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Vegetarianism improves sex life
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Vegetarians are often the butt of jokes among their meat-eating friends, but as the saying goes, he who laughs last laughs best. It turns out that when it comes to the bedroom, vegetarian men can give any meat lover a run for their money.
According to a study by a team of scientists from the University of California, led by Dr. Michael Wasserman, those who prefer tofu and other plant foods are more active sexually. It is believed that the reason is in certain plant foods that affect hormonal levels and increase sexual activity.
The results of the scientists' research were published in the journal "Hormones and Behavior". This research work by the scientists is the first to study the connection between the behavior of wild primates and so-called phytoestrogens - sex hormones that are part of some plants.
The study lasted eleven months, during which time the scientists conducted a series of experiments, observing the primates in Uganda's Kibale National Park. They recorded what the animals ate, displays of aggression and the frequency of mating, and also collected stool samples to analyze changes in hormone levels.
The researchers found that the more the males consumed Milletia leaves, a legume that contains estrogen-like substances, the higher their levels of estradiol, a sex hormone, and cortisol, a stress hormone.
They found that with altered hormone levels, the monkeys spent more time having sex and less time relaxing and engaging in other activities.
Another study by scientists from Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, found that men involved in the study believed that eating meat made them more masculine and sexier. However, scientists say that vegetables and fruits are just as good as meat in this regard, and can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.