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What to Eat Before Sex to Last Longer

Kelly Brown MD, MBA

Reviewed by Kelly Brown MD, MBA

Written by Erica Garza

Published 06/28/2023

Updated 02/04/2025

Between sleepy food comas after a big meal and the regret-inducing bloat of the occasional overindulgence, most of us don’t associate the sensation of a full stomach with sexual arousal or stamina. But some foods, eaten in moderation, may have sexual benefits (hello, aphrodisiac foods).

When it comes to what to eat before sex to last longer, foods like dark chocolate, fatty fish, and avocados may indirectly improve erectile function, increase sexual stamina, and enhance arousal by encouraging healthy blood flow. While more research is needed to prove a direct connection between specific foods and longer sex, a healthy diet is an important component of your sexual health, and the 12 foods below may be useful additions.

Below, we’ll cover what you can expect from sex-improving foods, the 12 foods that offer the most promise in helping you last longer in bed, and what else you can do to support your sexual health. (Hint: You have to do more than chow down).

As much as we’d like to tell you that hitting the right Trader Joe’s aisle will add four minutes to your intimate activities, the relationship between food and stamina is far less direct than you might hope.

Eating a dozen bananas a day or munching on raw garlic during snack time won’t double your stamina — in fact, the garlic might prevent you from having much sex at all unless you have a very strong toothpaste.

Foods are not an approved treatment for premature ejaculation (PE), either. Although a few have been explored for PE benefits, you’re better off addressing early arrival through another proven treatment option, like certain prescription medications or techniques like edging.

As for erectile dysfunction (ED) — which may be cutting down on your stamina in other ways — there’s a higher-level connection between ED and diet, as well as weight and lifestyle. While specific foods don’t act as effectively as medications for ED, like Viagra or Cialis, shifting an unhealthy diet away from certain fats, high-cholesterol foods, and sugar has been shown to improve erectile function.

For the guy who’s seen his health decline a bit with age, a few dietary changes might have a positive effect, sexually and otherwise.

Healthy food brings other potential benefits to the table, too, like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and key nutrients for erectile function and anti-inflammation. It’s a whole-body blueprint that’ll inevitably help you build the perfect sex life. Think of healthy foods as necessary electrical lines that give you energy and nutrients.

Someday in the future, any number of foods (including those below) might lead researchers to a magic pill. But for now, you can consider foods part of an overall erectile health plan, alongside sleep and exercise.

Treatments for PE

How to keep a good thing going (and going)

Your diet is an essential part of your health, from your ability to breathe and pump blood through your body to your penis’s ability to use that blood to form an erection. So, think of the health benefits of food as a positive trickle-down effect on your sex life.

According to research, some of the best foods to help you last longer in bed include:

1. Bananas 

Bananas are rich in potassium and magnesium, which are well-known for their role in various bodily functions.

Potassium helps regulate heart, nerve, and muscle contraction — all of which are necessary for your penis to get hard, stay hard, and reach orgasm. Magnesium also supports muscle and nerve function and may lower your risk of high blood pressure.

Maintaining healthy blood pressure levels is important for overall cardiovascular health and potentially sexual stamina as well.

2. Beets

A substantial amount of research has suggested that beets (and the nitrates they contain) can lower blood pressure and should be part of a healthy diet for people with hypertension.

There’s no research about their sexual benefits specifically, but because nitrates convert to the nitric oxide needed for blood vessel dilation, there may be a link between the nutrients in beets and better erectile function.

3. Garlic

We know garlic isn’t the best-smelling ingredient for your romantic life. But because it contains compounds like allicin that promote blood vessel dilation and increase nitric oxide production, it’s a potential superfood for your penis’s blood flow. Improved blood circulation may indirectly support sexual stamina and help you last longer in bed.

4. Fatty Fish

Switching a steak out for salmon might point your dessert plans in the right direction. Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and tuna are incredibly beneficial for heart health and (potentially) sexual performance because they’re high in omega-3 fatty acids and contain zinc, which can encourage healthy blood flow.

5. Oysters

Oysters are known to be an aphrodisiac food, and there’s actually some science behind why. First, they’re a rich source of zinc, which (in addition to the benefits we’ve already mentioned) is important for testosterone production — an essential ingredient of sexual desire and men’s health overall.

It should be noted, though, that dietary zinc may not raise your testosterone levels unless you have an existing deficiency.

6. Blueberries

Do blueberries have benefits sexually? There’s some evidence that the answer is yes. These antioxidant-rich berries are high in flavonoids, which have been associated with lower ED rates. Between that and the fruit’s other nutritional benefits, it makes sense to pack your breakfast or any other snacking opportunities with as many of these little guys as possible.

Not a fan of blueberries? Learn about the sexual benefits of mangos.

7. Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate may not be as sweet as its milky cousin, but it contains flavonoids as well as l-arginine, which may improve vasodilation and blood flow.

Improved blood circulation may positively affect sexual function if you consider that erections are all about blood flowing to the genitals. While more research is needed on the link between chocolate and erectile function, the evidence is promising so far.

Fun fact: If you dip strawberries in chocolate, you’ll receive added benefits from vitamin C, which some experts believe improves sex drive.

8. Avocados

While we can’t draw a direct line between avocado toast and better sex, there’s reason to believe there’s a connection. Avocados contain healthy fats and vitamin E, both of which can promote cardiovascular health and improve blood flow.

Eating avocados has also been associated with better metabolic function, meaning people who eat them are often less likely to have obesity (a risk factor for ED).

Treatments for PE

Winners finish last

9. Nuts

A bag of snack mix might offer a few sexual benefits if you’re willing to pick through for the good stuff. Specifically, nuts and seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids and zinc, both of which contribute to cardiovascular health while helping you maintain proper blood flow — potentially supporting sexual performance.

10. Honey

The science behind honey’s anecdotal aphrodisiac properties is limited. However, its natural sugars for energy may contribute to a general sense of well-being, and some studies have linked honey to a protective role in cardiovascular and reproductive health.

So yes, reach for honey instead of sugar when you can, but don’t go full bear on the local hive — the stings will be the only thing that instantly swells.

11. Watermelon

Watermelon is rich in an amino acid called citrulline, which is converted to l-arginine in the body. This conversion helps relax blood vessels and may improve blood flow. Watermelon also contains lycopene, which may have anti-cancer and anti-obesity benefits, according to one 2014 study.

12. Pomegranate

There’s no direct link between pomegranate and PE, but pomegranate juice may have antioxidant and cardiovascular benefits associated with better erectile function. Some studies indicate it may improve erectile function and blood flow, though more research is needed.

When it comes to what to eat before sex to last longer, it’s clear that some foods show promise. Still, it’s crucial to recognize that sexual stamina is a complex issue influenced by various physical, psychological, and interpersonal factors. 

Don’t look at the above list of foods as the recipe for an erectile witch’s brew. Instead, consider incorporating more of them into your diet regularly. Even if the “erectile potential” of each food isn’t supported by future research, they’re still great for your overall health.

Keep your mind on the big picture: 

  • A balanced diet is essential for overall sexual health. But so is regular exercise, stress management, and open communication with a partner.

  • Sexual superfoods aren’t a treatment for sexual dysfunction of any kind. However, some foods may improve blood flow, which can have trickle-down effects on your sexual performance.

  • Science suggests no single food can give you harder erections in any meaningful way. So, if your sexual satisfaction or performance has been a little lackluster recently, a healthcare professional (not a grocer) should be your primary resource for finding solutions. 

Want more tips on how to stay hard longer? If you’re searching for solutions, reach out to a healthcare professional to see if you qualify for prescription ED medication or premature ejaculation treatment, or to get support for other sexual health issues.

15 Sources

  1. Bonilla Ocampo D, et al. (2018). Dietary Nitrate from Beetroot Juice for Hypertension: A Systematic Review. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6316347/
  2. Borlinghaus J, et al. (2014). Allicin: chemistry and biological properties. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6271412/
  3. Cassidy A, et al. (2016). Dietary flavonoid intake and incidence of erectile dysfunction. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26762373/
  4. Esposito K, et al. (2010). Dietary factors, Mediterranean diet and erectile dysfunction. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20487239/
  5. Fallah A, et al. (2018). Zinc is an Essential Element for Male Fertility: A Review of Zn Roles in Men’s Health, Germination, Sperm Quality, and Fertilization. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6010824/
  6. Forest C, et al. (2007). Efficacy and safety of pomegranate juice on improvement of erectile dysfunction in male patients with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17568759/ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6267923_Efficacy_and_safety_of_pomegranate_juice_on_improvement_of_erectile_dysfunction_in_male_patients_with_mild_to_moderate_erectile_dysfunction_A_randomized_placebo-controlled_double-blind_crossover_study
  7. Fulgoni V, et al. (2013). Avocado consumption is associated with better diet quality and nutrient intake, and lower metabolic syndrome risk in US adults: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2008. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23282226/
  8. InformedHealth.org. (2022). Premature ejaculation: Overview. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547548/
  9. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2017). Definition & Facts for erectile dysfunction. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/erectile-dysfunction/definition-facts
  10. Naz A, et al. (2014). Watermelon lycopene and allied health claims. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4464475/
  11. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - magnesium. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium-Consumer/
  12. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - potassium. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-Consumer/
  13. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Office of dietary supplements - zinc. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/
  14. West S, et al. (2013). Effects of dark chocolate and cocoa consumption on endothelial function and arterial stiffness in overweight adults. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/effects-of-dark-chocolate-and-cocoa-consumption-on-endothelial-function-and-arterial-stiffness-in-overweight-adults/9E005E95AB9CC9EED9DD0BEC781B5085
  15. Zaid S, et al. (2021). Protective Roles of Honey in Reproductive Health: A Review. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113322https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8197897/
Editorial Standards

Hims & Hers has strict sourcing guidelines to ensure our content is accurate and current. We rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We strive to use primary sources and refrain from using tertiary references. See a mistake? Let us know at [email protected]!

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.

Kelly Brown MD, MBA
Kelly Brown MD, MBA

Dr. Kelly Brown is a board certified Urologist and fellowship trained in Andrology. She is an accomplished men’s health expert with a robust background in healthcare innovation, clinical medicine, and academic research. Dr. Brown was previously Medical Director of a male fertility startup where she lead strategy and design of their digital health platform, an innovative education and telehealth model for delivering expert male fertility care.

She completed her undergraduate studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (go Heels!) with a Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Science and a Minor in Chemistry. She took a position at University of California Los Angeles as a radiologic technologist in the department of Interventional Cardiology, further solidifying her passion for medicine. She also pursued the unique opportunity to lead departmental design and operational development at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, sparking her passion for the business of healthcare.

Dr. Brown then went on to obtain her doctorate in medicine from the prestigious Northwestern University - Feinberg School of Medicine and Masters in Business Administration from Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management, with a concentration in Healthcare Management. During her surgical residency in Urology at University of California San Francisco, she utilized her research year to focus on innovations in telemedicine and then served as chief resident with significant contributions to clinical quality improvement. Dr. Brown then completed her Andrology Fellowship at Medical College of Wisconsin, furthering her expertise in male fertility, microsurgery, and sexual function.

Her dedication to caring for patients with compassion, understanding, as well as a unique ability to make guys instantly comfortable discussing anything from sex to sperm makes her a renowned clinician. In addition, her passion for innovation in healthcare combined with her business acumen makes her a formidable leader in the field of men’s health.

Dr. Brown is an avid adventurer; summiting Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (twice!) and hiking the incredible Torres del Paine Trek in Patagonia, Chile. She deeply appreciates new challenges and diverse cultures on her travels. She lives in Denver with her husband, two children, and beloved Bernese Mountain Dog. You can find Dr. Brown on LinkedIn for more information.

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