Every woman goes through the ebb and flow of sexual desires. Your general well-being, age, relationship and stress, all have an impact on how you think and want or respond to sexual stimuli.

Given below are a few helpful options to boost libido in women:

Eating right

The first step to boost libido in women and fix your sex drive is to eat the right kind of foods.

• Vitamin A
  It is an essential element for the production of sex hormones – estrogen and testosterone.

These are important for sexual development and desires. To maintain the levels of these hormones, it is important to add vitamin A to your daily intake. Foods like cabbage and dry apricots are a rich source of this vitamin and can boost libido in women.

Vitamin B3
Chicken, green peas, mushrooms are foods that are rich in vitamin B3. This vitamin is responsible for the production of short bursts of energy while having sex. Vitamin B3 greatly enhances the intensity of your libido. It can efficiently boost libido in women.

Vitamin B6
Prolactin is a hormone that is associated with the period of non-arousal after having an orgasm. This is why higher levels of this hormone can decrease your sexual appetite. Vitamin B6 keeps prolactin levels in check, within your bloodstream and allows for a better sex drive. Foods include avocados, low-fat cheese, and tomatoes. Intake of this vitamin will boost libido in women.

Vitamin B12
This vitamin is an important factor in stimulating the nerve cells, to secrete histamine while having sex. Histamine causes the blood vessels to dilate and relax, and this is how you can achieve orgasm. To boost libido in women, it is important to have vitamin B12 foods like oysters, eggs, red salmon, and tuna. These foods are also called as aphrodisiacs – stimulants of sexual desire.

Vitamin E
An antioxidant, vitamin E helps boost female libido by maintaining the health of your sexual organs. Additionally, it improves circulation of blood to the arteries resulting in pleasurable sex. Add whole grain bread, nuts, and broccoli to your diet to gain benefits of vitamin E.
Systemic investigations have revealed that vitamin C foods like orange and guava, aid in the circulatory benefits of vitamin E.

Collagen
A type of protein, that provides elasticity and strength to your skin, making it tighter and firm. With age, the body reduces its production of collagen which leads to loosening of your vaginal lining. Bone broths are the only source of collagen that makes it biologically available to the body for direct absorption. Particularly, beef bone broths are most beneficial for vaginal wall health, keeping them tight and maintaining lubrication.

Water
Vaginal dryness becomes a deterrent for sex in many women. Keeping the body hydrated makes your vulva area moist and lubricated. It also helps in avoiding fatigue that makes your libido more active.

A special mention goes to dark chocolate, which produces serotonin and phenylethylamine. Both these organic compounds carry aphrodisiac qualities and uplift moods.

Foods to avoid
In conjunction with adding the above foods into your daily intake, it is important to watch out for foods that can destroy your sex drive.

• Trans fat (fried) Foods
  Greasy food items full of trans fat can wreak havoc on your libido. It’s simple logic; more the fat more is the energy used by your body to process the same. This causes a depletion of energy levels and directly affects your desire for sex.
• Dairy
  Unless you are sure of the quality of dairy products that you are using at home, you must use them in moderate amounts. The synthetic hormones administered to cows, find their way into our system via these dairy products and cause fluctuations in estrogen and testosterone levels.
• Processed foods
  High sodium content in canned and processed food is a risk factor for developing high blood pressure. This decreases the blood flow to the vagina and sends your libido levels plummeting low. Processed foods also carry chemicals (preservative) that have adverse effects on the sexual hormones.
• Alcohol
  Except for a glass of antioxidant-rich red wine, alcoholic beverages must be sidestepped. They hinder the process of vasodilation, causing an erratic flow of blood to arousal areas, and decrease body sensitivity.
• Sugar
  Studies reveal that glucose – from sugar intake, causes a major decline in the level of testosterone flowing into the bloodstream. Testosterone that is produced by the ovaries is important to boost libido in women.

Supplements
In addition to consuming essential vitamins from food sources, you can also add supplements such as Maca, Asian (Panax) Ginseng, Yohimbine, and Iron. These have shown great results in increasing sexual desires in women, especially during menopause.

It is important to understand that libido is an important aspect of a healthy life. Addressing this issue early on can help drive down stress, and make you feel better about your relationship with your partner.