Are Oysters An Aphrodisiac?

There’s a lengthy history of claims that oysters are aphrodisiacs. But where did this originate? And does it actually hold up?

Giacomo Casanova, most famous in eighteenth century Italy for having seduced more than a hundred women, regularly consumed oysters to enhance his sexual appetite and prowess, popularizing the notion of their function as an aphrodisiac throughout the time.

But it was long before that, at least since the Roman Empire, that oysters had been associated with sexual desire and virility, which makes pinning down a specific initial reference more challenging. 

But is this all myth? Old wive’s tale? Conjecture?

And more importantly - what exactly is in oysters? Is there evidence to suggest they hold their weight as an aphrodisiac?

Let’s first revisit the definition of aphrodisiac, because these are not mythical substances. They are “a food or substance that enhances sexual desire by increasing blood flow to the genitalia”. (You can read more about what constitutes aphrodisiacs here).

So here’s what we see when we look at the science: oysters have remarkable nutrient density - just a small serving is higher in b12, zinc, and some of the less abundant minerals, like selenium and potassium, than 95% of our diet. And there is some evidence to suggest that zinc directly bolsters testosterone levels, and fertility, and the same can be said of selenium. 

Then there’s the amino acid d-aspartic acid, which is abundant in oysters. And some evidence suggests, again, that it supports healthy testosterone levels, fertility and libido. 

But of course well-rounded high quality nutrition supports libido, especially when we consider the time period throughout which oysters became popular as aphrodisiacs. They were times throughout which the majority of the population belonged to an agrarian, peasant class. These were peoples that subsisted with little dietary variation so when we consider a food high in zinc and other key nutrients, it’s unsurprising that they became associated with sexual appetite and vigor.

We also can't dismiss the seductive power of a wet, slippery, fleshy mass in our mouths. But we can’t go around constituting everything nutrient dense as an ‘aphrodisiac’; not in times where an abundance of nutrients are readily available.

So the conclusion? Oysters are fantastic for sexual health, and eating foods like them regularly is a wonderful way to promote overall vitality and robust libido. But there is no evidence to suggest that oysters are true aphrodisiacs. Meaning there is no evidence that there is a pharmacologic mechanism, outside of a nutritional profile, by which oysters enhance bloodflow to the genitalia, or support reproductive organs and tissues - which is exactly the kind of seductive magic true aphrodisiacs work.