How to Lower Sex Drive

What is Sex Drive

Sex drive, which is also known as libido, is the desire to have sex or sexual activities. Despite all the talk you might hear about “raising” or “lowering” sex drive, the truth is that there really isn’t a way to track your sex drive in terms of numbers. It’s more of a relative “How often do you feel like having sex” kind of conversation. Basically, those with a high sex drive want to have sex “a lot,” and those with a lower sex drive do not want sex as often.

What’s a “normal” sex drive? Well, similar to how you can’t put a number on it, there isn’t a “normal” sex drive level. Sex drive only becomes an issue if it affects your life or relationships.

How Sex Drive Works

Your level of sex drive depends on a couple of different factors. Sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen play a part in regulating your sex drive. However, while it’s not entirely clear if higher testosterone levels lead to a higher sex drive, low testosterone on the other hand could coincide with a decrease in sex drive. Other chemicals involved are dopamine and oxytocin. This makes sense because these last two chemicals play a part in the sexual response cycle and are part of the reason why sex feels good. To raise your sex drive, you can take part in healthy habits like sleeping, eating a good balanced diet, and getting enough exercise. Basically living a basic healthy lifestyle.

How to Lower Your Sex Drive

Now, what if, for whatever reason (e.g., you have a lot of work to get done but can’t get sex off your mind), you want to lower your sex drive? Similar to raising your sex drive, certain foods can actually help you lower it. These are known as anaphrodisiac foods. An example of this kind of food is licorice. This is apparently due to the ingredient called glycyrrhizin, which can lower testosterone and worsen symptoms of erectile dysfunction. Before you start eating licorice by the packs to get your drive lower, do keep in mind that glycyrrhizin can also lead to a heart attack if more than 5 grams is consumed daily over the course of several weeks.

Another unhealthier option that will lower your sex drive is alcohol, which can make it harder to get hard by affecting the nervous system, and fried foods thanks to the oils used to make them. The oils usually are high in trans fats, which have been shown to not only lower testosterone levels but also lower sperm count along with a decrease in testicular volume. Mint has also been labeled as a testosterone-lowering food by some, but more research is needed at the time of writing.

To be honest, it seems like lowering sex drive can be achieved by living an unhealthy lifestyle. For example, you could try sleeping less, which will reduce arousal and erections due to poor sleep leading to low testosterone. You also get the bonus “benefits” of increased anxiety, depression, and overall lower quality of life. It might not be the best strategy for long-term health.

You can also just wait it out because aging is also a pretty good way to lower your sex drive and is something that happens to all of us eventually. If a high sex drive is causing you issues, there are things you can do, like keeping yourself distracted with hobbies and activities you enjoy.

Summary

Sex drive is sort of like your high school English class—there’s really no “right” or “wrong” answer. Some people have “higher levels” and have a constant desire for sex, while others with “lower levels” are fond of sex every so often. As cheesy as it may sound, all that really matters is that you are happy. However, if you want to learn more about sex drive, we have plenty of guides on how to raise your sex drive and what foods affect your sex drive that can give you a better understanding of the concept.