only aphrodisiac that has been backed by the medical community as effectively increasing sexual desire, other milk products have also been alleged to have exciting effects.

One cannot ignore the plethora of myths and legends surrounding the mystical effects of aphrodisiacs, which have been passed down from generation to generation since the dawn of time in every culture. Several themes have echoed through the times, and in many, milk is a focal ingredient for arousal.

Genitals of animals have often been deemed aphrodisiac as seen in cave drawings where hunters are depicted consuming specific parts of their prey in order to gain the characteristics that those organs represented. The Kama Sutra suggests that one boils the testicle of a ram or goat and add milk and sugar before consumption.

Substances that resemble human genitalia have also been noted for producing desire. In Elizabethan England, it was believed that plants with any phallic features, like asparagus, parsnips and carrots were certain to be effective aphrodisiacs. While Ukrainians consider carrots and celery as folk aphrodisiacs, the Chinese culture enjoys the enhancement ginseng and rhinoceros horn provide. This is based more on their appearance rather than their chemical composition. 

For centuries milk has been touted as having aphrodisiac benefits, but different cultures have varying recipes for mixing a sexy milk cocktail. In India, there is a tradition that has been passed down for generations where a bridegroom drinks almond milk mixed with crushed pepper on his wedding night.

Many milk-based aphrodisiacs exist, but the most common recipes use a combination of fruits and herbs mixed into a milk base. One such recipe to stimulate desire combines milk, honey, ghee, licorice and sugar. Another concoction calls for an erotic blend of fresh fennel juice mixed with milk.

How easy can this be, one may ask? It’s not too difficult to go to the supermarket or corner deli, pick up a gallon of milk and start experimenting, right? Think again.

A common factor found in these milk recipes is the utilization of Indian cow milk, whenever possible. Healthy people can experience strong erections in early morning if they eat a few pieces of candy made from milk khoya. Khoya is merely concentrated milk, which is simply made by boiling the milk down into a concentrated form.

The “cackling grandmother” in Indian culture is a formula, which “guarantees to raise the libido” and is a mixture of milk, saffron and almond. It is called kesar-badam ka doodh.

Poorer fertility rates in Western countries as compared with Eastern countries are an undisputed fact, with modern milk production in these areas to be the root cause of reduced fertility, as noted on ayurworld.com. Our milk is making us sterile?

In Indian culture, it is believed that there is a hidden power of a sexual nature in cow’s milk (Indian cow’s milk, that is). Acharyas, or religious teachers, believe the “bio-energy,” which is collected by a cow through both her horns and by grazing in the sunlight, contributes to the aphrodisiac components in her milk. 

On a spiritual note, ayurworld.com reports that another detail to consider is the location of a cow’s central breast in relation to her spine and in relation to the location of her genitals. Acharyas believe that while the human breast is close to heart chakra, “a cow’s breast is close to her “swadhistan chakra” the one that controls her sexual energy.  It is therefore thought that her milk is packed with that energy. 

Where this belief system is in place, one is able to expand the source of milk to include the frothy beverage from goats, buffalos and other animals where a single breast is located centrally on the body and close to the swadhistan chakra. This could be more stimulating than that Sudoku puzzles—try to come up with as many milk-producing animals meeting the above criteria—don’t forget about the location of the swadhistan chakra!
 
Has anyone considered camel milk? Look at the size of those humps! If you did, you are at the top of your game! In the Indian state of Rajasthan, locals clamor to get their hands on the stuff. Soon after, news of an 88-year-old farmer, who had recently fathered a child and attributed his virility to camel milk, sales of the rich, frothy drink shot up, the Times of India newspaper reported. Dealers of camel milk have doubled their prices since the news was published.

Ethiopia is yet another country that considers camel milk to have aphrodisiac powers. In Somalia, among pastoral tribes, it is believed that when milk is drunk on the night when camels first drink water, following a long period of thirst, it takes on magical powers.

Sex is all around us. Sometimes we need a little help to “get us there.” We could spend our time questioning the effectiveness of aphrodisiacs—fact or fiction, reality or myth, true or false? The power of aphrodisiacs just may come from within. Whether the tales are true, they’ve been a part of every culture for eons. Is it necessary to know why or how they work as long as they do work? At this point, the only question that needs answering is: Got milk?