Food sexology, what is the new field of research that investigates “appetites”

For some time now, in the world of eros, there has been a new term that indicates an emerging field of research: the food sexology. The thought inevitably runs to the urban legends about aphrodisiac foods, which in theory should increase the arousal of those who eat them or improve their amatory performances. Spoiler: Aphrodisiacs don’t actually exist. Or rather: some substances may actually have some influence on neurobiology … but you should swallow really large quantities, otherwise they only have a placebo effect.

In fact, food sexology deals with something else entirely, and the best way to learn more is to talk about it with those who have studied it for years, like Mara Romandini, lawyer, consultant and expert in Sexual Education, for whom this discipline is an element of a holistic approach to pleasure.

How was the interest in this area of ​​investigation born?
«I came to sexology starting from my work as a lawyer: I believe in the defense of all rights including the fundamental one to well-being, which also includes food. So I specialized in socio-health issues and I became one food lawyer, after which I studied psychology, biology, neuroscience, coaching, mindfulness… and I became a consultant in sexology. Especially in Italy it is a not very innovative field, in which I created an earthquake by developing new specializations: the promotion of well-being in adolescence, legal sexology and of course food sexology. The basic concept is that to protect rights you need to know them in every aspect, therefore it is important to inform, train and disseminate them ».

Who reads it will be wondering: what does nutrition have to do with sex?
«Food sexology is the organic and integrated study of the possible interactions between sexual behaviors and eating behaviors. The connection between food and sex is for almost everyone immediate, instinctive, I would even say ancestral. Think of the romantic dinner as a prelude to passion, or the preparation of inviting and stimulating dishes. On the other hand, what leaves even the experts a little confused is to see this combination from a scientific perspective. The fact is that food and sex are the basic needs for survival; without food we cannot live and without sex we cannot reproduce. But more importantly, food and sex give us pleasure. It is not a sin, a fault or a perversion, but a natural biological mechanism for everyone, not an option. But how come two things done to give us pleasure can cause inconvenience and sorrow? The problems related to nutrition and sexuality, even if little discussed, have the dimensions of epidemics and are very linked to our lifestyle. The relationship we have with food and sex is a relationship with our body, our personal relationships, our way of looking at the world, and is increasingly dictated by our emotions and our feelings. We do both not only out of necessity, but to find a way to live and survive: in food and sex we pour sadness, anger, dissatisfaction, pain.
We talk about “non-food functions of nutrition and non-sexual functions of sexuality”, Which in plain English means seek ways to find pleasure by compensating for other shortcomings. But also the opposite: avoiding food and sex to avoid unpleasant sensations and emotions. In short the discomforts related to these two areas must be considered largely as symptoms of a deeper disturbance that is often not recognized either by the person himself or by any therapists. It is no coincidence that we organize training courses for doctors, psychologists, sexologists, nutritional biologists, dieticians, midwives and other health professionals. Which, according to them, leave the course profoundly changed on a personal and professional level ».

Would you suggest some in-depth resources that are also accessible to a non-professional audience?
“I would recommend two historical texts as a first, nice approach: The kitchen of Love by Omero Rompini e Aphrodite by Isabel Allende.

Wanting to go deeper into the relationship between eating disorders and sexual disorders, what are the commonalities and the differences in the way of dealing with them?
«Our body speaks of us: of our thoughts, of our joys, of our pains, of our fear, of our anger. An unbalanced relationship with food reveals the difficulties of our ego, it is a symptom of another malaise: this is the case of anorexia, bulimia, binge eating. Through food we deny ourselves or try to occupy spaces that are not physical spaces, but of relationships. And this modality, of negation or excess, we propose it again or in any case it has repercussions in sexuality.
Likewise, sexual discomfort is also a symptom of another malaise: our body is the means by which we communicate in sexuality and, therefore, it is essential to have a good relationship with the skin we inhabit. In a “liquid society” even the body has become “liquid”: we do not seem to understand that it lives on the love we give and what we receive, and it is not an object in itself made of fillers, cosmetic surgery or biceps. Often, those are precisely indicators of an attempt to escape the real confrontation with what we are and what we are capable of doing and giving.
In general, in eating disorders and sexual dysfunctions one must look beyond the symptom, that is, the acted out behavior. I would also like to remind you that malaise does not always take the serious forms of disorder or overt dysfunction. There are also lighter forms, but this does not mean that we are well, nor that they are sustainable over time ».

In addition to the psychological aspect, food sexology also deals with the more purely biological aspect. How does food affect the physiology of sex?
«Dietary sexology is based on scientific studies and research that are constantly evolving: neuroscience, quantum biology, neurophysiology of emotions, etc. Another branch concerns microbiota studies, that is the intestine as our second brain. These fields are turning biology and medicine by showing that dietary sexology was not a visionary idea but an avant-garde study, in some ways pioneering. I say this because it is now proven beyond any pseudoscientific skepticism that emotions also have a biological basis. Our organism is not a mosaic, but a set of parts that work with each other.
The other fundamental principle is that while we are all the same, we are all different. What is good for me or has a certain effect on me doesn’t necessarily apply to you. Food is the fuel we need to function, but to know what we need, we need to know each other well.
But the question deserves some examples. How many know that erection deficiency prevails in men with metabolic syndrome or hypercholesterolemia? A strange vicious circle also develops in the obese male: obesity induces hypogonadism, i.e. low testosterone levels and consequent low sexual desire. Visceral adiposity (the belly, so to speak) is accompanied by insulin resistance. This in turn reduces the level of circulating testosterone, but not estrogen (which men also have and in this case increase due to the hyperactivation of the aromatase enzyme). But less testosterone also means less uptake of triglycerides, therefore even greater increase in visceral fat and, as we said, greater insulin resistance … so the vicious circle resumes.
While we all know how important testosterone is for sexuality, the metabolic syndrome for women who are too thin or too overweight is accompanied by a reverse situation – that is, increased testosterone (hyperandrogenism) with a host of other physical consequences. Not by chance there are studies that show that sexual dysfunctions are more common in women with metabolic syndrome. Excessive weight loss also affects desire and the capacity for sexual satisfaction. Furthermore, the situation for women is even more complex in relation to the hormonal states related to the menstrual cycle.
In summary, the correlations are really many and complex, but a targeted professional intervention can solve both simple discomforts and more serious ailments. Of course, the sooner you intervene, the better: for this you have to pay attention to yourself and to those around you ».

In conclusion, it is inevitable to ask oneself what should eat to improve one’s sexual life …
«The principle that a complete and balanced diet should always be followed, but some foods have been scientifically proven to be very useful, such as seafood. On the website www.sessuologialimentare.it we publish indications and results of similar researches, but for information and dissemination purposes only. I repeat: each food plan, each therapy must be personalized with a professional who knows us, who asks us about our history, our emotions, our life. And when we go to a professional, let’s talk to him about us, let’s talk about it! From his way of listening to us we will understand if he is attentive only to the scale or to what is behind the excess or short kilos, as well as if he is attentive only to sexual performance and not to the weight we carry inside. The goal must be to help us find the right space for our pleasure and guide us to achieve it, even through a diet. Learning how to savor and enjoy food prepares us to enjoy the pleasure of the senses. Even the diet then must not be a privation, but an education to pleasure ».