Libido

Libido has more than one cause

Sleep, stress, alcohol, medication, hormones and life stage all move your sex drive. A supplement can only help with the nutritional part of that picture. It will not repair a broken sleep pattern. Knowing that before you buy saves you money and disappointment.

Zinc is the only ingredient in this category with claims approved by the European food safety authority (EFSA). Zinc contributes to normal fertility and reproduction, and zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood. Maca, ginseng, ashwagandha, tribulus and horny goat weed have a long history of use, but no approved claim. We stock them and we tell you exactly where the evidence stands. This page sits under our BEAUTY + BALANCE pillar, alongside hormones, skin and hair.

Forms and doses we stock

The form decides how much you take, how well you absorb it and whether you keep going. What we look at per ingredient:

• Zinc: we prefer bisglycinate and picolinate. Both are gentler on an empty stomach than zinc oxide, which the body takes up poorly.
• Maca: gelatinised powder has the starch broken down, so it digests more easily than raw powder. Capsules suit anyone who dislikes the malty taste. Have a look at the maca range.
• Ginseng: a standardised extract states the ginsenoside percentage on the label. Plain root powder does not, so the dose is a guess.
• Ashwagandha: extracts standardised to withanolides, in the 300 to 600 mg range used in most studies.

Timing and combinations

Take zinc away from a large dose of iron or calcium, because they compete for the same uptake route. With food if it makes you queasy. Maca powder mixes into a morning smoothie. Ginseng is usually taken earlier in the day, since some people find it too stimulating at night. Ashwagandha is often taken in the evening instead. If you use two or three products, start one at a time, so you know which one does something for you.

How we choose what goes on this page

We look at three things: the form, the dose and whether a combination makes sense. Blends with fifteen herbs at 20 mg each read well on a label and do very little, so we leave them out. We prefer a short ingredient list at doses used in research, usually built around a mineral with a real claim behind it. We buy directly from the brands, so your stock is authentic, and our compliance team checks every label before it goes live. We test products ourselves and independent labs spot-check batches. See how we select brands and products.

Who this collection suits

Men usually start with zinc and vitamin D, then add a plant extract if they want to. Our page on libido support for men groups those products together.

Women more often look for something around cycle, mood and energy, where maca and ashwagandha are the common picks. Those sit on our page for desire and drive in women.

Standardised extracts cost more than plain root powder. You pay for a known amount of plant compounds per capsule, which is what makes a dose repeatable. If your budget is tight, one well-dosed product beats three cheap ones.

Expect effects after two to three weeks of consistent use, and only where there is something to correct. If your desire dropped suddenly, or after starting new medication, speak to your GP first. That is the more useful step, and we would rather say so than sell you a capsule.