Durian an Aphrodisiac

Durian is a fruit with skin that is thick, rough, and covered with sharp thorns. It is most notorius for its bad odor but delicious taste. Because of it s bad odor, people often times feel disgusted to even taste it. But in case you didn’t know, people in Southeast Asia think it’s an aphrodisiac.

The name durian comes from the Malay word duri (thorn) together with the suffix -an (for building a noun in Malay). It has earned the reputation of King of Fruits in Southeast Asia because of its nutritional content.

Health Benefits

Apart from the unique characteristics that define their aroma, flavour, and texture, the durian has a diverse and rich nutrient profile, providing various health benefits.

Durian is a high fibre food, which may help you overcome constipation. The dietary fibre in durian, both soluble and insoluble, is known to promote a healthy digestive tractand reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Durians are exceptionally high in the essential amino acid, tryptophan, which the body uses to produce melatonin, serotonin and niacin (or vitamin B3). Melatonin is a sleep hormone that induces sleep while serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate sleep and mood, and contributes to the feelings of happiness and well being.

Durians are rich in antioxidant vitamin C – a 100g serving of durian contains approximately 20mg of vitamin. Vitamin C strengthens the immune system, promotes wound healing and protects the body against harmful free radicals.

Rare in other fruits, the durian contains the B-complex group of vitamins – niacin, folate, vitamin B5 as well as in higher concentrations, vitamin B6, thiamine and riboflavin. Vitamin B6 supports the immune system and aids the body in breaking down protein, and like tryptophan, helps the body make the neurotransmitter serotonin (to fight depression) and melatonin (to relieve insomnia). Thiamine helps cells convert carbohydrates into energy. It is also essential for the functioning of the heart, muscles, and nervous system. Riboflavin in durians may help to treat migraines.

A 100g serving of durian provides 436mg of potassium, an important nutrient for bone health; it prevents excessive calcium loss through urination. Potassium also helps to regulate blood pressure, which reduces the risk of heart disease.

Iron and phosphorus contained in the durian are 10 times higher than that contained in the banana. Iron is beneficial for people with anemia; phosphorus for dental health while manganese helps to regulate blood sugar levels.

Contrary to popular belief, you will not have a big spike in your cholesterol level after eating a durian. In fact, this king of fruits has good monounsaturated fats that can actually lower your harmful cholesterol levels and moderate your high blood pressure.

Durian as Aphrodisiac

The Javanese believe the durian is an aphrodisiac, hence the old saying: durian jatuh, sarong naik, or literally “when the durians fall, the sarong goes up.”

This aphrodisiac claim was supported by scientists from India, who found that male mice fed durian over a 14-day period, demonstrated increased libido as well as an increase in both their sperm count and sperm mobility.

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Bird’s Nest Soup

Bird's nest soup is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine made from the nests of “cave swifts.” The nests are edible because it is made of hardened saliva from the birds. The nests have been traditionally consumed in China for over 400 years, most often as Bird's Nest Soup and one of the most expensive animal products consumed by humans also. When dissolved in water, the birds' nests have a gelatinous texture used for making the soup. It is prepared either salty or sweet.

The most heavily harvested nests are from the White-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus) and the Black-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus maximus). The white nests and the “red blood” nests are supposedly rich in nutrients which are traditionally believed to provide health benefits, such as aiding digestion, raising libido, improving the voice, alleviating asthma, increasing concentration, and an overall benefit to the immune system.

Hong Kong and the United States are the largest importers of these nests. In Hong Kong a bowl of Bird Nest Soup would cost US$30 to $100. A kilogram of white nest can cost up to $2,000, and a kilogram of “red blood” nest can cost up to $10,000. The white nests are commonly treated with a red pigment, but methods have been developed to determine an adulterated nest.

The high prices were due to the fact that the nests are very rare to find and harvesting it is a seriously risky business especially for its collectors. This soup is popular throughout Asia with the mega-rich. The soup some say is hardly tasty and looks unappealing but it is well sought after due to its extraordinary medicinal powers and that includes its being an aphrodisiac. The white bird’s nest was believed to be good for the skin while the red one is good for the body and energy.

According to legend, long ago in China, there was an Emperor who loved to taste different gourmet dishes made by the Royal Cook. Each dish was exotic and different every day. If the cook fails to provide a new dish for the Emperor, not only will he lose his position he’ll also lose his head. And so one day out of desperation, he searched the harbor for a new exotic dish and found the bird’s nest soup from a merchant who told him about the longevity and libidinous properties of the said exotic food. According to the merchant, it was from Borneo where the locals eat it for its nearly magical properties but how to prepare it he doesn’t know. The cook prepared it in a form of soup and served it to his majesty. Knowing the Emperor's passion for Feng Shui and longevity, the Royal Cook cunningly presented the soup with a dragon on one side and a phoenix on the other, with the soup in the middle.

The Emperor eagerly tasted the soup after knowing that it is a “longevity soup” and that it smelled sweet and aromatic; but after discovering that it tastes plain, he began to question the cook. The cook, fearing for his life, consistently urged the Emperor to taste it again and again to look for a certain taste which he himself begins to doubt. The Emperor was irritated and was on the verge of ordering the cook’s execution when the Royal Cook explained; “In Borneo..." he started. “In Borneo, the people there eat this soup for longevity. It keeps the people young and healthy. It lengthens their years, and they live long and prosperous lives because of this soup." The cook went on about the benefits of the soup, emphasizing the longevity and a subtle hint of the libidinous properties of the dish. The Emperor's eyes lit up; because he knew that Borneo was an exotic place. The pillars of the Forbidden City were made from timbers that came from Borneo. The Emperor was pleased to hear the cook’s story and so, after he finished his meal, he announced that the longevity soup was to be served to him on a regular basis, and the Royal Cook was duly rewarded.

To keep the Emperor from finding out that the longevity soup's raw ingredient was bird's nest, the Royal Cook ensured that all those who brought back the birds' nests from Borneo were killed. New crews were sent to retrieve the nests each time. True enough, the Emperor lived a long and prosperous life. The longevity soup was only served to the Royal Family and wealthy merchants. It was not allowed to be served to the general population. The longevity soup became renowned as a royal dish, and its potent properties claimed by the merchant were proven to be true.

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Shark Fin Soup Aphrodisiac

Genuine shark fin soup or stew is made with shark fins obtained from any of a variety of shark species. Raw shark fins are processed by first removing the skin, trimming them to shape, and thoroughly drying them. They may be bleached with hydrogen peroxide before drying to make their color more appealing. Shark fins are the cartilaginous pectoral and dorsal fins of a shark. Shark's fins are sold in two forms - frozen and dried. Both need to be softened before they can be used to prepare soup. The frozen form is ready to use as it has been pre-prepared and therefore only requires about an hour of soaking. There are two types of the dried form, skinned (shredded) or un-skinned (whole) which require more preparation.

Shark fins, in common with other costly east Asian delicacies such as Bird's nest soup and sea cucumber, have very little flavor of their own. Their appeal lies more in their texture and their ability to absorb flavors from other soup ingredients, and also for the simple fact of their expense.

The soup is highly sought after in much of Asia because of its reputation as a powerful source of nutrition able to cure cancer; enhance the appetite; and strengthen the kidneys, lungs, and bones; as well as an aphrodisiac. There had been no scientific evidence to prove these claims except for the fact that the serving of the fins connotes prestige since it’s really expensive to come by especially if you’re serving a lot of people.

One nutrient the shark is rich in is “squalene”. It is an oily compound that’s good for the skin, reducing cholesterol, and lowering blood pressure. But looking in the fins won’t do you any good since squalene can be found mostly in the shark’s liver. Additionally, rice bran, wheat germ, and olives have significant amounts of squalene, and amaranth seed oil is particularly rich in it also.

According to research, the “shark fin” does provide some beneficial nutrients but these can be found in other food sources even in greater and more naturally beneficial forms. Most researchers would say that eating “shark fin soup” is more of a psychological aphrodisiac where it is the belief of harnessing the exotic animal’s strength, ferocity, and prowess that leads one to feel such and such rather than the actual nutritional value of the aphrodisiac. All in all, there is no direct evidence for any aphrodisiac effect from shark fins, and it is not apparent that they contain any chemical that would reasonably be expected to boost the libido. You can get healthy and naughty without necessarily decimating or harming the sharks.

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Deer Antlers as Aphrodisiac

Yes, its real deer antlers and they’re from live deer. You might think that they were hunted down to extinction for this purpose, but that’s a NO. (It might be true for their pelt but not for their antlers.) It might be true before, perhaps, but today, according to the sources I’ve read, they take it from the deer without killing them since it’s only the tip of their antlers that they’re after.

They call this tip as “deer antler velvet”, or just “deer velvet”. Deer velvet is named after the soft velvet-like covering of deer antlers while they are growing and still in a cartilaginous state, before they harden into bone. “Deer antlers”, by the way, are organs of bone which regenerate each year from the heads of male deer. They grow with remarkable swiftness and every year, after the roar and mating season, the antlers are cast to begin the cycle again in the spring. After removal, antlers are frozen and transported under sanitary conditions. The product is then dried and processed, which can include powder, extracts or slices. Contrary to what you could be thinking right now, it is not the skin on the outside of the deer antler and not the deer horn which will be used, but the inside of the deer antler.

The “deer velvet” has been around for 3000 years already. In Hunan Province, China, a silk scroll was recovered from these ancient times, listing 52 different diseases for which deer antler velvet was used as a medicine. Deer velvet competed with some valuable and rare types of ginseng as an elixir of the gods. Deer Antler velvet is traded widely throughout the world, mainly in the Orient and in Russia.

Though the use of Deer Velvet in Oriental and Chinese medicine has a long tradition, scientific evaluation of its effects is more recent. Studies originate mainly from Russia, Korea, China, Japan and New Zealand. Results caused the interest in deer velvet to increase rapidly.

Deer Antler is known to have wide ranging benefits, but it is especially known as an outstanding aphrodisiac. Men take it not only for sexual dysfunction, but also to increase desire and endurance. Women take deer velvet for menstrual and menopausal problems or infertility.


What is the composition of an ancient wonder such as the deer velvet?

Proteins
The structural materials in cells that aid tissue growth and repair.

Lipids
Builds cell components and boosts energy to enhance cellular activities. Deer velvet contains all essential fatty acids including Omega 3 and 6, Protoeolipids, and gangliosides.

Collagen
A protein widely recognised for the promotion of healthily skin and hair but also a vital structural protein component of bones, tendons, ligaments and cartilage, providing elasticity and shock absorbing properties and a strong framework to hold other cells. Collagen is known to help rebuild joint cartilage.

Amino Acids
Deer velvet contains over 30 Amino Acids including ten of the most essential.


Minerals/Trace Elements

Calcium
Provides structure for bones and teeth, and is essential for nerve impulse conduction, muscle contraction and blood clotting.

Copper
Necessary for red blood cell development, bones, and nerves.

Iron
Essential for blood cells transporting oxygen throughout the body.

Manganese
Needed for development of bones and connective tissue, and for normal functioning of the nervous system.

Selenium
Powerful antioxidant.

Magnesium
Required in metabolic reactions and storing and releasing energy in cells.

Phosphorus
Provides structure for bones and teeth, and is a component of nearly all metabolic reactions.

Potassium
For nerve and muscle function.

Sulphur
A component of various amino acids and insulin.

Zinc
Involved in digestion and respiration, and is necessary for normal wound healing and skin health.


Growth Factors
Improves muscular development. Insulin like Growth Factor (IGF-1) and Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF). Growth hormones and factors have an effect on growth and maintenance of bones and stimulating cartilage growth. They also have growth promoting actions on the skin.


Glycosaminoglycans

Glucosamine
An amino sugar that occurs naturally in the body and is a major basic nutrient used by the body in the production, maintenance and repair of all joint structure including cartilage, bone, tendon, ligaments and joint fluids. It is also a component of synovial fluid, which lubricates and serves as a shock absorber for the joints.

Chondroitin
Extremely potent anti-inflammatory agent.

Prostaglandins
A chemical regulator produced in all tissues that tell the body how to react to inflammation, infection and pain. Causes a broad range of positive effects on many of the body's defense systems.

Phospholipids
In cell membranes these are the effective structural materials that help facilitate the passage of fat in and out of the cells and the blood.


What benefits will you get from “deer velvet”?

Research Findings:

• Promotes stamina and endurance
• Restores lost energy
• Improves mental power
• Controls blood pressure
• Increases the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs while reducing their side effects
• Stimulates the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow
• Boosts the immune system and hemoglobin levels

Ancient Belief:

• An ultimate primal essence (Jing) tonic and a good tonic for the blood since it replenishes not only the blood but also the essence
• It strengthens the mind and enlivens the spirit (shen)
• Tones and fortifies the Yang energy (or Yang Jing) of the kidney
• Builds sexual strength and increases virility and fertility
• Strengthen the bones and tendons making it good for strengthening of the back, knees and waste
• Deer antler’s overall use is as a rejuvenating agent whose short term use is believed to quickly build strength and power, while consistent long-term use is believed to re-build deep life force, preserve youthfulness or even reverse aging, and to enhance longevity.

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Sea Cucumber as an aphrodisiac

The sea cucumber is an echinoderm of the class Holothuroidea, with an elongated body and leathery skin, which is found on the sea floor worldwide. It has a gelatinous characteristic and is distantly related to star fish and sea urchins. It is so named because of its cucumber-like shape. Like all echinoderms, sea cucumbers have an endoskeleton just below the skin. It has a distinctly phallic appearance, which may account for its reputation as an aphrodisiac. Sea cucumbers are generally scavengers, feeding on debris in the benthic layer. The diet of most cucumbers consists of plankton and decaying organic matter found in the sea. One way they might get a supply of food is to position themselves in a current where they can catch food that flow by with their tentacles when they open. Another way is to sift through the bottom sediments using their tentacles.

Sea cucumber is considered a delicacy in Far East countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, China, Japan, Korea, and Indonesia. It is also highly valued for its supposed medicinal and aphrodisiac properties. The flesh of the animal is "cleaned" in a process that takes several days. The food item is often purchased dried, and then re-hydrated before use. The product is used in soups, stews and braised dishes due to its gelatinous texture.

Some varieties of sea cucumber, such as gamat in Malaysia and/or trepang in Indonesia, are said to have excellent healing properties. Traditionally, the Chinese believed that it can cure high blood pressure and joint pains. There are pharmaceutical companies being built based on this gamat product. Extracts are prepared and made into oil, cream or cosmetics. Some products are intended to be taken internally. The effectiveness of sea cucumber extract in tissue repair has been the subject of serious study. It not only helps a wound heal more quickly but is also said to reduce scarring. Its aphrodisiac properties were fetched from traditional Chinese beliefs surrounding the creature’s potent effects on virility and no scientific researches were made to prove the claims to it.

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