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The Myth: There's science behind why oysters get you in the mood.
The Truth: Food aphrodisiacs are mostly bunk, scientifically speaking, according to a 2015 review in the journal of the
International Society for Sexual Medicine. After reading through 50 studies on supposed libido boosters, the researchers concluded that chocolate, oysters, honey and a few lesser-known items don't make a difference in your sex drive (ginseng was the only one studied that seems to actually work, but the research on it is still preliminary). If your own experience says different, you can probably give credit to the placebo effect, since "the power of suggestion is very strong in sex," explains Stephen Snyder, MD, a sex therapist in New York, but the science doesn't support it.
As for which non-food enhancers work: "Certain scents, sounds, sights, music, candles—these are things we associate with intimacy, and they can trigger desire," says Chris Fariello, PhD, founder and director of the Philadelphia Institute for Individual, Relational & Sex Therapy.
