Fact check: Can eating three oranges daily help control unbridled lustful desires that may be difficult to manage through other means and methods?

Claim: An Instagram post claims that eating three oranges daily helps control unbridled lustful desires that may be difficult to manage through other means and methods. The link to the claim is here.

Fact check:

The claim is false.

Understanding Libido

Libido refers to a person's overall sexual desire for sexual activity. It is affected by various biological, physiological and social factors. Biologically, libido is affected by the hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone; it is also affected by neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, which play a role in a person's mood. In general, libido is a complex and multifaceted aspect of human sexuality which can greatly vary from person to person (1). High libido refers to high sexual desire or the emotion and mental energy related to sex. Another term for it is “sex drive.” A high libido potentially becomes a problem when it results in sexual activity that feels out of control.

Speaking to the Medical Dialogues team, Dr T.Siddhartha, MBBS, MS Consultant Urologist and Andrologist Prashanth Hospital, Kolathur, said, "Libido can be defined as a drive for sex. It's a very dynamic process that varies from person to person. Multiple factors, such as biological, physiological and social, affect libido. High libido is very hard to define or quantify; it's only easy to assess if it causes problems in day-to-day life."

Health benefits of oranges:

An orange has over 170 different phytochemicals and more than 60 flavonoids, providing various health benefits. Oranges contain a large number of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients. They are rich in potassium and contain other minerals like phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, selenium, and copper. Oranges also have choline and anti-oxidants like zeaxanthin and carotenoids. They also contain vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B-6, pantothenic acid and folate (2)

Can oranges decrease libido?

No, there is no such evidence that consuming oranges can control or decrease libido or sexual desires, In fact, Oranges do have mild aphrodisiac properties and thus can help in dealing with sexual problems like erectile dysfunction, frigidity and disinterest in sex.  Orange peel could be a functional food for erectile dysfunction. It can improve sexual behaviour and also inhibit the activities of enzymes implicated in erectile dysfunction (3). However, no relevant clinical data has been presented to prove this.

Speaking to the medical dialogues team, Dr.Nishanth Puliyath, Senior Resident, Dept of Urology & Andrology, Calicut Medical College, Kerala, said, “It’s a myth, and people should be aware of such claims. We do not support such claims as no clinical evidence is present to date. My only advice to patients with any such issue is to eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and get 8 hours of sleep. We can only embrace a holistic lifestyle."

Speaking to the medical dialogues team, Dr. Poonam Gulati, Senior Consultant Urology and Renal Transplant at Batra Hospital, said, "While there are foods with known aphrodisiac quality, Foods with natural phytoestrogens are known to decrease libido, oranges are not amongst foods that decrease sexual drive."

Medical dialogue final Take:

No, eating oranges cannot help control unbridled lustful desires. Oranges on the other hand do have mild aphrodisiac properties. After throrough research it is clear that their consumption to manage libido does not have any scientific evidence. Hence, the claim that eating three oranges daily helps control unbridled lustful desires that may be difficult to manage through other means and methods is False.

References:

1.Petric, Domina. (2019). Libido. 10.13140/RG.2.2.33914.44486.

2.Esma Tutem, Kevser Sozgen Baskan, Seyda Karaman Ersoy, Resat Apak,Chapter 22 - Orange,https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-812780-3.00022-2.

3.Ademosun, Ayokunle O.; Adebayo, Adeniyi A.; Oboh, Ganiyu (2019). Orange peels modulate antioxidant markers and key enzymes relevant to erection in the penile tissue of paroxetine‐treated rats. Andrologia, –. doi:10.1111/and.13371