You might have heard of the Kama Sutra, but what about the ancient Chinese text called “Chamber Skills”? Well, it’s one of the oldest writings about sex that we know about today. In fact, it’s over 2,000 years old!

Clearly, sex has always been an important part of ancient Chinese belief. They thought that a healthy sex life was key to living a long and prosperous life. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) balance is everything, and sex is included in that. Sexual pleasure, in moderation, is a necessary part of TCM healthcare.

Things like stress, depression, prescription drugs, chronic illness, and not getting enough sleep can all lower your libido. It’s something people have been struggling with for centuries, so don’t feel bad if your sex drive is low, too. And luckily, TCM has a long history of finding cures and aids for boosting the libido.

TCM and Your Sex Drive

If you’re familiar with Traditional Chinese Medicine, you know that every body part and system is connected. When it comes to your sex drive or libido, your kidney’s essence (called jing) needs to be strong. If it’s too weak, you can boost it by eating certain foods. The kidney processes the nutrition we get from what we eat, so the right diet can strengthen the kidneys. This, in turn, boosts the libido!

The balance of yin and yang inside of you can also have an affect on your sex drive. When it comes to low libido, the culprit is usually low yang levels. Yang is the male energy, associated with lightness and activity. It’s related to sexual vitality, so without enough yang you might not have the desire or physical arousal to have sex.

However in Chinese medicine, more is not necessarily better. The Chinese believe that too much sex can be depleting, even leading to death by spermatorrhea, a condition not recognized by Western doctors.

It is important to remember that to be healthy and happy–including sexually–your yin and yang need to be in balance. So don’t just focus on jacking up your yang levels. Make sure to keep everything in harmony and your libido should definitely improve.

Ready to get your sex drive back in order? Then make sure to try one (or more!) of these 7 Chinese aphrodisiacs to boost your libido.

7 Chinese Sex Superfoods and Aphrodisiacs

Walnuts

TCM practitioners have been prescribing walnuts as a remedy for sexual dysfunction. In TCM, foods can either be warming, cooling, or neutral. Walnuts are warming, so they can boost qi and tonify the kidneys. They’re great for impotence, infertility, and other sexual dysfunctions. 

To get benefits from walnuts, eat 20 a day. They’re chock-full of omega-3 fatty acids which help with everything from health health to brain function. You can top a salad with them, mix some into your oatmeal, or just snack on them straight out of the bag.

Oysters

This may come as no surprise, since oysters are a well-known aphrodisiac. Oysters can help nourish your yin levels, since they come from the sea and yin is associated with moisture.

But they also have lots of B12 and protein to give you energy and stamina for your nighttime activities. Oysters also contain Zinc, which western medicine believes can help with testosterone levels and semen production.

Chives

Chives are an affordable Chinese superfood that can help invigorate your sex drive. As a “hot” or warming food, chives are thought to raise yang levels. They also have vitamins and nutrients like B1 to help you recover from physical activity quicker, so they’re perfect if you’re struggling with stamina.

Chives are easy to incorporate into lots of different dishes. Chop some up and add them to homemade dumplings, toss them in a stir fry, or top your rice with them.

Quail Eggs

Quail eggs might be a little more difficult to find than other things on this list, but some specialty grocery stores and farmer’s markets tend to have them. They’re an ancient Chinese remedy that is believed to help heal five of our major organs–the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys. This helps strengthen the blood and boost male virility. They are about ⅓ the size of chicken eggs.

Plus, they’re delicious! You can use them in pretty much any recipe that requires chicken’s eggs. Fry them up, soft boil them or make deviled eggs–there are so many eggcellent options.

Shrimp

Shrimp is another yang-boosting food that is easy to find in almost any grocery store. It’s warming, so it has an effect on the libido and can even help with impotence. Shrimp helps circulate the blood, bringing heat and energy throughout the whole body. And since they’re thought to nourish the kidneys, they’re great for male sexuality which also is related to the kidneys. 

If you’re really trying to boost your sex drive, try making a stir fry with shrimp and some other aphrodesiacs like chives and walnuts. Just make sure your dinner guest doesn’t have any nut or shellfish allergies, as that can definitely throw a kink in your evening plans. One note – choose your shrimp wisely. As bottom feeders, they can pick up pollutants so pick those from clean sources.     

Red Ginseng

Red Ginseng is one of the most popular helps in TCM. One of its many uses is boosting low libido and helping with erectile function. It doesn’t only have a physical affect, though–it’s also known to help with mental arousal and stimulation, especially with women experiencing menopause. 

You can find it in teas, powders, and pills. In some people, Red Ginseng can cause headaches and minor digestive issues, so keep an eye out for any symptoms when you first add it to your routine.

Red ginseng is the hottest form of ginseng and should be taken with caution by people who “run hot” so consult with a TCM practitioner about how much Red Ginseng to take.