Affiliation:
1. The State Education Institution of Higher Professional Training, The First Sechenov Moscow State Medical University
under the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, The F. Erisman Institute of Public Health, Moscow, Russia
2. Department of Rehabilitative Diet Therapy, Federal Research Center for Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food Safety,
2/14 Ustyinsky Passage, Moscow, Russia
Abstract
Abstract:
Since time immemorial, people have been trying to influence different aspects of their sexuality.
They seek ways to increase sexual activity or sexual desire in themselves and their partners. In addition
to resorting to all sorts of mystical rituals, people were looking for various effects from the use of
natural raw materials. Some plant, animal, or fungal products have been shown to affect libido, sexual
arousal, erectile function, orgasm or erogenous zone sensitivity. Such substances have been called "aphrodisiacs"
in honor of the ancient Greek goddess of love - Aphrodite. Most often, aphrodisiacs were taken
orally, but some were smoked while others applied to the genitals. In modern clinical practice, phosphodiesterase
type 5 inhibitors are used. These are substances, which enhance erection and prevent detumescence
in the presence of sexual arousal. Another group of drugs is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors,
which reduce sexual arousal and sexual afferent from the genitals, thus preventing the premature
onset of orgasm in men and prolonging sexual intercourse. However, drugs from other pharmacological
groups have not found widespread clinical application. Another issue now is a trend among people taking
drugs of natural origin, therefore, all kinds of traditional aphrodisiacs are actively used to the present day.
Very little is known about almost all of them. Clinical trials are in most cases limited to a few, often not
randomized, studies. In this regard, it is very difficult to evaluate the adequate therapeutic and toxic doses
of remedies. The situation is complicated by the fact that those few clinical studies were based on questionnaires,
that is, the indicators taken into statistical calculations were extremely subjective. Moreover, it
was uncertain whether all patients could adequately assess their dynamics in terms of parameters such as
sexual satisfaction, or clearly distinguish between libido and sexual arousal. Since the majority of the
studies were not blinded, a psychogenic influence on the results of the investigations could not be eliminated,
which in the sexual area may be huge. It is worth emphasizing the toxicity of many traditional aphrodisiacs.
Of course, there is a serious deficit in the spectrum of pharmacotherapy for sexual disorders.
Perhaps further large, randomized, placebo-controlled trials would add some of the traditional aphrodisiacs
or their modifications to the arsenal of the clinical specialist.
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
Subject
Organic Chemistry,Biochemistry