Substances sold as sexual enhancers carry a long history and a short evidence base. Rhino horn, ginseng, Spanish fly and chocolate have each been promoted as capable of increasing desire or improving performance, yet the studies that exist are small, indirect or negative, and some of the products carry real harm. The question is not whether these substances are natural, but whether controlled data show an effect and whether the product is safe.
The only analysis of rhino horn contents found in the sources reviewed here is a 2024 laboratory study. It examined 22 horns from zoo rhinos and 182 specimens, finding 18 minerals (including metals) measurable, with concentrations that were low; the authors concluded that human health benefits or risks from consuming it are unlikely. On this basis horn is a collection of minerals, and no study tested a sexual effect. Poaching still threatens rhinos.
A woman with a square of dark chocolate in bed; chocolate and ginseng have long been called aphrodisiacs, but the human evidence is limited; AI-generated image.
[More research needed: for orchid and for any sexual effect of the substances that make up rhino horn, no human trial was found in the sources reviewed for this article; any claim of effect for them is unsupported.]
Ginseng for erections: what do the trials say?
The trials are modest in size and their results do not align. A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis of ginseng for erectile dysfunction pooled 9 randomized trials against placebo, covering 587 men aged 20 to 70 with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction and follow-up up to 12 weeks. The mean difference on the erectile function questionnaire IIEF-5 was 2.39 (95% confidence interval 0.89 to 3.88) while the minimal clinically important difference was assumed to be 5, at moderate certainty. On the IIEF-15 erectile function domain the difference was 3.52 (1.79 to 5.25) against a threshold of 4, at low certainty.
The authors concluded ginseng probably has a trivial effect on erectile function, although it may improve self-reported ability to have intercourse (risk ratio 2.55; 1.76 to 3.69; 6 studies; low certainty). Adverse events did not differ significantly (risk ratio 1.45; 0.69 to 3.03; 7 studies). No study compared ginseng with established medical treatments for erectile dysfunction.
A 2026 meta-analysis of herbal supplements for erectile dysfunction examined 14 trials with 1227 men aged 35 to 65 and follow-up of 1 to 6 months; the standardized mean difference for erectile function was 1.20 (0.64 to 1.76). Those authors wrote that ginseng benefited erectile function and desire, but that evidence for other agents such as Tribulus terrestris and Maca was insufficient and that larger, longer trials are needed.
The 2021 and 2026 reviews used different methods and measures, so the two results cannot be added; the findings are not aligned, and the uncertainty is real.
In clinical work, specialists often see that clients who look for a magic food for sexual desire are really talking about performance anxiety or emotional distance from their partner; this is a clinical impression, not a result of these studies.
Why is Spanish fly dangerous?
Spanish fly contains cantharidin, a blistering agent, and its harms are documented in clinical reports. A 1996 case report described 4 patients with burning urination and dark urine; 3 had abdominal pain, 1 had flank pain, and the only woman had vaginal bleeding. In 3 patients there was blood in the urine and in 2 occult rectal bleeding, while 2 showed a mild clotting disorder known as disseminated intravascular coagulation.
The authors wrote that most available preparations contain negligible cantharidin if any, but the illicit form can reach very toxic concentrations, that poisoning is often unwitting, and that treatment is supportive. This is a case series, not a prevalence rate.
If a person has used such a product and blood in the urine or abdominal pain appears, emergency care is needed immediately.
What about chocolate and natural sexual enhancement products?
Chocolate illustrates how easily association is mistaken for cause. A 2006 cross-sectional study of chocolate and women’s sexual function used a convenience sample in northern Italy: 163 women, mean age 35.3 years, with complete data for 153, of whom 120 ate chocolate daily and 33 did not. The chocolate group was younger (mean 33.9 versus 40.4 years) and had higher total sexual function and desire scores, but after adjusting for age, scores were similar in the two groups. This design does not show cause.
A 2025 laboratory check in Bosnia and Herzegovina tested 20 products sold as natural sexual enhancers; 7 contained a synthetic PDE-5 inhibitor, the same type of drug made for erectile problems, without it being declared on the label. The authors called it a significant public-health risk and called for oversight, though the small regional sample should not be generalized to the whole market.
A 2010 review of natural aphrodisiacs found that evidence does not support recommending any as an effective treatment for male or female sexual problems, that data on women are limited, and it warned about the covert addition of erectile-drug analogues to natural products.
In the classical psychoanalytic framework of Freud, sexual desire is a psychic force before it is a substance, and belief in the effect of a food can itself form part of the experience; this is a theoretical hypothesis and these studies do not prove it.
The editorial position of Behckam.com is that a substance being natural is neither a reason to think it works nor a reason to think it is safe; the best investment for sexual desire is assessing medical and psychological causes and talking with your partner.
Does any natural substance reliably raise sexual desire?
Controlled evidence for a clear effect on desire is limited and mixed. The 2010 review found evidence does not support recommending any natural aphrodisiac as an effective treatment, while the 2026 meta-analysis reported benefit for ginseng on desire and called for larger trials.
Does ginseng replace medical treatment for erectile problems?
No. No study in the 2021 review compared ginseng with established medical treatments for erectile dysfunction, and its effect on the IIEF-5 was 2.39, below the assumed threshold of 5.
Are natural sexual enhancement supplements safe?
Not automatically. In the 2025 laboratory check, 7 of 20 products sold as natural sexual enhancers contained an undeclared synthetic PDE-5 inhibitor, and Spanish fly preparations can cause serious injury.
When should you see a doctor?
Seek care for persistent erectile or desire difficulties, and seek emergency care immediately if blood in the urine or abdominal pain appears after using any such product. Assessment of medical and psychological causes comes first.
Conclusion: The Myths Are Appealing, the Evidence Is Thin
Across these sources, 22 rhino horns yielded only low mineral concentrations, 587 men showed a ginseng effect below the threshold of 5 on the IIEF-5, and 7 of 20 natural products hid a synthetic drug. The evidence for sexual benefit is thin or negative, and safety is not guaranteed by natural origin. Honest assessment of causes, and conversation with a partner, remain the more promising path.
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Roth TL, Rebolloso SL, Donelan EM, et al. Rhinoceros horn mineral and metal concentrations vary by sample location, depth, and color. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):13808. PMID: 38877154. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64472-z
Lee HW, Lee MS, Kim TH, et al. Ginseng for erectile dysfunction. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021;4(4):CD012654. PMID: 33871063. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012654.pub2
Ho CY, Hsu CH, Chien TJ. Herbal dietary supplements for erectile dysfunction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials. J Tradit Complement Med. 2026;16(1):109-120. PMID: 41696741. DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2025.11.001
Karras DJ, Farrell SE, Harrigan RA, et al. Poisoning from “Spanish fly” (cantharidin). Am J Emerg Med. 1996;14(5):478-83. PMID: 8765116. DOI: 10.1016/S0735-6757(96)90158-8
Salonia A, Fabbri F, Zanni G, et al. Chocolate and women’s sexual health: An intriguing correlation. J Sex Med. 2006;3(3):476-82. PMID: 16681473. DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2006.00236.x
Omeragić E, Jesenković-Habul L, Imamović B, et al. Detection and quantification of Sildenafil and Tadalafil in dietary supplements marketed as natural sexual enhancers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2025;33(3):181-186. PMID: 41165181. DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a8397
