Sex drive or libido is important when it comes to a healthy sexual life. Yes, it fluctuates over time and varies from one person to another. But low sex drive is quite common among women. You might pop in some pills or consult an expert for it. Or you could try some libido-increasing foods. Talking of which, have you heard about reishi mushroom, which is reddish brown in colour and is said to be a great way to boost sex drive? An expert says that there are many mushrooms, and reishi mushroom is one of them that can help to create “magic in bedroom”. Read on to know more about this variety of mushroom and how it is linked to sex drive.

When it comes to loss of sex drive, it maybe due to lots of reasons. In fact, low libido says a lot about your health.

Health Shots got in touch with Dr. Pratibha Singhal, Director – Department of Gynecology and Obstetrician, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Noida, to know more about what causes loss of sex drive and how reishi mushroom can help.

Factors that can affect libido

Loss of sex drive can happen due to multiple factors like age. Dr Singhal says that it usually declines as you grow older. Other factors are

• Certain health issues like obesity or, chronic illnesses can also affect your sex drive.
• Hormonal changes that happen during pregnancy is also one of the factors of low sex drive.
• When women are stressed, they produce a hormone called prolactin which leads to a reduced sex drive.
• Change in diet patterns also leads to reduced libido. If you replace healthy food with more of fast foods which are high in calorie, they lead to obesity, lethargy and a reduced libido.

Reishi mushroom is a natural aphrodisiac

There are many natural aphrodisiac foods that can ease your libido woes. Dr Singhal says that banana, coffee, honey and strawberries help to increase blood flow to the genital organs, hence increasing libido. Joining the list of reishi mushroom, which has been known to increase immunity and improve health in general. The expert says that reishi mushroom is a strong aphrodisiac food. It tastes bitter when eaten as a fresh mushroom, but it is available in capsule, powder and tincture forms too.

If you decide to have it fresh, eat 25 grams of it per day. In the capsule form, the daily dose is about 1.5 grams, in powder it is 1 to 1.5 grams per day and in the form of tincture, the accepted dose is about 1 ml per day, says the expert. The powder or tincture versions can be taken by mixing in water.

Side effects of reishi mushroom

Anything eaten in excess is not good for our health, and the same goes for reishi mushroom. If you have it regularly for three to six months, it can cause allergic reactions. You can end up with dryness of mouth and throat. It can cause dizziness, itchiness and rashes all over the body. You can also have headaches and nasal bleeding. It is also known to interact with medicines taken for hypertension, painkillers, so Dr Singhal says a medical opinion should be taken before eating reishi mushroom.