Can Garlic Improve Your Sex Life?

Garlic is a popular ingredient that has been linked to a long list of health benefits.

According to some studies, garlic could help fight inflammation, reduce cholesterol levels, and protect against chronic disease (1Trusted Source).

Given its many medicinal properties, people may also wonder whether garlic can improve sexual function or increase libido.

This article looks at the evidence to determine whether garlic can increase your sex drive.

May improve blood flow
Some research suggests that garlic may help increase blood flow, which may be beneficial for treating issues like erectile dysfunction in men.

In fact, multiple human and animal studies have found that certain compounds found in garlic can increase blood flow and improve blood vessel function (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).

What’s more, one study among 49 older men found that a medication containing ingredients like aged garlic extract, ginseng, and velvet antler improved erectile function (5Trusted Source).

Garlic can also increase nitric oxide levels, a compound that helps blood vessels dilate to promote better blood flow. This could potentially help improve erectile function (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).

However, more human studies are needed to evaluate the effects of garlic on erectile dysfunction specifically.

May enhance male fertility
In addition to increasing blood flow, some studies have found that garlic may help promote male fertility.

One review of 18 studies concluded that garlic helped boost sperm production and increase levels of testosterone, which may be due to its antioxidant properties (9).

In a recent animal study, S-allyl cysteine, a compound found in garlic, increased testosterone production in mice (10Trusted Source).

Another animal study also showed that aged garlic extract could protect against changes in sperm production and testosterone levels caused by chemotherapy (11Trusted Source).

Still, further research is needed to determine how garlic may affect male fertility and testosterone levels in humans.
Acts as an antioxidant
Antioxidants can not only help protect against chronic disease but also may play a key role in sexual health and fertility.

Fresh garlic and aged garlic extract are rich in antioxidants and can help neutralize harmful compounds known as free radicals (12Trusted Source).

According to one study among 100 men with infertility, taking an antioxidant supplement increased sperm count (13Trusted Source).

Interestingly, one study in rats with diabetes found that S-allyl cysteine from garlic improved erectile function by blocking the formation of free radicals (14Trusted Source).

However, additional studies are needed to understand how the antioxidants in garlic may affect sexual function and fertility in humans.

The bottom line
Garlic is a powerful ingredient that has been linked to many potential health benefits.

According to some human and animal studies, it may improve sexual function by increasing blood flow and enhancing fertility, especially in men.

Still, limited research is available on garlic’s effects on sex drive specifically, and it remains unclear how it might affect sexual function in women.

However, it can easily be enjoyed as part of a nutritious, well-rounded diet to support overall health and protect against disease.

10 Ways to Boost Male Fertility and Increase Sperm Count

If you and your partner are experiencing fertility issues, know that you’re not alone. Infertility is more common than you might think.

It affects about one in every six couples, and researchers estimate about one in every three cases is due to fertility problems in the male partner alone (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).

While infertility is not always treatable, there are some things you can do to boost your chances of conceiving. Fertility can sometimes be improved with a healthy diet, supplements, and other lifestyle strategies.

This article lists some of the main lifestyle factors, foods, nutrients, and supplements that have been associated with improved fertility in men.

What is male infertility?
Fertility refers to people’s ability to reproduce without medical assistance.

Male infertility is when a man has a poor chance of making his female partner pregnant. It usually depends on the quality of his sperm cells.

Sometimes infertility is linked to sexual function, and other times it could be linked to semen quality. Here are some examples of each:

Libido. Otherwise known as sex drive, libido describes a person’s desire to have sex. Foods or supplements that claim to increase libido are called aphrodisiacs.
Erectile dysfunction. Also known as impotence, erectile dysfunction is when a man is unable to develop or maintain an erection.
Sperm count. An important aspect of semen quality is the number or concentration of sperm cells in a given amount of semen.
Sperm motility. An essential function of healthy sperm cells is their ability to swim. Sperm motility is measured as the percentage of moving sperm cells in a sample of semen.
Testosterone levels. Low levels of testosterone, the male sex hormone, may be responsible for infertility in some men.
Infertility can have multiple causes and may depend on genetics, general health, fitness, diseases, and dietary contaminants.

Additionally, a healthy lifestyle and diet are important. Some foods and nutrients are associated with greater fertility benefits than others.

Here are 10 science-backed ways to boost sperm count and increase fertility in men.

1. Take D-aspartic acid supplements
D-aspartic acid (D-AA) is a form of aspartic acid, a type of amino acid that’s sold as a dietary supplement.

It should not be confused with L-aspartic acid, which makes up the structure of many proteins and is far more common than D-AA.

D-AA is mainly present in certain glands, such as the testicles, as well as in semen and sperm cells.

Researchers believe that D-AA is implicated in male fertility. In fact, D-AA levels are significantly lower in infertile men than fertile men (3Trusted Source).

This is supported by studies showing that D-AA supplements may increase levels of testosterone, the male sex hormone that plays an essential role in male fertility.

For example, a study in infertile men suggested that taking 2.7 grams of D-AA for 3 months increased their testosterone levels by 30–60% and sperm count and motility by 60–100%.

The number of pregnancies also increased among their partners (4).

Another controlled study in healthy men showed that taking 3 grams of D-AA supplements daily for 2 weeks increased testosterone levels by 42% (5Trusted Source).

However, the evidence is not consistent. Studies in athletes or strength-trained men with normal to high testosterone levels found that D-AA didn’t increase its levels further and even reduced them at high doses (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).

The current evidence indicates that D-AA supplements may improve fertility in men with low testosterone levels, while they don’t consistently provide additional benefits in men with normal to high levels.

More research is needed to investigate the potential long-term risks and benefits of D-AA supplements in humans.

Shop for D-aspartic acid supplements online.

2. Exercise regularly
Besides being good for your general health, exercising regularly can boost testosterone levels and improve fertility.

Studies show that men who exercise regularly have higher testosterone levels and better semen quality than inactive men (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).

However, you should avoid too much exercise, as it may have the opposite effect and potentially reduce testosterone levels. Getting the right amount of zinc can minimize this risk (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).

If you rarely exercise but want to improve your fertility, make becoming physically active one of your top priorities.

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3. Get enough vitamin C
You’re probably familiar with vitamin C’s ability to boost the immune system.

Some evidence indicates that taking antioxidant supplements, such as vitamin C, may improve fertility.

Oxidative stress is when levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) reach harmful levels in the body.

It happens when the body’s own antioxidant defenses are overwhelmed because of disease, old age, an unhealthy lifestyle, or environmental pollutants (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).

ROS are constantly being produced in the body, but their levels are kept in check in healthy people. High levels of ROS may promote tissue injury and inflammation, increasing the risk of chronic disease (17Trusted Source).

There’s also some evidence that oxidative stress and excessively high levels of ROS may lead to infertility in men (18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).

Taking in enough antioxidants, such as vitamin C, may help counteract some of these harmful effects. There’s also some evidence that vitamin C supplements may improve semen quality.

A study in infertile men showed that taking 1,000-mg vitamin C supplements twice a day for up to 2 months increased sperm motility by 92% and sperm count by more than 100%. It also reduced the proportion of deformed sperm cells by 55% (20Trusted Source).

Another observational study in Indian industrial workers suggested that taking 1,000 mg of vitamin C five times a week for 3 months may protect against DNA damage caused by ROS in sperm cells.

Vitamin C supplements also significantly improved sperm count and motility, while reducing the numbers of deformed sperm cells (21Trusted Source).

Taken together, these findings suggest that vitamin C may help improve fertility in infertile men with oxidative stress.

However, controlled studies are needed before any definite claims can be made.

4. Relax and minimize stress
It’s hard to get in the mood when you’re feeling stressed, but there might be more to it than not feeling up for sex. Stress may reduce your sexual satisfaction and impair your fertility (22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source).

Researchers believe the hormone cortisol may partly explain these adverse effects of stress.

Prolonged stress raises levels of cortisol, which has strong negative effects on testosterone. When cortisol goes up,