Lust and Libido: Unraveling the Intricacies of Sexual Desire

Sex drive or sexual desire is referred to as libido, and it differs not just from person to person but also has the potential to alter daily. Your sex drive can be influenced by a variety of factors, including your health, hormone levels, mental state, and stress levels.

If you are experiencing very low libido, that may be a cause for concern, and doing a health checkup may help to find out the reason behind the low libido. Researchers agree that even though people think male libido is higher than female libido, but that is a misconception. Let us examine the causes of libido as well as the lifestyle changes that you could make to have a healthy sex life.

What is Libido?

Libido is considered an instinctive biological drive for sex and is a useful tool in medicine to evaluate a patient's sexual function, health issues, or reaction to medicinal interventions. The same neurological and metabolic processes influence an individual's sex desire in both males and females.

Since there is no normal libido level, it is challenging to characterize someone with a strong sex drive or high libido, however, unless it disturbs you or gets in the way of your everyday activities, a strong libido is not a reason for alarm. The variables that have an impact on your libido are testosterone and estrogen levels, stress, relationships, and health issues. Male libido, in particular, can fluctuate greatly because of testosterone levels increase or decrease.

The Sex Hormones that Create Libido 

Hormones support both general health maintenance and physiological regulation, and they may affect or increase libido. Sexual development and reproduction are significantly influenced by sex hormones, and the three primary sex hormones are progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone:

• Estrogen: Estrogen is probably the most well-known female sex hormone, and the ovaries create the majority of the hormone. However, small quantities of estrogen are also produced by the adrenal glands and fat cells, which is why males too have some levels of estrogen. When a person approaches puberty, estrogen plays a critical part in their reproductive and sexual development, and as a result the person experiences libido.
• Progesterone: The hormone progesterone is produced by the adrenal glands and ovaries, and ovulation causes a rise in progesterone levels. Progesterone helps regulate the menstrual cycle, and low progesterone levels can cause irregular periods, and decrease libido in females.
• Testosterone: While testosterone is the primary sex hormone in men, females also contain smaller levels of this hormone. While testosterone in men is the main reason behind male libido, testosterone in females influences fertility, bone mass, and the synthesis of red blood cells.
• Dopamine: Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, is one of the most important substances in the human body, and an elevated sexual desire is the consequence of increased dopamine synthesis and release. Dopamine also gets released during heightened sexual responsiveness, which is facilitated by steroid hormones.

Testosterone, progesterone, estrogen, and dopamine all have an impact on arousal and sexual desire. Elevated estrogen levels and progesterone levels in the body stimulate libido in females however, the impact of testosterone levels on female libido is a topic of discussion. Male libido on the other hand benefits greatly from testosterone.

However, research shows that some women may have reduced sexual desire because of low testosterone levels, but reduced sex drive in females does not seem to respond well to testosterone treatment. Testosterone therapy can increase the effects of estrogen, but only if the patient receives higher-than-normal doses of testosterone from their physician, and there may be unintended side effects from this.

How to Maintain a Healthy Level of Libido?

Maintaining your general health might help you be sexually healthy and increase libido in the long run. Regular exercise can lower stress, boost happiness, and enhance blood flow, and you should also consume a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean meats. Get enough rest to balance your hormones because good hormonal balance can result in high libido. Check out the lifestyle modification we have mentioned below to enjoy a healthy sex life:

1. Manage Stress: There is a connection between hormone levels, the endocrine system, and stress according to researchers. Cortisol and adrenaline levels rise in response to stress, and excessive quantities of these hormones can upset the delicate balance and have a role in conditions like obesity, mood swings, low libido, and even cardiovascular problems. To increase libido, it is crucial to discover strategies that work for you and lower stress.
2. Control Alcohol Consumption: You should be careful about the amount of alcohol you drink because sexual desire, especially male libido can be affected by excessive alcohol consumption. One glass of wine might help you relax and become more open to personal relationships, but even that amount should not be consumed daily. 
3. Avoid Sugary Food: Sugar contributes to problems like insulin resistance and metabolic diseases, which implies that cutting out sugar from the diet might assist in maintaining healthy hormone levels that can lead to increased female libido and male libido. Avoiding sweetened food is particularly helpful for maintaining a good, healthy body. 
4. Plenty of Sleep: People who lead busy lives sometimes struggle to find the time to obtain the recommended amount of sleep, which can affect their libido. Lack of sleep especially decreases male libido, but females too report that lack of sleep decreases their desire.
5. Eat Healthy Fats: Medium-chain fatty acids, such as those in coconut oil, may help control the cells that determine how the body reacts to insulin. Certain fish, with their high-fat content, may be good for your heart and digestive system, as well as your brain and central nervous system. Eating a diet high in fatty fish may help avoid mood disorders, including anxiety and sadness, and increase both male libido and female libido.

Final Remarks

The term libido refers to sex drive or the urge for sexual activity, and it varies widely across individuals. Libido also fluctuates depending on an individual's sexual interests, medical issues, hormone levels, lifestyle choices, and interpersonal relationships. You are suffering from low libido if your sex desire is almost non-existent, and you are having strong libido if you constantly want sex. Neither of them is good for health, however a mild level of low libido or high libido may be entirely normal.

If you are worried that your libido is being impacted by health conditions, check out the Pathkind Labs facilities. Experienced doctors of this lab perform health tests to offer quick and accurate results to clients.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. Is having a too high or too low libido bad for your sexual health?
   
   Answer:- Libido varies person to person and there is no normal level of libido defined by healthcare professionals. That means high libido or low libido does not indicate health issues, however, if you see other worrying symptoms along with libido changes, you should see a doctor.
   
   
2. What hormones affect your libido? 
   
   Answer:- The sex hormones testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone affect libido in men and women, however, another hormone called dopamine can also affect your libido in certain cases.
   
   
3. How to increase libido?
   
   Answer:- Having a low libido is normal and it doesn’t mean you are ill, but if you think your libido is too low, you may see a doctor to check if any underlying health issue is affecting your libido.
   
   
4. Does stress affects libido?
   
   Answer:- Yes, stress can affect libido and many men and women say that extreme levels of stress has caused their libido to decrease.
   
   
5. Can alcohol decrease libido?
   
   Answer:- Yes, alcohol consumption reduces your libido but having just one drink won’t cause this situation. However, drinking excessively and daily will inevitably affect your libido.