Different foods are often being touted as having positive effects on various health issues, including sexual dysfunctions. When it comes to lasting longer in bed, the list goes long ranging from foods rich in magnesium, to dark chocolate and garlic.
The male sexual response is a complicated process orchestrated between many body organs and systems.
And the truth is that there isn’t a large body of evidence to support many of the claims regarding food and ejaculation. This also begs the question, why aren’t there any food-based treatment protocols for premature ejaculation?
The goal of this article is to review some of the common foods that are thought to help in delaying ejaculation and the research behind them.
What foods are thought to help premature ejaculation?
Food rich in magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral that is deficient in the vast majority of people. In some reports, up to 80% of people can be deficient.
Two studies from the University of Teheran and from Kuwait University found a possible link between low levels of magnesium and PE.
In the first 2007 study, men who had PE were compared to those who did not have PE. The results indicated that men with PE had both significantly lower levels and ratio of magnesium in their semen compared to the men without PE.
The second 2009 study also revealed that there was significantly lower levels of magnesium in the semen of men with PE compared to the others.
Foods high in magnesium include:
- Halibut
- Almonds
- Peanuts
- Cashews
- Spinach
- Cereal, shredded wheat
- Oatmeal
- Avocado
- Potato
- Yogurt
- Rice, brown, long-grained
- Kidney beans
- Banana
- Milk
- Bread, whole wheat
- Raisins
- Whole milk
Dark chocolate
Lower than normal levels of the brain chemical serotonin is considered to be one of the causes of premature ejaculation. Stress and performance anxiety can also cause or contribute to a lack of ejaculatory control.
Dark chocolate has been found to have mood elevating effects presumably by increasing serotonin levels. In this 2016 study, it showed that eating coca or dark chocolate can increase levels of serotonin and have mood-lifting effects. It also had vasodilatory effects due to an increased nitric oxide. Therefore, dark chocolate is often being cited as a “cure for PE”.
With that said, there aren’t any studies we know of that directly link between dark chocolate and delaying ejaculation.
Folic acid
Folic acid is vital for human health. A 2014 study showed that man with ED and PE had lower levels of folic acid than the control group.
Many foods are fortified with folic acid but dark-green leafy vegetables, legumes (beans, peas), and orange juice, asparagus, eggs, beets, brussels sprouts, nuts, broccoli, papaya, and wheat germ. Again, there aren’t any studies that examined the effect of increasing folic acid intake on delaying ejaculation.
Zinc
This 2009 study showed that zinc supplements increased ejaculation latency in male rats.
Foods that contain high quantities of zinc are:
- Hemp and pumpkin seeds
- Lentils
- Grass-fed beef
- Yogurt
- Spinach
- Mushrooms
- Avocados
- Chickpeas—hummus
- Cashews
Should I try eating different food to overcome premature ejaculation?
The truth is that if you pay a visit to your local sex therapist they probably will not offer a food-based line of treatment. In most of the cases we listed above, there just isn’t enough evidence, and there aren’t any food-based treatment protocols for PE we are aware of.
There are a lot of open questions. Most of the studies we cited talked about certain deficiencies that were spotted in men with PE on average.
But what if you don’t have that specific deficiency? No one knows if they are deficient because routine testing is not usually done. Would eating that certain food help? It is unclear and it’s best to eat a wide variety of foods for overall good health.
And what about men who don’t suffer from PE? Will eating those foods help them to last longer as well? Again, the sexual act varies immensely, so only trial and error would be able to show if there is any benefit.
What about quantities? This is also an open question as there aren’t any recommendations for a “premature ejaculation diet”. It’s important to keep in mind to eat the correct portions so that excess calories don’t become a problem. If you are deficient you can always take a supplement like magnesium.
As with any medical topic, there are more open questions than answers. When it comes to premature ejaculation, it’s probably better to stick to the commonly acceptable treatment method which we talk about here.
