A quick look on the Internet yields over 32 pages of aphrodisiacs ... and that's just on two web sites. That should certainly be an indication that the human fascination with sexual enhancement is not dying out. Viagra flies off the shelves, often after men go to extreme lengths (pun intended) to get it. Bob Dole does a commercial for erectile dysfunction. (It seems Hunter S. Thompson may have been correct in titling his latest book about politics Better Than Sex ... we'll have to ask Libby.) Men in Japan pay insane amounts for rhino horn and quickly the rhino becomes endangered. In fact several animals on that list are a direct result of the quest for bigger, better, more. Let's face it, most men and women would secretly feed their date and/or themselves whatever it took to ensure that the evening (or morning) ended with a bang. Why leave something that important to chance? As a reader service, Go-Go therefore brings you its list of what works and what doesn't.

As a proviso, before listing any possible concoctions, it seems only fair to quote everyone's favorite sex guru, Dr. Ruth. "Thinking about amusing little ways to brighten a sex life -- whether it's having sex somewhere other than in the bedroom, sex- farce underwear, or new positions and techniques -- develops an erotic imagination. The only potent aphrodisiac is in the imagination." So there you have it. If anyone should have a handle on what works, it's the good doctor.

Now for the rest of us. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, a leader in the Integrative Medicine field, the only drug listed in the Physician's Desk Reference as a sexual enhancer is yohimbine. Yohimbine is one of the main components of yohimbe bark from an African tree. In studies done on male rats it was reported to increase sexual arousal and performance. It is also used as a street drug because it is a stimulant and can cause psychoactive effects. Yohimbine has been associated with negative side effects such as lack of coordination, shaking, dissociative mental states, and death.

Everything else from here on out is based primarily on hearsay. Very few studies if any exist on aphrodisiacs. They are noted if they exist. Let's start with stuff you may have around the house in case it's Friday and time's a wastin' as you read this:

Oysters
Long known as an aphrodisiac, there seems to be a bit of conflict as to whether they actually work. Ilene Polansky, the owner of the oyster bar "Maestro S.V.P." in Montreal, reports that Roman emperors paid for them by their weight in gold. However, according to Norman Lewis in his book Aphrodisiacs I Have Known a group of male pearl-divers on the island of Kamaran (off the Arabian coast) get most of their nourishment from oysters ... and have very low sex drives. You'll have to decide for yourself, if you can stand to eat the little suckers. Incidentally, they are said to have the best effect if eaten raw.

Onions
Onions are mentioned in Hindu, Greek, Roman, and Arab texts as a powerful aphrodisiac. The following pretty much says it all. "If your wife is old and your member is exhausted, eat onions in plenty." A recipe from The Perfumed Garden says, "Take one part of the juice pressed out of pounded onions and mix it with two parts of purified honey. Heat the mixture until the water of the onion juice has evaporated, and let the residue get cool, to be used whenever required." Warning! When used over a period of three days, this recipe is said to keep a man hard nonstop for a lengthy amount of time.

Celery and Asparagus
These are placed in the same category because it seems as if their shape may be the principle determinant in their lore. Celery seeds are also said to work well. One word of warning is that asparagus is said to work on men, but not women, and may even have the opposite effect on them.

Here are some herbs you can pick up at any local herb shop:

Muira Puama
God love the French for having an Institute of Sexology. Preliminary studies at the Institute have yielded results that are quite promising for this Brazilian shrub. It may provide better results than yohimbine without the side effects. It works on physiological as well as psychological pathways. Of course, in Brazil it has long been used in folk medicine as a powerful aphrodisiac and nerve stimulant.

Ginseng
Asian medicine has long used ginseng as a sexual energizer for men. The compounds of ginseng, ginsenosides, have been found to enhance overall body performance. This includes immune system functioning, metabolism, muscle tone, and of course, stamina. Be careful if you have high blood pressure or need to sleep because ginseng is a stimulant.

Ashwaganda
Ashwaganda means "smells like a horse." Sounds fun doesn't it? It is sometimes known as Indian ginseng. (That's Indian like India not Native American.) It is used in the system of Indian medicine known as ayurve-da.

Damiana
This Mexican plant has a reputation as a female aphrodisiac and can be found in many "women's energy" preparations. Very little is known clinically so use it and see how it works for you.

Avena Sativa
This herb's name is Latin for "wild oats." As in "sow your." Stallions that are fed wild oats are said to, well, become more stallion-like. There are limited studies that support this in men.

Of course, alcohol and drugs are a principle weapon in the modern aphrodisiac arsenal. (I include hormones, amino acids, etc. here):

Testosterone
I know this comes as no surprise but it may be surprising to know that this is one of the main aphrodisiacs for women. A low level of testosterone is the culprit behind many a lazy female libido. It can also be used for men but Dr. Weil warns of the following, "A few years ago a group in England tried out a testosterone cream to be rubbed on the skin of the abdomen. But the female sex partners of men using the treatment started growing beards, ending that line of research."

p-Chlorophenylalanine
Serotonin is said to chemically block normal sexual activity. This substance is a serotonin inhibitor so could therefore be expected to increase sexual desire. In studies done on rats, it did just that, except that it worked best for the homosexual test population.

Anafranil
An anti-depressant drug with unique characteristics. Apparently people using this drug are said to find that yawning causes orgasm. One female patient was able to self induce yawns and therefore get off. It should be noted that this side effect was noted in a very small amount of people.

Arginine
This is an amino acid and I mention it here only to quote a female someone on the web as saying, "My god, that stuff! I had to stop taking it. I was doing it with every guy that came along!" Probably worth a try.

Alcohol
I'm just lumping them all together here because we all know that a little goes a long way. However, it's important to note that there are preliminary studies to show that a bit of alcohol actually raises testosterone in women.

Now,the bizarre:

Spanish Fly
Ah, Spanish fly. Its lore is widespread. It is actually a very large beetle, dried and then ground up. The main component is called cantharidin, which is an irritant and is highly toxic. One possible explanation for it's supposed aphrodisiac properties is that it irritates the urethra and cause priapism, or a persistent abnormal, usually painful, erection.

Snake Blood
Yes, cut open the tail of a snake and drink its blood right from the source. It's sure to give a man a full stiffy. Oh, you should know that the more poisonous the snake the better and cobras seem to be the snake of choice.

Animal Genitalia
Okay. I'm vegetarian and didn't even want to include this but I felt I had to. The theory goes along the lines of cannibal belief. You know: eat your enemy, steal their power. Same thing here. Of note is a recipe from the The Perfumed Garden that says to cook a donkey penis with onion, feed it to fowl, and then eat the fowl. Bon appetite.

Satyrion
I love this one. Supposedly this ancient plant was known to have produced 70 straight acts of coitus on one single occasion. If only that woman who did the Sex Olympics had known about it earlier. (You know the woman who had sex with like a thousand different guys in a row.) Unforunately, it was so popular that no one knows exactly what it was ... it is believed that it was caused to go extinct by overuse.

Kama Sutra
You may also want to get a copy of the Kama Sutra which contains several concoctions said to aid sex. There are ways to make a woman surrender, increase sexual vigor, and increase the size of the penis or contract the vagina. Most of the recipes contain items that are pretty much only available in India. Some of the recipes also contain toxic substances so you are on your own with these!

Well that's all for now. If these don't work all I can offer is a bit of advice. Turn to Siren Chat and see what you can learn. Although beware, it may be the use of these potions that gets you into trouble and causes your partner to write in.