Salep Aphrodisiac

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Ylang Ylang, an Aphrodisiac

Ylang-ylang (ee-lahng-ee-lahng), Cananga odorata, is a small but beautiful flower of the cananga tree. The tree attains an average height of 12 meters, grows in full or partial sun, and prefers the acidic soils of its native rainforest habitat. The leaves are long, smooth and glossy. The flower is greenish yellow or pink, curly like a starfish, and yields a highly fragrant essential oil. A related species is Cananga fruticosa which is a dwarf Ylang-Ylang growing as small tree or compact shrub with hightly scented flowers. Ylang Ylang has been cultivated in temperate climates under conservatory conditions.

The word derives from the Tagalog (one of the native languages of the Philippine Islands) plant name ilang-ilang, and does not allude to the pleasant scent of ylang-ylang flowers.

Ylang-ylang essential oil is used in aromatherapy. It is believed to relieve high blood pressure, normalize sebum secretion for skin problems, and considered to be an aphrodisiac. According to Margaret Mead, it was used as such by South Pacific natives such as the Solomons where she did much of her research. The oil from ylang-ylang is widely used in perfumery for oriental or floral themed perfumes. Ylang-ylang blends well with most floral, fruit and wood smells. In Indonesia, ylang-ylang flowers are spread on the bed of newlywed couples.

Wikipedia

The scent of ylang ylang, if used in the right quantities, relaxes your troubled thoughts. It’s because it has a euphoric and sedative effect on the nervous system and helps with anxiety, tension, shock, fear and panic. As a tonic to the nervous system that has comforting and soothing effects plus it lifts the mood, it has been known as one of nature’s potent aphrodisiac which, some say, is useful for impotence and frigidity. In fact in parts of the Pacific Rim, ylang ylang is associated with weddings and honeymoons. This may account for its popularity in perfume blends. Of course, the so-called aphrodisiac scents also simply smell wonderful, which may be why they are attractive to most women.

Traditionally, it was used medicinally to treat malaria and to sooth insect bites and to fight off other infections.

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Shi Hu Aphrodisiac

Dendrobium Nobile, also known as Shi Hu in Pinyin, has been used for medicinal purpose for at least 2,000 years. The evidence is its related record in “Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic”, which was written 2300 to 2780 years ago (the Warring States Period). It usually grows atop the perpendicular cliff walls and is exposed to the moisture of dew and rain as well as to the essence of the sun and moon throughout the year. This reason led traditional Chinese medicine to believe that it owns such rich and balanced pharmaceutical ingredients for treatment of a variety of disorders, such as chronic pharyngitis, gastrointestinal disease, eye disease, thrombotic occlusive disease, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and so on.

For thousands of years, people in South China will risk their lives to pick the “immortality herb” grown in the edge of cliffs for saving patients in critical condition. In the legends, the juice of it can resurrect the dead. Of course, this is just a legendary saying but can offer another perspective on reviews of its rarity and efficacy. It is highly regarded as the No. 1 of the 9 “Chinese immortality herbs” (i.e. Tie Pi Shi Hu dendrobium candidum, Tian Shan Xue Lian Saussurea involucrate from Tian Shan Mountain, San Liang Zhong Ren Shen three liang of ginseng, one-hundred-and-twenty-year He Shou Wu, Fu Ling Poria of a cycle of sixty years, Cong Rong Cistanche, Shen Shan Ling Zhi Ganoderma in remote mountains, Hai Di Zhen Zhu seabed pearls, and Dong Chong Xia Cao Cordyceps Sinensis).

Medicinally it mainly refers to the fresh or dried stem of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. This is a member in the family Orchidaceae. However, the name Shi Hu also means the four other dendrobium orchid varieties namely; Dendrobium loddigesii Rolfe., Dendrobium fimbriatum Hook. var. oculatum Hook., Dendrobium chrysanthum Wall., and Dendrobium candidum Wall. ex Lindl. So other common names of this herb include Dendrobium Stem, Herba Dendrobii, Shi Hu Lan, dendrobium orchid, Jian Chai Shi Hu (literally “gold hairpin dendrobium”), and more. In China it is mainly produced in provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan. It is harvested all the year round. Medicinally, it is usually dried by the fire or in the sun, cut, and used raw.

The medicinal uses of dendrobium have been recorded in a few famous ancient medical writings, such as Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (the Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica), Ben Cao Gang Mu (The Compendium of Materia Medica), Zhong Yao Da Ci Dian (The Dictionary of Medicinal Plant), and so on.

Its main health benefits are as follows:

1) Nourishes Yin, clears Heat and generates fluids
2) Enriches Kidney Yin and reduces Heat from Deficiency
3) Tonifies the Kidneys, augments Jing, brightens the eyes, strengthens the tendons and bones and strengthens the low back
4) Nourishes Stomach and Lung Yin

Certain constituents of orchids suggest biological activity. Alkaloids are nitrogenous organic heterocyclic molecules that have pharmacological effects on humans and other animals. They are secondary metabolites of plants and are of amino acid origin. Well-known alkaloids include strychnine, morphine, codeine, nicotine, atropine, cocaine, quinine, methamphetamine, reserpine, caffeine and theophylline. In orchids, 214 species in 64 genera contain 0.1% or more alkaloids. In China, 8% of Dendrobium species, 18% of Eria species and 42% of Liparis species have this degree of alkaloid content. Thus it is quite possible that orchids grown in China have medicinal or toxic properties when consumed by man. However, no herbal Chinese product has been subjected to the tests for efficacy and safety that would be required to satisfy the world medicine regulatory authorities.

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Clove Aphrodisiac

Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, Syzygium aromaticum. They are native to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice.

The use of the clove is very old. It is known that in the year 266 BC the Chinese army officers used this spice to combat halitosis or bad odor, especially prior to the interviews with the emperor. Probably the clove had already been used some 2500 years ago in the Han dynasty.

The Egyptians must have known it quite well since there have been found necklaces made with cloves in some sarcophagi.

It is known that the Greeks and Romans did not use it too much, and yet this spice was mentioned in the descriptions of Aegineta Paulus, a Greek physician of the seventh century, as food and medicine.

Clove contains significant amounts of an active component called eugenol, which has made it the subject of numerous health studies, including studies on the prevention of toxicity from environmental pollutants like carbon tetrachloride, digestive tract cancers, respiratory problems, and joint inflammation.

In the United States, eugenol extracts from clove have often been used in dentistry in conjunction with root canal therapy, temporary fillings, and general gum pain, since eugenol and other components of clove (including beta-caryophyllene) combine to make clove a mild anaesthetic as well as an anti-bacterial agent. For these beneficial effects, you'll also find clove oil in some over-the-counter sore throat sprays and mouth washes.

As an aphrodisiac, Clove is a widely used remedy to stimulate the libido in Oriental countries, especially in women who have lost sexual desire due to nervous reasons or eating disorders. It can be used in men when problems of erection or premature ejaculation appear.

Cloves are also aromatic in nature; its wealth in aroma makes it a very suitable ingredient in the perfume industry. This aromatic fragrance is also thought to enhance sexual feelings.

Cloves aphrodisiac qualities are also attributed to its form. Its flower bud and parts of its root, are vaguely phallic in form. Because of the level of joyful expectation—or immoderate optimism, depending on one’s vantage point—even a vague resemblance is, it seems, resemblance enough.

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Vanilla as an aphrodisiac

Vanilla is an orchid. There are about 60 species scattered around the globe, but most are not suitable for the production of Vanilla beans, that culinary delight which is found in delicatessens. Yes, Vanilla is one expensive spice, second to Saffron. If you’re wondering why you have a cheap one in your kitchen, they are most probably the “cheap imitation vanillas” whose mixture is made from synthetic substances which imitate the vanilla smell and flavor. The one commercially used as a spice is Vanilla planifolia (formerly known as Vanilla fragrans). It is mostly from Mexico. It is a robust, climbing vine producing a single leathery leaf about 12cm long at each node together with its roots which cling tenaciously to its host tree or, in cultivation, trellis. The vine itself can be 20mm in diameter. Vanilla planifolia comes in two varieties - the plain and the variegated form. The plant usually does not flower until at least 3 metres tall and it can reach a size of 20 metres and more.

The scent and flavor of Vanilla, which is believed to arouse sexual desires, comes from its black beans. The seed pod develops over a period of 8 to 9 months, and to about 200mm in length. The pod is green, plump and still immature. It does not have any aroma at this stage. A good vine can produce 100 pods per year. There are several methods of treating the pods to turn them into the black beans you know. They are dipped in hot water for two to three minutes, then sweated and dried, or the pods are spread on trays in the sun to heat for two to three hours, and then folded in blankets to sweat until the following morning. This process continues until the beans become pliable and are deep brown (this may take several months). The pods are then dried in well ventilated shade or drying rooms for a further two to four weeks.

Historically, the Aztecs used vanilla mixed with chocolate as an aphrodisiac which can be proven by the adventures of a Spanish conquistador named Herman Cortez during his conquests of the new world in 1518.

According to history, Herman Cortez met with Emperor Montezuma while seeking treasures of the New World. He observed that the Emperor enjoyed a royal beverage of vanilla scented chocolate, Chocolatl (sometimes referred to as "tlilxochitl" or "xoco-latl"). Cortez was so impressed by this regal drink that when he returned to Europe, he took bags of cocoa and vanilla along with the gold, silver and jewels of Montezuma’s fallen empire. In the written accounts of Bernal Diaz, Cortez’s right hand, the Aztec Emperor Montezuma ate frugally at the great events, but drank as many as 50 cups of Chocolatl, which was said to be the reason for his success with women.

The Aztecs used vanilla beans as tribute to their Emperor who was believed and revered as a god. They place great value to this spice the same way they value cocoa. Aztecs generally frowned on the use of alcoholic beverages; Chocolatl was their drug of choice and was enjoyed by royalty, nobility, and warriors. It was served after banquets along with smoking tubes of tobacco.

Ironically, Chocolatl did not begin with the Aztecs, but with the Maya. The Maya called the magic beans “cacao” from which we created the words "chocolate" and "cocoa." The generous Maya shared with other Mesoamericans their fabulous beverage which, in addition to chocolate, included vanilla, corn, allspice, chile, and other flavorings. We can assume the Mesoamericans knew of chocolate and vanilla’s alleged power since both cocoa beans and vanilla pods were valuable enough to be used as money. When money grows on trees and vines it’s bound to be a source of interest with the locals. The Aztecs claimed the drink as their own after conquering the people of the lowland tropics. They then taxed the Maya, Totonaca, and others, and demanded payment in cacao and vanilla beans. This insured that the king always had a supply of sexy ingredients in the royal pantry.

The belief of vanilla as an aphrodisiac was perhaps from the old Totonac lore about Xanat, the young daughter of the Mexican fertility goddess, who loved a Totonac youth. Unable to marry him due to her divine nature, she transformed herself into a plant that would provide pleasure and happiness. She became the vanilla orchid so that she could forever belong to her human love and his people.

In any case, The Spaniards were, sufficiently enough, impressed that they returned to Spain with news that chocolate and vanilla were an erotic duo. Chocolate and vanilla were made into an all-purpose drink that quenched one’s thirst, warmed the body, served as a medicine, and acted as an aphrodisiac. In the curious medical beliefs of the time, chocolate was considered "cold." It therefore was good for the body. Vanilla, on the other hand, was considered "hot." Denis Diderot, a French intellectual in the 1700s, and a prolific writer on many topics, believed that while chocolate was good, many of the additional flavorings added to it were bad, unless you were in an amorous mood. Like many of his contemporaries, he warns: "The pleasant scent and heightened taste it (vanilla) gives to chocolate has made it very popular, but long experience having taught us that it is extremely heating, its use has become less frequent, and people who prefer to care for their health rather than please their senses abstain completely." It makes one wonder how many people then – and now – cared more for their health than their chocolate.

By the 1600s, vanilla was considered a flavor worthy of being served on its own merits. As vanilla was "hot," the doctors of the time believed that those who used it got "hot" as well. In the 1700s vanilla was recommended by physicians and alchemists to be drunk as a tincture or infusion in order to ensure male potency. Bezaar Zimmermann, a German physician, in his article, "On Experiences" (1762) claimed that, "No fewer than 342 impotent men, by drinking vanilla decoctions, had changed into astonishing lovers of at least as many women."

Thomas Jefferson is credited with vanilla’s arrival in the United States. When he returned from his ambassadorship in France in 1789, he was dismayed to discover that no one in the States knew about vanilla, so he wrote his French attaché requesting that he send him 50 vanilla pods. Clearly Jefferson’s personal passion was well received since soon it was used as a flavoring and a medicine, and – you’re right – an aphrodisiac. In the 1800s Dr. John King, advised in the American Dispensatory, that one should use vanilla to, "stimulate the sexual propensities." He went on to give a very carefully detailed recipe for a decoction promising amorous evenings. If the good doctor was right, a hefty swig of vanilla extract before bedtime could work like a charm.

While some drank vanilla in their pursuit of love, many others found that its delicate persuasive aroma was just as powerful. The Totonaca wore vanilla beans in their hats and used it to perfume their homes, a practice they continue today. They used the oil from the drying vanilla beans to rub on their skin until their bodies glistened. The Europeans – especially the French – created perfumes from vanilla pods, not only to wear but also to fragrance their tobacco and snuff. When vanilla extracts came onto the market at the end of the 19th century, more than a few savvy women dabbed a little behind their ears and onto their wrists, thereby creating the ultimate in perfumes – a sensual aroma that also conjured up the homey pleasures of food fresh from the kitchen. Smart modern women have found that fragrances with strong vanilla notes draw an attentive audience with minimal effort.

There’s something about the scent of vanilla that’s at once sexy and erotic, sweet and innocent. It’s an ingredient in sultry, exotic, and mysterious Oriental fragrances, romantic floral bouquets, sophisticated and confident modern perfumes and even in sensual, relaxing, and calming scents. Judging by its popularity as a fragrance in everything from bodycare to candles and air fresheners, vanilla has that secret something that draws us in. This brings us to some tests done by neurologist Alan Hirsch of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.

In controlled tests designed to better understand the connection between smell and sexual arousal, Dr. Hirsch had volunteers wear masks scented with an array of odors. Several fragrance combinations were found to be very effective in increasing penile blood flow. These included lavender and pumpkin pie, doughnut and black licorice and pumpkin pie and doughnut. However, mature men were most aroused by just one simple smell, vanilla. Modern science has proven what native people figured out centuries ago, and many of us discovered on our own -- whether you prefer to eat, drink, or smell it, vanilla is definitely a potent character in the arena of love.

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Saffron an aphrodisiac

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus), a species of crocus in the family Iridaceae. The flower has three stigmas, which are the distal ends of the plant's carpels. Together with its style, the stalk connecting the stigmas to the rest of the plant, these components are often dried and used in cooking as a seasoning and colouring agent. Saffron, which has for decades been the world's most expensive spice by weight, is native to Southwest Asia. It was first cultivated in the vicinity of Greece.

Saffron is characterised by a bitter taste and an iodoform- or hay-like fragrance; these are caused by the chemicals picrocrocin and safranal. It also contains a carotenoid dye, crocin, that gives food a rich golden-yellow hue. These traits make saffron a much-sought ingredient in many foods worldwide. Saffron also has medicinal applications.

The word saffron originated from the 12th-century Old French term safran, which derives from the Latin word safranum. Safranum is also related to the Italian zafferano and Spanish azafrán. Safranum comes from the Arabic word aṣfar (أَصْفَر‎), which means "yellow," via the paronymous za’farān (زَعْفَرَان‎), the name of the spice in Arabic.

Saffron tastes bitter and contributes a luminous yellow-orange coloring to foods. Because of the unusual taste and colouring it adds to foods, saffron is widely used in Persian, Arab, Central Asian, European, Indian, Iranian, Moroccan and Cornish cuisines. Confectionaries and liquors also often include saffron. Medicinally, saffron has a long history as part of traditional healing; modern medicine has also discovered saffron as having anticarcinogenic (cancer-suppressing), anti-mutagenic (mutation-preventing), immuno-modulating, and antioxidant-like properties. Saffron has also been used as a fabric dye, particularly in China and India, and in perfumery.

According to medical studies, saffron can be used to treat depression. Beware though that too much dosage of this spice can prove lethal to one’s health. The typical dose of saffron used to treat depression was 30 mg per day, divided in two doses. At this low level, some studies found no side effects. Saffron has also been shown to be a form of sedative for some types of pain. Other research suggests that saffron may be useful for preventing cancer. The bright yellow pigment (crocetin, an unusual carotenoid) has strong antioxidant properties, and is being tested for other biological effects. Other medicinal uses of saffron includes: fevers, cramps, enlarged livers, whooping cough, gas pains, gastrointestinal colic, insomnia, asthma, anemia, hemorrhoids, headaches, and several others which are mostly anecdotal.

Historically, saffron played an essential part in the arena of ancient medicine and magical potions. Besides its value as spice and dye to clothing, the Assyrians during 7th century BC documented saffron’s use in the treatment of some 90 illnesses. Minoans portrayed saffron in their palace frescoes by 1500–1600 BC, showing saffron's use as a therapeutic drug. Ancient Mediterranean people—including perfumers in Egypt, physicians in Gaza, townspeople in Rhodes, and the Greek courtesans—used saffron in their perfumes, ointments, potpourris, mascaras, divine offerings, and medical treatments. In late Hellenistic Egypt, Cleopatra used saffron in her baths so that lovemaking would be more pleasurable, while Egyptian healers used saffron as a treatment for all varieties of gastrointestinal ailments. Aulus Cornelius Celsus, of Rome, prescribed saffron in medicines for wounds, cough, colic, and scabies, and in the mithridatium. It has been ritually offered to divinities, used in dyes, perfumes, medicines, body washes, scattered across beds, and mixed into hot teas as a curative for bouts of melancholy by ancient Persians during the 10th century BC. During his Asian campaigns, Alexander the Great used Persian saffron in his infusions, rice, and baths as a curative for battle wounds. Alexander's troops mimicked the practice and brought saffron-bathing back to Greece. Ancient Chinese medical texts were also found to document Saffron’s use in treating various medical disorders including impotence.

Part of saffron’s magical property is the enhancement of “lust”. Given that the medical findings show saffron as a substance capable of affecting the neurotransmitters, perhaps saffron may in fact be an aphrodisiac. Its ingestion is found to be a soothing relaxant capable of lowering blood pressure and stimulating the respiration. Perhaps, it could also contain properties that stimulate the libido and the erogenous zones. Some attest to its sexual properties which they believe is most effective when used by women.

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