As exams draw near and another semester hits crunch time, many students are looking for ways to save time. Some turn to Sparknotes.com, others to caffeine and some just combine essential activities—such as eating and sex.
""I've seen several videos that have food-related tips for spicing up your sex life,"" said John DeLamater, professor of sociology at UW-Madison. ""You're watching the video and you see the food, like whipped cream, [then] sex, and you associate the two. It may not be that the actual video says to you, ‘this is an aphrodisiac,' but it creates an association in your head.""
College students and sex enthusiasts alike have been combining food and sex for centuries, often eating foods that have been purported to have an impact on sexual desire.
""There are few, if any, substances that will reliably increase sexual desire, and I would consider that a different phenomenon than an aphrodisiac,"" said DeLamater. ""The whole notion of aphrodisiacs is built basically on any number of substances over the centuries that have had placebo effects on people who used them.""
DeLamater listed several purported aphrodisiacs, which range from ground rhinoceros horn and the chemical popularly known as Spanish fly to oysters and bananas or alcohol and chocolate. While chocolate actually helps stimulate the productions of some hormones that help elevate mood, and whipped cream could give a little sugar high, DeLamater added, these foods encourage receptiveness to sex, rather than physiologically effect the sexual system.
""And so, of course,"" added DeLamater, ""we frequently have situations then where you get a placebo effect. If you think that two drinks of Johnny Walker scotch is going to get you horny, and you drink two drinks of Johnny Walker scotch, you get horny because you expect that to happen and then it does ... You get a nice feedback effect.""
DeLamater mentioned that whipped cream had another, much more sure-fire possibility for use.
""Licking it off will, of course, produce sexual arousal,"" he said.
Several students, including UW-Madison juniors Amber Tarquin (name has been changed at the person's request) and Anthony Loomis, as well as a representative of Sex Out Loud who chose to remain anonymous, have brought whipped cream and other foods into the bedroom, with mixed results.
""I've used chocolate syrup, whipped cream,"" Loomis said. ""Cherries are nice, but you've got to make sure you count them. Same thing with gummy bears. What's nice about honey is that the consistency is a little thicker, and it doesn't get everywhere."" Loomis added that he has enjoyed most of his experiences that have combined food and sex.
""I have tried using the whipped cream, and while I can see how it would be a really sexy, sensual experience for a lot of people. For me, I don't like to be sticky,"" Tarquin said. ""I've always thought that since, like with whipped cream, the sticky stuff, it seems like it could be really exciting, but there's always the threat of, if you use it in certain places, it can cause yeast infections.""
A Sex Out Loud representative echoed Tarquin's concerns: Any foods with sugar used near the vagina can potentially cause yeast infections. Partners should also be aware of each others' food allergies.
Loomis and DeLamater warned of another potential downfall of bringing food into the bedroom: messiness. DeLamater suggested using sloppier foods such as chocolate sauce over a rubber or plastic sheet or a floor that could be easily cleaned.
""You start using chocolate sauce, then you need to take a shower afterwards, really, is what it ends up boiling down to,"" Loomis added. ""It just kind of ends up going everywhere, which isn't bad, but it depends on what you're looking to do that particular evening.""
Some students, such as Tarquin, move away from the often used dessert foods to less conventional ones: ""I've always wanted to try nacho cheese, because I think that that might actually be a little bit more fun. Maybe that's just me, though.""
The Sex Out Loud representative recommended paying attention to the unconventional foods used, pointing to their various possible results. For example, any foods that make the urine smell bad generally have a negative affect on the sexual fluids, as well.
Generally, the representative recommended citrus fruits and pineapple, which contain sugars that can make these fluids taste and smell sweeter, and warned against the potential bad tastes that can result from asparagus and red meat.
Despite a disinclination for identifying themselves, the campus consensus seems to be in favor of the sex and good combination.
""They're fun,"" DeLamater said of using foods in the bedroom. ""And if they indeed spice up someone's sexual interactions, that's cool.""
