Foods to Increase Libido for Women

A normal libido, or sex drive, promotes physical and emotional wellness and can strengthen intimacy with your partner. Many factors can interfere with women's libido, including hormonal shifts, medications such as birth control pills, sleep loss, vaginal dryness and low self-esteem. Addressing underlying causes as well as eating a healthy diet rich in certain nutrients can help restore lost sex drive, making way for a more gratifying life.

Fatty Fish

Fish are top sources of omega-3 fatty acids, essential fats your body must obtain from food 3. In addition to reducing bodily inflammation and enhancing cardiovascular health, omega-3s can help stave off negative moods and boost libido, says sexual health expert and urologist Dr. Jennifer Berman. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two 3.5-ounce servings of fish per week 35. Particularly omega-3-rich varieties include salmon, herring, mackerel, herring and lake trout.

Fruits and Veggies

As major providers of antioxidants, fruits and vegetables can add vitality to your meals and your sex drive. In a study published in the "International Journal of Impotence Research" in 2007, 59 women with metabolic syndrome, a collection of obesity-related conditions, consumed a Mediterranean-style diet or an alternate diet for two years 4. By the study's end, women who ate the Mediterranean diet consumed significantly more fruits and vegetables and showed greater improvements in sexual function than the control group.

Whole Grains

Unlike refined grains, such as white flour and instant rice, whole grains are not stripped of vital nutrient content during processing. As a result, they provide more fiber, antioxidants and B vitamins. B vitamins play an important role in lidibo. Consume whole grains in prepared foods, such as breads, cereals and pastas, that list whole grains as a main ingredient. Nutritious examples include oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley and air-popped popcorn.

Nuts, Seeds and Avocados

Nuts, seeds and avocados supply healthy fats, which can help increase libido and minimize vaginal dryness, making sex more pleasurable. Flaxseeds have estrogenlike effects, which may help improve your hormone levels. For an omega-3 boost, particularly if you seldom eat fish, have flaxseeds and walnuts. Avocados are useful libido boosters, according to The Doctors TV show, and provide nutritious alternatives to fatty cheese, bacon and mayo on sandwiches and salads 2.