Diet plays a pivotal role in your sex and orgasm. First and foremost, you must be healthy in order to perform (in the case of men) the very sexual act, and to enjoy sex (orgasm in the case of women).

Orgasm or the enjoyment of sex is based on the sensation of pleasure, which is preceded by the enhancement of anticipation and desire. Yes, it is all in the mind. But the body affects the mind as well, and accordingly your diet has an overall impact on your sex life.

According to research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), fish oil not only improves your cardiovascular health but also reduces depression and aggression. In other words, fish oil elevates the dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter of the sensation of pleasure. Dopamine holds the key to female sexual pleasure or orgasm. In addition, male erection is contingent on a healthy heart to send sufficient blood to the male organ to produce the desired erection necessary to accomplish the sexual act.

Saturated and monounsaturated fats (from meat, poultry, and dairy products) also enhance the dopamine in your body. Therefore, a fat-free diet may help you lose not only your weight but also your sexual desire. Fish oil is a safe, healthy, and non-addictive way to effectively elevate the dopamine levels in your body to give you the desire, the performance, and the orgasm in sex. Trans fats (synthetic fats manufactured from other fats) in junk food and commercial basked goods will negate the effect of the fish oil you consume.

In addition to dopamine, serotonin is another neurotransmitter responsible for better sex in that it improves your overall mood and relieves stress that may result in performance anxiety in men and prevent women from reaching an orgasm.

That said, too much serotonin may not be good. Depressed individuals are often prescribed antidepressants to artificially raise their serotonin levels, resulting in lower libido and orgasmic capability. Remember, anything that produces a high is generally followed by a low - which could be damaging to sex. Therefore, avoid caffeine in tea, coffee, sodas, and chocolate. Even a diet of carbohydrates with no protein may spike the serotonin level, upsetting the balance. The key is to maintain a balanced serotonin level in your body for maximum enjoyment of sex.

The American culture is affected by the billion-dollar soy industry: you find soy in everything - from tofu, soy milk, to snack bars. Protein is important to your diet and your sexual health, but it need not come from soy alone. Soy may be good for menopausal women, but too much soy may adversely affect your testosterone levels, and testosterone governs sexual desire.

Changing the way you eat, and eating right will invigorate your sex life. Eat more fish - not the farm-raised ones. If you plan to take the fish oil supplement, get the "fish oil" rather than the fish oil with a particular fish, such as "salmon fish oil" or "cod liver oil." A word of warning, overdosing on fish oil can lead to a risk of hemorrhage due to the blood-thinning properties of fish oil, so be careful. A balanced diet makes you sexually healthy.

Copyright (c) 2009 Stephen Lau