Can ginger improve your sex drive?

If you’ve landed here, you’re probably wondering what exactly ginger can do to improve your sex life. Ginger is a pantry staple, but did you know it could have some amazing health benefits in and outside the bedroom? From improved digestion to reduced inflammation, ginger has been used as a medicinal plant for years. 

On top of all these benefits of ginger, you might have heard that adding it fresh to your diet can enhance sexual function, improve performance, and increase satisfaction. But is it true? Can ginger really improve ED or make you last longer in bed? 

Read on to find out whether ginger can help you in the bedroom and the right way to incorporate this plant into your diet for the ultimate benefit. 

One of the reasons why ginger is so beneficial is because it’s very high in antioxidants. The antioxidants in ginger have been shown to help decrease oxidative stress related to aging. This is important because oxidative stress related to aging can lead to health conditions negatively impacting numerous organs such as the brain, kidneys, and heart. 

Another way ginger benefits heart health is by supporting healthy cholesterol levels. One meta analysis of 26 different scientific studies found that consuming ginger or taking a ginger supplement regularly may help lower LDL cholesterol (aka “bad” cholesterol) while raising HDL cholesterol (that’s thought of as the “good” type). Having high LDL cholesterol levels is one of the biggest risk factors for cardiovascular disease, so keeping cholesterol in check is a key way to take care of your heart. 

You know how ginger ale is the go-to ingredient for tummy aches and sick days? Scientific studies show that ginger can help with nausea and vomiting. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, fresh ginger has long been used as a natural remedy, often to help treat cold and flu symptoms. While ginger can support immune health because of its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties and has natural antibiotic compounds, it should not be used in place of antibiotics or other prescription medications recommended by healthcare providers. 

There’s some scientific evidence that consuming ginger regularly can play a supporting role in healthy weight loss too. In one meta-analysis of studies focusing on ginger and weight loss, some studies found that taking a ginger supplement regularly helped reduce body weight in people with obesity. 

Besides the above ways that ginger can benefit your general health, there may be some sexual benefits, too. 

1.  Help maintain health of blood vessels 

While the direct effects of ginger on erectile function haven’t been studied in depth, ginger may improve some aspects of blood flow in the body. As we know, blood flow is an important part of getting and maintaining an erection. Ginger may have beneficial effects on blood pressure, which is important for maintaining cardiovascular health. Studies show a correlation between high blood pressure and risk of erectile dysfunction (ED), so this effect of ginger may prove helpful to those who incorporate it into their routine. Furthermore, the antioxidant effects of ginger may help reduce damage to your body’s blood vessels over time, which will help promote erectile health.

2. May improve fertility 

If you want to grow your family, it may help to start working ginger into more of your meals. Animal studies of rats with diabetes show that ginger could improve semen quality by improving the quality and concentration of sperm. It’s important to note that this connection hasn’t been confirmed in human studies, but scientific researchers believe it's the antioxidants in ginger that help improve semen in these ways. (By the way, they actually studied ginger when it was combined with cinnamon to determine the effects on semen quality, so you may want to blend the herbs together.) 

3. May decrease anxiety

It’s hard to get in the mood when anxiety is ruling your body and mind. Animal studies show that consuming ginger could help decrease feelings of anxiety, which is scientifically plausible because it contains compounds that bind to a serotonin receptor. Studies involving humans still need to be done to confirm the connection, but it’s certainly a promising hypothesis. Other nutrients found in food that may help with anxiety include omega-3 fatty acids, some strains of probiotics, and magnesium.

4. May increase sexual desire

Besides decreasing anxiety, consuming ginger could help get you in the mood by making you feel more sexually aroused. In one scientific study that involved 249 men and 250 women, people who consumed ginger regularly reported higher levels of sexual desire than people who didn’t eat ginger regularly. Not only did those who consumed ginger have a stronger desire to have sex, but they were more aroused while they did it too.

After learning about all of the ginger benefits for men, you may be ready to start incorporating ginger into more of your meals. But before you do, it’s important to be aware of any health risks. As with any herb, there is always a risk of an allergy or sensitivity. That said, ginger is widely known to be safe to eat. Negative side effects are rare, but could include mild heartburn, mouth irritation, or diarrhea. As with most components of a diet, moderation is important. Before making any significant changes to your diet, discuss with a healthcare provider.

Unfortunately, there hasn't been enough research on humans to determine whether ginger has any sexual benefits for humans. But animal studies show that ginger may be a powerful medicinal plant in many ways, including when it comes to your sex life. 

So while it shouldn’t be your first line of defense to treat conditions such as ED, premature ejaculation, or low libido, adding more ginger to your diet may be a low-risk way to improve your overall and sexual health. Whether you choose to incorporate the fresh herb into your cooking, buy it in powder form, or take it as a supplement, it may be worth consuming a little more ginger and seeing whether it spices things up in the bedroom.

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Every article on Health Guide goes through rigorous fact-checking by our team of medical reviewers. Our reviewers are trained medical professionals who ensure each article contains the most up-to-date information, and that medical details have been correctly interpreted by the writer.

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Current version

June 25, 2024

Written by

Emily Laurence

Fact checked by

Raagini Yedidi, MD

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About the medical reviewer

Raagini Yedidi, MD

Raagini Yedidi, MD, is an internal medicine resident and medical reviewer for Ro.