Long before Viagra hit the market in the United States and China, a new discipline within TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) was created, called nanke (男科), or “men’s medicine.” Nanke was founded in the mid-1980s and saw the opening of specialty clinics and practitioners treating yangwei (阳痿, impotence) in China. TCM treatments and herbal remedies were prescribed for men dealing with yangwei and sexual dysfunction. These treatments and remedies are still touted today and beyond that, a significant emphasis on dealing with yangwei is tied up in nutrition because food and medicine in China are inextricably linked. Many things you might find ground up in your traditional Chinese medicine prescription are things you might also see on your regular dinner or lunch plate. This is because vegetables and animal products for consumption all have roots in the Chinese Yin and Yang philosophy of balance. Foods are divided into two distinct categories: “cold” (Yin) and “hot” (Yang) foods. Raw vegetables and many fruits are classified as cold foods and believed to slow the body’s internal processes. Hot foods on the other hand are calorie-rich fats and thought to stimulate the body’s organs and blood flow. Good nutrition in this philosophy is based on achieving a balance between hot and cold.

The foods believed in China to heat up a man’s sex life are almost too numerous to name, to the point that one might think that marketing people had a bigger hand in some of their medicinal value selection than that of the doctors. Some of these foods include donkey meat, animal kidneys, quail, silkworms, and liquor infused with tiger bone. In any case, here are eight foods to eat and make love to, according to Chinese medicine. Some of these foods like snakes may be difficult to come by (and also may seem flat-out unappetizing), but following TCM nutritional advice for sexual health doesn’t have to be difficult – throw a few more shrimp on the barbie, or finish your greens for once and you’ll be ready to get your groove on. A little Barry White never hurts either.

 

1) Pigeon 鸽肉
Eating pigeon can replenish your qi, which plays a strong role in sexual function. Pigeons have a very strong sex drive and frequent intercourse and their eggs and meat are rich in proteins, vitamins, iron and other elements. For better results, stir-fry 2 pigeon eggs with 10 grams of wolfberries and 5 grams of longan fruit. Add sugar or a little salt on top to taste.

2) Shellfish贝类
Shrimp is classified as a Yang food and has a warming ability within the body. Eating shrimp frequently can help stimulate libido as well as help with impotence. Oysters as well as mussels – rich in protein, iodine, B vitamins, zinc, iron, calcium and phosphorus – are other shellfish with medicinal effects. Men can eat them to strengthen their sexual power and vitality.

3) Chinese chives 韭菜
These are long, green, grass-like vegetables with small white bulbs at their ends. Their Chinese name is jiu cai and you can find them at any Asian market. They have a strong, garlicky taste and are often added to jiaozi dumpling fillings. The chives contain mustard oil which is high in sulphur and is thought to stimulate blood flow. When consumed with other foods classified under Chinese medicine as "hot," eating Chinese chives can cure impotence and stimulate libido. Try stir-frying some Chinese chives with shrimp.

4) Snakes 蛇肉
Snakes have become somewhat of a food trend in China in recent years and not least because it is believed that eating fresh snake meat helps with male sexual vigor. Perhaps this has something to do with the copperhead snake – a snake that can mate with his mate for up to eight continuous hours.

5) Wolfberries 枸杞子
These little dried red fruits have been making their way into teas, soups, congees, and other dishes in China for many centuries. They are packed with beta-carotene, vitamin C, B vitamins, and calcium and their medicinal value goes as far as helping eyesight, liver and kidney dysfunction, high cholesterol, as well as impotence in men.

6) Loaches泥鳅
Loaches are any number of long and narrow worm-like European or Asian fish that look a lot like leaches or eels at first glance. They are rich in protein, essential fats, vitamin A, vitamin B1, niacin, iron, phosphorus, and calcium. Loaches also contain a specific protein that is thought to promote the role of sperm formation. Eating loaches can help men increase their sperm count.

7) Lychee fruit 荔枝
Lychee are small round fruits that grow in grape-like bunches. Their tough reddish-brown outer shells are peeled to reveal a juicy, sweet fruit with a seed inside. Lychee are a warming Yang food and thought to replenish qi and stimulate a person’s blood flow. Making lychee a regular part of your diet can help improve digestive function, insomnia, forgetfulness, diarrhea, as well as improve impotence and premature ejaculation. Try making a lychee martini for an added twist.

8) Dog 狗肉
Roasted and simmered with ginger, dog meat might be just what a man needs to cure his impotence or premature ejaculation. The meat of a dog can stabilize a man’s internal organs and warm the kidneys. Dog meat is however not as common in China as one might think and it is often hard to find at restaurants. It is predominantly eaten in the southern regions of the country, such as Guangdong and Guizhou.

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: Chinese medicine impotence Chinese medicine better sex foods Chinese medicine foods for better sex