The old adage is true: “You are what you eat.” The food you consume provides the nutrients needed to maintain your body. This simple rule applies to anything you consume, be it liquid refreshment, a prescribed medicine, or even a smoky treat. What we consume affects the way our bodies operate. The effects of eating, drinking and smoking show up on your body: “A moment on the lips—a lifetime on the hips.” These effects may manifest in your arms, your butt, your stomach, or even your sexual organs! And they may not be pretty.

Alcohol

Many people drink alcohol to reduce personal inhibitions, oftentimes in an effort to initiate sexual activity. There is a bit of irony to this practice. While alcohol may reduce sexual inhibitions, it may also reduce the ability to respond sexually, thus creating a most delightful alcohol paradox.

The Journal of Studies on Alcohol did some research on this paradox before people started assuming the gods were playing tricks on us for fun. These scientific party poopers discovered that with one dose of alcohol, the penis responded with the largest size increase. So far, so good. Unfortunately, with increased amounts of alcohol, the size of the penis does not increase as much. Just in case the ladies were snickering, this phenomenon happens among women as well. The Journal of Sex Research has demonstrated that women, too, have similar responses to increased alcohol intake and depleted sexual arousal.

When larger amounts of alcohol are consumed, the consumer's naughty bits don't work as efficiently. Luckily for the owners of singles bars, alcohol also packs a psychological component. Multiple studies have tested the effects of sexual arousal in men who expected alcohol. All men in the study who expected alcohol experienced increased sexual arousal whether or not they actually got to have a drink.

Women also experience a psychological effect related to alcohol intake. The Journal of Sex Research demonstrated that while women show reduced physical response with alcohol consumption, the women report feeling more sexual pleasure and better orgasms. Though the body may not be performing to full potential, the mind is tap dancing and twirling sparklers.

Caffeine

While there is “venti” information about how caffeine affects a person’s mood and concentration, there is not much research about how caffeine affects sexual arousal in men or women. The research that exists on caffeine and sexual arousal is all based on studies done in rats, male and female rats separately.

Studies in rats are often used as a precursor to human studies. Rat and human bodies react and respond in similar ways, because they are similar in form and function. Humans may exhibit similar chemical responses to what rats exhibited, but it has to be tested first.

In the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, scientists found that female rats who received caffeine before mating behaved differently than the rodents that received no caffeine. Female rats normally return to their mate after sex, but females who had caffeine returned faster and waited for arousal from the male rat. In an article in the journal Pharmaclogical Research, it was demonstrated that caffeine intake increased sexual arousal in male rats too. While it might seem strange to be reading about rat sex in an article about human sexual arousal, this rat research may lead to evidence about women and men responding sexually to caffeine as well.

Tobacco

Smoking can be harmful to a person’s health in many different ways, including negatively affecting the ability to be aroused sexually. A study in the journal of Tobacco Control reported that being a current smoker increased the likelihood of impotence among men with increased smoking leading to increased impotence. In the Journal of Sexual Medicine, it was reported that women who do not smoke and used nicotine gum had decreases in their physical arousal response. The women reported no decrease in their feelings of sexual excitement. While self-perception is not affected, the body has a physical response to the nicotine in the body.

Over-the-Counter Products

Antihistamines

Even medications that can be purchased off the shelf at the local drug store can affect sexual arousal. Antihistamines are a perfect example. They have side effects that can result in problems with erections in men or a lack of vaginal wetness in women. Antihistamines are mainly used to calm down inflamed tissue, and while they have a calming effect on your entire body, they also reduce secretions from the body which would include sexual fluids.

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID)

Even NSAIDs, such as Advil or Aleve, may affect the ability of people to experience sexual arousal as well. In a study in the Journal of Urology, researchers found that in men over the age of 40, those who took NSAIDs were more likely to experience problems with sexual arousal than those who did not. Most of these men were taking NSAIDS to relieve arthritis pain, and previously it was thought that arthritis caused the arousal issues. This study has interested researchers investigating the idea that it may be the NSAIDs that are causing the arousal difficulties. If you are taking NSAIDs for pain relief, talk to your doctor about an alternative medication.

Prescription products

Antidepressants

While antidepressants may help improve the overall mood or attitude for some people, they often have side effects that may influence feelings of sexual arousal. Specifically, people who are taking antidepressant medications may experience a reduction or lack of feelings of sexual arousal. This response is difficult to measure as depression itself may often cause reduced sexual arousal in both men and women. If you are experiencing decreased sexual arousal while taking antidepressants, talk to your doctor about what you can do to alleviate those symptoms.

Antihypertensives

Some antihypertensives, or high blood pressure medications, can affect sexual arousal in men and women. However, it could also be the hypertension itself that is causing the lack of libido. The important point is to talk to a doctor about the different types of medications you are prescribed for your high blood pressure because some are more likely to affect sexual arousal than others.

Painkillers

Certain painkillers, particularly opioid or narcotic-based medications, may cause a reduction in sexual arousal among both men and women. In a study of people taking opioids reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, almost all the men in the study and two-thirds of the women in the study reported a decrease in their libido. It is important for anyone experiencing arousal difficulties while taking opioids to talk to their doctor. It may be possible for the medication to be changed to a non-opioid option.

We are What We Eat

Different foods, beverages, and substances we take in may affect how the body responds to sexual arousal. If you are interested in sexual activity, be aware of what you are consuming. If you are a cigarette smoker and coffee fiend who just took a painkiller for your headache and an antihistamine for your cold, taking your date out for a drink might not be the best idea—unless you’re a rat… then you could take your date out for coffee.

Some medical conditions, such as depression and hypertension, may cause reduced sexual arousal in the normal course of the condition.  The treatments for these conditions may also cause decreased sexual arousal. It is important to speak with your doctor about the side effects of your medications. Sometimes, it is possible to change a medication to alleviate unfortunate side effects such as decreased sexual arousal.