Libido, sometimes called sex drive, is how much a person wishes to engage in sexual activity. Your libido, or desire for sex, can be high or low. This depends on a mix of factors, such as your genetics, mental health, and environment.
It’s normal to feel concerned when you notice a change in your sex drive. However, it’s common for libido to have slight fluctuations as life and health circumstances change. For instance, feeling stressed at work or starting a new medication could affect your desire for sex.
If your libido is low, you may want to try natural methods that may help increase it. This includes managing stress, exercising regularly, and changing diet. If you continue experiencing low libido, especially for a long period, talk to your healthcare provider.
Several strategies can help you increase libido naturally. Managing your stress and addressing relationship issues are key factors. Making changes to improve your overall health, such as eating a balanced diet, getting quality sleep, and exercising regularly, may also help improve your sex drive.
Manage Anxiety and Stress
Stress can negatively affect your emotional and mental health. Studies have shown mental health issues like anxiety and depression are linked to reduced sex desire. Stress and anxiety can put pressure on you and affect the mood in the bedroom.
Techniques to manage anxiety and stress include:
- Get enough sleep
- Find out what triggers your anxiety and address it
- Take deep breaths or practice breathing exercises
- Exercise often
- Reduce your alcohol and caffeine intake, as they can make anxiety worse
- Celebrate your wins
- Accept that you cannot control all things
- Try relaxation methods like yoga, meditation, and massage
Improve Relationships
Sexual desire always changes over time. The longer you are in a relationship, the more you experience these fluctuations.
At some point, some people may feel like the sexual desire between them and their partner has waned. However, this may be due to other factors. For instance, people assigned female at birth (AFAB) appear to have lower libido than people assigned male at birth (AMAB).
Working on your relationship might also help improve your libido. The closer and more emotionally bonded you are to your partner, the better your sex life. You and your partner can take steps to improve your communication and conflict resolution or start trying new things together to renew those feelings of excitement.
Make Dietary Changes
No magic food quickly raises libido or corrects sexual issues. However, studies have shown there is a link between food or dietary approaches and sexual health.
The Mediterranean diet, which includes foods rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, and nuts, has been linked to better sexual function. In contrast, the Western (typical American) diet, which mainly consists of refined carbs, processed foods, saturated fat, and sodium, has been linked to metabolic diseases and obesity, all of which can negatively impact sexual health.
Here are a few ways diet can affect libido and other factors influencing libido:
- Whole, unprocessed foods are linked to increased vitality and reduced tension, anxiety, and depression.
- Strict or chronic (long-term) caloric restriction may reduce sex desire.
- Soy is a phytoestrogen and the most significant food source of isoflavones (compounds that mimic the structure of estrogen). It may improve sexual health for people assigned female at birth, as it can support vaginal lubrication (wetness) and blood flow.
- Fruits like watermelon and apple may support blood flow to the pelvic area. This is needed for vaginal lubrication and penile erection.
- Reducing sodium intake may help relax and widen blood vessels, which may enhance the arousal of the genitals.
- Dark chocolate, which contains more cocoa than milk chocolate, may be beneficial. It is rich in antioxidants and flavonoids, which support sexual function.
Improve Sleep Quality
You need enough sleep for good health. Studies have shown that sleep challenges, or insufficient sleep, can negatively affect sexual function.
Ways to improve your ability to fall and stay asleep include:
- Create a calming sleep environment by keeping your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool
- Exercise during the day and avoid exercising too close to bedtime
- Stay off screens and mobile phones before bedtime
- Maintain a consistent sleep routine
You can also speak to a healthcare provider about your sleep issues to rule out conditions like insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea.
Start Exercising
Studies have linked fitness and exercise to better sexual function. Exercise may help improve libido and sexual health by managing weight and enhancing sex hormones. It can also reduce the risk of having diseases that can cause low libido. Plus, exercise can improve mood and increase self-esteem, which may improve sex drive.
Try Herbal Supplements
Although evidence is limited, some herbal supplements may support sexual health, such as:
- L-Arginine: L-arginine is an amino acid naturally found in foods like poultry, dairy, and meat. The body uses it for muscle building. A review of studies found that a combination of products that contain L-arginine may help treat low sex drive.
- Vitamin D and iron: Vitamin D receptors in the womb and ovaries may influence the production of sex hormones. The body needs iron to make hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carry oxygen. A deficiency of vitamin D and iron can raise your risk of sexual dysfunction.
- Tribulus terrestris: Some people use this herb as a sexual stimulant. Some studies suggest it promotes sexual desire in females with sexual dysfunction, though other studies are inconclusive.
- Ginseng: Studies show ginseng may help improve sexual function in menopausal women. In a six-week trial, the experts found that females who took a combination of Korean ginseng and vitamin E said they had increased sexual desire.
Unlike prescribed medicines, supplements and herbal remedies are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). When choosing a supplement, look for a product that has been third-party tested to ensure it has effective ingredients and is free of toxins. Reputable third-party testing organizations include ConsumerLab and USP—look for their seal on the bottle.
Your medical team may also suggest medical treatments for low libido, such as medication, behavior therapy, and hormone therapy. If you have an underlying health condition causing low libido, your healthcare provider will form a treatment plan to manage the condition.
Medications
In the United States, the oral prescription drug Addyi (flibanserin) has been approved for treating low libido in people who are in their premenopausal and post-menopausal phases.
Some classes of medications may cause low sexual desire. These include:
- High blood pressure medications
- Antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
- Narcotics
If you take a medication that is causing your low libido, talk to your healthcare provider. They may suggest you stop, reduce your dose, or recommend another medication. For instance, high-dose Wellbutrin (bupropion) (150 milligrams twice daily) may treat sexual dysfunction caused by taking SSRIs.
Don’t stop taking a prescribed medication before talking to your provider.
Behavioral Therapy
Medical experts who are trained in couples therapy and treating sexual health issues can help you and your partner identify the relationship or emotional challenges that may be causing low libido. They may use talk or sex therapy to help find out underlying issues and suggest ways to improve intimacy.
Hormone Therapy
Your provider may suggest hormonal treatments to address health issues. These treatments involve using steroids that are created to mimic sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen.
When someone has low levels of these hormones, this treatment can help regulate and improve sexual desire. Testosterone therapy is beneficial in boosting libido in males with low testosterone levels. Likewise, estrogen therapy may enhance sexual function in females.
Address Underlying Health Issues
Your healthcare provider will ask more questions about your low libido symptoms and how long you have experienced them and may do physical examinations. They may take your medical and family history and order other tests.
These tests will help them discover any underlying medical conditions that may be contributing to your low libido. In this case, treatment for low libido will aim at first treating or managing the underlying health issue.
Medical organizations do not set a standard for a “normal” libido level. There is no accepted universal norm when it comes to how often people should feel like having sex.
However, it is common for some people to have higher or lower libido than others. This can be distressing if not managed, as libido significantly contributes to sexual satisfaction and behavior.
Several factors can affect individual libido including:
- Psychological factors: These are the things that affect how you function, think, and process information. Stress, past experiences, relationships, self-esteem, and emotional state can affect libido. You’re more likely to have a low sex drive when you are highly stressed, having relationship challenges, or facing past trauma.
- Biological factors: Internal components like your genes, brain chemistry, personality, health status, age, and hormones can influence your physical and mental health, affecting your sex drive. Sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone play important roles in sexual desire. Having a medical condition that affects these hormones can negatively affect your libido. Age-related changes can also play a role One study found females experience a dip in libido around ages 55-64, while males typically see a dip sooner—between ages 35 and 44.
- Environmental factors: For example, you and your partner may get more interested in sex when you are in a private, cozy environment. In contrast, you may be less interested in sex in a noisy, distracting, or unstimulating environment.
- Social and cultural factors: Cultural, religious, and societal norms or expectations can influence how you feel about sex. For instance, your culture or religion may suggest that certain sexual actions are “acceptable” while some are not. The pressure to conform to set standards can affect your libido. Your intimacy level and emotional connection with someone are also social factors that can influence libido.
The mechanisms involved in libido and arousal in both males and females are the same. However, libido levels vary from person to person and also change daily for each individual.
Some natural practices can help ramp up libido. Still, it is best to consult a healthcare provider, especially if your low libido persists, is disrupting your life, or is causing distress in your relationships. Medical experts are trained and better equipped to assess you, help you determine the underlying cause, and suggest a treatment that works.
There is a lot of information online. This can make it tempting to take supplements and medications on your own without a prescription. However, this can be harmful as you may be missing an underlying condition, take the wrong dosage, or take medications that could worsen your condition.
If you are considering supplements or herbal remedies, it’s wise to consult your healthcare provider, pharmacist, or registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) to get their perspectives.
Libido is a term used to describe a person’s sex drive or how much sex they desire. This can vary among individuals, but no set “normal” libido level exists. Different factors such as stress, relationships, hormones, and state of health can affect your libido on a day-to-day basis.
If you experience symptoms of low libido, such as loss of interest or little to no thoughts about sex, you may try lifestyle and dietary changes that can help improve it. You can also talk to a mental health provider or medical doctor for professional help if you continue to experience a newly low sex drive or if it worsens.
