🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Tonifying Kidneys and Enhancing Yang Through Diet
There is a significant interdependence between food and human sexual function. Both traditional and modern medicine believe that through proper dietary choices, one can achieve benefits such as strengthening essence, enhancing yang, and tonifying the kidneys, positively influencing libido, sexual response, and sexual behavior. From the standpoint of maintaining and regulating sexual function, the following principles should be observed in daily nutrition:
(1) Eat more high-quality protein.
High-quality protein mainly refers to animal proteins like poultry, eggs, meat, and plant proteins from legumes. Proteins contain various amino acids essential for human activities, contributing to the composition of human tissues including reproductive organs and germ cells. For instance, arginine is a key ingredient in sperm production and has the ability to enhance sexual function and relieve fatigue. Soy products and fish contain abundant arginine. Some animal-based foods naturally contain sex hormones.
Enzymes are special proteins with catalytic activity in the body, accelerating chemical reactions and playing a major role in human health. Deficiency in enzymes can lead to slowed bodily functions, including sexual dysfunction, and even loss of fertility. Enzymes exist in various foods; when cooking, avoid excessively high temperatures and long durations, particularly methods like frying, roasting, or pan-frying, which easily destroy enzymes.
Japanese scholars have studied and pointed out that abalone, octopus, clams, oysters, razor clams, sea snails, and scallops are rich in amino acids and serve as effective tonics for strengthening essence. Slippery aquatic products also have this effect, such as eels, loaches, and yellow croakers.
(2) Consume an appropriate amount of fat.
In recent years, due to concerns among adult men about high cholesterol leading to obesity, heart disease, etc., many have adopted a principle of minimizing fat intake. However, from the perspective of maintaining sexual function, moderate fat intake is necessary. Sex hormones (androgen and estrogen) in the body are primarily derived from cholesterol in fats. Long-term vegetarians may experience reduced sex hormone secretion, which is detrimental to sexual function. Furthermore, fats contain essential fatty acids required for sperm production. Deficiency can impair sperm generation and lead to decreased libido. Moderate fat intake also aids in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as A and E. Meats, fish, eggs, and other animal products contain relatively high levels of cholesterol, and moderate intake supports sex hormone synthesis. Particularly, animal organs naturally contain sex hormones and should therefore be consumed appropriately.
(3) Supplement vitamins and trace elements related to sexual function.
Studies show that zinc deficiency in the body leads to reduced sperm count, increased abnormal sperm, diminished sexual and reproductive function, and even infertility. Vitamins A and E both delay aging and prevent sexual function decline, and effectively support sperm production and enhance sperm motility. Vitamin C also plays a positive role in maintaining sexual function.
High-quality protein sources, especially animal liver, pancreas, meat, shellfish, milk, cereals, legumes, potatoes, vegetables, and brown sugar, are rich in zinc. Liver, poultry eggs, dairy products, fish, crabs, shellfish, kale, spinach, chives, celery, carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, dried chili peppers, and tomatoes are rich in vitamin A. Germ of grains, egg yolks, legumes, hard nuts, vegetable oils, chicken, wheat germ, oatmeal, bread, margarine, peanuts, and sesame contain vitamin E. Fresh jujubes, various vegetables, and fruits all contain abundant vitamin C.
(4) Be cautious with foods detrimental to sexual function.
Coarse cottonseed oil, brain tissue (especially pig brain), lamb brain, rabbit meat, black fungus, winter melon, lotus root, hemp seeds, and apricot kernels are considered harmful to sexual function. Their mechanisms are not fully understood, but traditional Chinese medicine believes they harm essence, damage yang pathways, and weaken kidney energy.