Top Herbal Solutions for Enhancing Women's Libido

Dr. Mike: Hey, Dr. Mike here. Are you looking for a way to boost libido for yourself or your partner? Stick around to learn how fenugreek can help.

Live Foreverish Introduction: You're listening to Live Foreverish, a show dedicated to helping you live just a little longer. Here are your hosts, Dr. Mike and Dr. Crystal Gossard.

Dr. Mike: All right. Welcome to Live Foreverish. Dr. Crystal, I'm going to read you a survey from 2008. [Are] you ready?

Dr. Crystal: Okay. Yep.

Dr. Mike: A 2008 survey on [the] sexual function of 32,000 women in the United States by obstetrics and gynecology found that nearly half—44 percent—reported sexual concerns, with the most common concern being low sexual desire.

Here's the thing about this: the women were of all ages, not just postmenopausal. What do you think about all that? That's a lot.

Dr. Crystal: I think that it doesn't surprise me. It's a sign that healthcare professionals should be asking more women about this issue or sexual concerns during routine clinical encounters.

I've never been asked. And, of course, [there’s] some personal discomfort, but there are a lot of uncomfortable conversations that you have to have with your doctor. So, I'm not sure why this one creates such a…

Dr. Mike: It’s part of being a doctor. I don't know. It's just the way it is as you're getting into people's personal lives. I mean, that's part of it, right?

Dr. Crystal: Well, I'm curious. In medical school, did you talk about this? Maybe the doctors, they just don't know what to do. Maybe it's just too complex and they don't feel adequately prepared.

Dr. Mike: I don’t know. We did. We went through all kinds of different [topics], especially [our] second and third year.

We went through OB/GYN. You went to the clinics. You went through different scenarios, practicing [and] talking to people.

This came up a lot. So, I don't know what's happened now because that was a while ago, Dr. Crystal. Things may have changed in the curriculum a little bit—I don't know—but we did for sure.

Dr. Crystal: I wonder if it's also related. [Was that in] the context [of] more menopausal women? Because that's kind of what people assume.

You know, we recognize that sexual concerns arise during the menopausal years. And I'm just wondering if that's the context.

Dr. Mike: Maybe nowadays, I do remember—it's funny you’re making me go back to medical school days—when you learn how to take a physical history and do a physical exam, the first thing you learn is [the different questions to ask] women and men. One of the things you learn with women is you should ask about sexual issues because some may be trying to get pregnant if they're not in menopause.

And you [have] to bring that up because they don't often bring it up. And then [asking during] post-menopause because there's a lot of women that have that issue. I remember that being in very basic history questions.

Dr. Crystal: Interesting. Yes.

But yes, it occurs in younger women as well. I saw that survey that you referenced earlier, and [it occurs in] 27.2 percent of younger women—and ages 18 to 44 years is what we're considering young.

Dr. Mike: Our podcast, Live Foreverish, [has] now added three things to a basic physical exam for doctors. What does your stool look like? Are you spitting pink after you brush your teeth?

You should be asking that. Remember that. And now, sexual issues should be brought up. So, we've added three things for primary care doctors.

Dr. Crystal: Right. And if the primary care doctors [are] not bringing it up—and now I'm talking to the patients—then you have to bring it up.

Dr. Mike: I agree. You [have] to be your own…what's the word? Your own leader.

Dr. Crystal: Advocate.

Dr. Mike: Advocate. Yeah.

Dr. Crystal: Advocate for yourself.

Dr. Mike: It's unfortunate…We don't want to go down a tangent or anything here. But since we kind of already did.

You have to remember, [that] medicine is different today. Doctors—especially in primary care—are in these corporate settings, [and they are] asked to see a lot of patients every day. Maybe they're cutting some corners on the history-taking.

I don't know, sounds like it. We [have] to slow it down. We [have] to bring it back. And until we do, you [have] to be your own advocate.

Dr. Crystal: That's right.

What Are the Common Causes of Low Libido in Women? 00:04:54

Dr. Mike: Let's talk about some causes here. You said at the very beginning, it can be complex. And it is.

When I first hear of low libido, I do think of hormonal issues first. And that's usually for the older woman. Maybe not so much for the younger woman.

So, when we're looking at causes, do we need to split it up and say, “Okay, what are the common causes in a younger woman versus a postmenopausal woman?”

Dr. Crystal: Potentially, I think all roads lead to very—I don't want to say—simple solutions. But we know what can support libido and arousal, such as hormones like testosterone. But yes, it could be due to the antidepressants [or] hormonal birth control, which you will find some of the younger women taking.

But of course, [it’s] stress for many women. Desire and arousal: it's all in our heads. [With] the stress of life, sometimes you just don't feel beautiful—you don't feel attractive. Maybe it's their insecurities that [they] need to overcome.

And so, yes, it is very complex. And I think, to a certain extent, you have to treat each patient as an individual. Although we do know there are some things that across the board can help.

Dr. Mike: Yeah. Other than looking at hormones—the thyroid included in that—and looking at the sex steroid hormones, [like] your estrogen, testosterone—all that kind of stuff—there really isn't a low libido workup.

Yeah, there [are] workups for all kinds of stuff, your chest pain, your whatever. But when it comes to low libido, there's really nothing in the documentation that you could look at and say, “Oh, we should do this.” It’s really not there.

And so, at least check your hormones and look at your medications. But ultimately, let's get into the solutions: how can we help?

Dr. Crystal: Right. Yes.

What Is Fenugreek, And How Is It Used? 00:07:20

Dr. Mike: Let's dive into this. This is what they want to know. And the first one, I love it because I'm from the Mediterranean. I like to see my Mediterranean friends do good.

It’s an herb known as fenugreek—[it’s] all over the Mediterranean, southern Europe [and] parts of Asia. It's a small, little clove-looking thing—seed-like, almost coriander-looking. I don't know, have you ever seen a picture of fenugreek?

Dr. Crystal: I've eaten them. When I go to Indian restaurants—one of my favorite Indian restaurants—they're by the door. And so, when you leave, there's a little spoon and you can just pick up some and put them in your [hand].

This was pre-pandemic. Let me clarify. I haven't seen any bowls with spoons of fenugreek out recently.

Dr. Mike: COVID has changed so much.

Dr. Crystal: But yes, I do recall those days of having fenugreek on my way out the door to help with the digestion of my very spicy Indian food.

Dr. Mike: Well, it turns out there [are] some key compounds called saponins—I think I said that right—that are in fenugreek. Remember, one of the things Dr. Crystal and I like to do is when we look at the company that sponsors this—Life Extension, they're experts at this—[is to see what they are using, and they are using] the seed. So, fenugreek has shown some historical evidence for helping with sexual desire and stuff.

But number one: Is that really true? Number two: If that's the case, what's really the key compound inside the fenugreek that's doing that? These are called saponins.

You want to do fenugreek seed extract that is standardized to over 50% of these compounds. When you do that, Dr. Crystal, there's good evidence that the historical use of fenugreek was correct.

Dr. Crystal: Very true. We're seeing that its mechanism of action is through supporting healthy testosterone levels. And that goes back to what I mentioned earlier, something we know [is that] supporting testosterone can help to support the sex drive and estradiol levels as well.

Fenugreek—again, we're talking standardized fenugreek [and] these active constituents—[promotes] female sexual response [and] sexual desire. And we see [those results with] specific standardized fenugreek in younger women and menopausal women; we have research with both groups.

How Do Fenugreek and Saffron Enhance Women’s Sexual Health? 00:10:04

Dr. Mike: Yeah. That's great. Since that survey said all ages are having some issues here.

One study was on young, menstruating women; this was a controlled trial. Let's see, 80 women, 29 to 40 with self-identified low libido. They took that standardized fenugreek extract, 600 mg a day—I think they broke it up [to] 300 twice a day.

They reported an improvement in sexual satisfaction. Across the board, there was [an] improvement in levels of hormones. And all of this compared to [the] placebo in just eight weeks.

Dr. Crystal: I know, I think that's great. What's nice is that the objective measures—those improvements in hormones—match the subjective improvements that the women shared they experienced. So that's really nice.

Dr. Mike: Tell us about the second study then. I think [it was a] similar setup, right? Maybe not as many women—I don't know—but a little longer.

Dr. Crystal: [It was] more women, [and] a little longer—[a] 12-week study [with] 115 women, aged 40 to 65. The previous study stopped at 40, so now we're looking at an older, more mature age group. I would say not older—mature.

[They took] 600 mg of the fenugreek seed. The measured outcome was a very standard menopause-specific quality-of-life questionnaire. And there were improvements [in] menopausal symptoms, which is a bonus [of the] fenugreek. But there [were] also improvements in the sexual domain response part of that survey as well.

So we're seeing improvements in menopausal symptoms. And we know that sexual response is included in that survey, and there were improvements there. So we're seeing with both groups—eight weeks with the younger women [and] 12 weeks with the menopausal women—fenugreek helping to support various measures of sexual support.

Dr. Mike: A simple, safe and natural extract. I mean, Dr. Crystal's been eating the seeds for years and years and years in Indian restaurants. It's fine. She's doing great; no problems.

And [it’s] non-hormonal. That's important to some women…I mean, it has some hormonal effects, but fenugreek is not a hormone. I love it; I think it's fantastic. Great job, Mediterranean herb.

Dr. Crystal: And the one thing I would note, Dr. Mike, is the duration. I emphasized it earlier, but fenugreek is not something that you want to take as you prepare for a night of romance. This is something that you want to take on a regular basis.

Dr. Mike: It’s every day. That’s a good point.

Dr. Crystal: So, it’s not like the blue pill that men take. It’s a little different.

Dr. Mike: That's a very good point.

Fenugreek is good, it's an herb and it's healthy. And taking it daily is perfectly safe. You’ll get some additional benefit even from that.

Solution number two is saffron. And like fenugreek, saffron has been clinically shown to improve sexual satisfaction.

Saffron as a Solution 00:13:58

Dr. Crystal: Yeah. Historically, it's a traditional aphrodisiac in various cultures. Who knew?

But again, as you mentioned earlier, Life Extension looks at what's in saffron and what are [the] active components providing the benefits that we're seeing with saffron. We have research, again, with two active constituents—safranal and crocin—and both of those [are] beneficial.

Dr. Mike: Those are the same compounds, too, if I'm not mistaken, that we've looked at for certain food cravings and even helping with some weight loss. It's the same compounds there. So, I know in this study [it was] 74 women, aged—this is a huge age range—18 to 55.

So, this is a big one looking at sexual dysfunction on this test you can take [where] you get a score. 15 mg saffron extract twice a day—one percent of that was the saffron and 10 percent the crocin. [In] six weeks, what did they find?

Saffron Research Findings 00:15:15

Dr. Crystal: They saw improvements. This was also a questionnaire change in [the] female sexual function index—the scores of sexual functions. In the saffron group, the saffron-treated subjects, compared to placebo, had the greatest improvement in satisfaction and a significant improvement in desire and lubrication.

Just going back to what you mentioned [about] saffron and cravings and [that] saffron supports mood. [It’s a] similar mechanism of action. The researchers think this has to do with saffron positively supporting neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine [and] norepinephrine. These brain chemicals that are involved with desire and a positive mood translate to a positive mood in many spaces.

Dr. Mike: Well, it does. When you feel better overall, other places and other things start to feel better.

I remember a time when saffron was first being studied for mood. It was actually in depression because there was a belief that these compounds were serotonin reuptake inhibitors—or they act that way, boosting the serotonin. I don't know if that's what we believe the mechanism is now.

I don't know if that's as clear as they thought it was going to be. But whatever it's doing, it's boosting [serotonin] in some way. And that's definitely helping the mood issue, which then carries over to so many other things.

Dr. Crystal: Absolutely. And so, when we look at duration again—the fenugreek—we want to think about eight to 12 weeks. And then [for] the saffron, the study that we just covered [found that it took] six weeks to support [sexual satisfaction]. And that's important to take and just let it be an add-in.

How Long Does It Take for Fenugreek and Saffron to Work? 00:17:23

Dr. Mike: Just do it. Start taking it. The reason we're going over that again or I think the reason you're going over that again, Dr. Crystal, [is] because as our listeners know, sometimes we like to take a look at what people are saying in “Google Land.”

And a question that we see—does it really matter what the topic is or what the nutrient is?—so many people want to know how long [it will] take to work. And I get that—I understand that. Well, the answer to that is what Dr. Crystal just did: You [have] to look at the studies.

Dr. Crystal: That's right. I think responsible reporters [or] journalists—right, Dr. Mike—of information, we should make sure that we are sharing, not guesstimating. We just report what the researchers found and that's what you should expect as an individual.

Dr. Mike: That's what the data shows. That's what we have to report on.

Dr. Crystal: That's right.

Dr. Mike: Now of course, within those six weeks…it's an average. Some people got an effect a little earlier, [and] some people a little later. But they picked six weeks—they picked 12. There's the data. That's what you should stick with.

So, Dr. Crystal, we would not be doing our jobs correctly—since you are a Doctor of Clinical Nutrition—if we didn't answer another “Google Land” question: What is the best food to increase women's libido? What do you think?

Which Foods Naturally Boost Libido? 00:18:58

Dr. Crystal: Yes…Well, let's take a step all the way back, and let's talk about just supporting libido and arousal. Satisfaction is all about blood flow. That's a component. Hormones, that's a component. But healthy blood flow throughout the body. So, supporting cardiovascular health [through] healthy blood vessels [is] a great way or a great place to start.

So, you can look at a pomegranate, [which] is beneficial with that. I love Pycnogenol^® for that. And then think about the healthy foods like grape polyphenols, blueberries—a lot of those dark, colorful veggies—even omega-3s from fish.

So, we'll start there. And then other foods—we may not have formal studies—but many people are familiar with oysters as an aphrodisiac.

Dr. Mike: I don't care if they are or not. I just love to eat them.

Dr. Crystal: I know, me, too. Dark chocolate. I already mentioned pomegranate and pumpkin seeds may be beneficial. So, those are a few things you may want to add to your romantic dinner. A pomegranate dessert.

Dr. Mike: With pumpkin seeds on top.

Dr. Crystal: No. Combine the two! Something with pomegranate [and a] dark chocolate lava cake.

Dr. Mike: Yeah, that sounds great. With an appetizer of oysters to begin. The pumpkin seeds [is] an interesting one to me because we know pumpkin seeds [have] been studied a little bit in prostate health and men.

We also know that they can help strengthen pelvic floor muscles and stuff for women. So, it makes me wonder…pumpkin seeds like to help out in the genital and urinary area…in both men and women.

Dr. Crystal: Yes, we do have that information.

Dr. Mike: Look at that. This was a great show.

Dr. Crystal: Give it a try.

Dr. Mike: Yeah, this was a great show. I really enjoyed this. Hopefully, you learned something.

If you are experiencing low libido, go talk to your doctor. But remember, there's really not much of a workup. They can look at hormones [or you] might want to get that thyroid checked—make sure you're not anemic. Basic stuff like that is always helpful.

But you might want to give it a shot. These are safe, natural things. You're talking about saffron and fenugreek. There's really no reason not to give these a try and hopefully, they will help you out.

Hey, don't forget our sponsor, Life Extension, would like to say thank you. If you go to LifeExtension.com, shop around. When you check out, use the discount code “PODCAST,” and you'll get 10% off $50 or more plus free shipping and handling.

That's at LifeExtension.com, “PODCAST.” And then we have LiveForeverish.com, where there are…I always ask you, Dr. Crystal, how many episodes we have. We don’t know, do we? I don’t remember.

Dr. Crystal: But if you head to Live Foreverish, you'll see over 500, maybe 520 or so. Some of those are fan favorites. But yes, we have over five years, Dr. Mike, going on six years now.

Dr. Mike: Yeah, that's pretty amazing. So, check out LiveForeverish.com. Like, share, comment and, of course, subscribe, so you never miss a show. I'm Dr. Mike, that's…

Dr. Crystal: Dr. Crystal.

Dr. Mike: Thanks for listening.