We all have different tastes when it comes to what we find hot or arousing in a partner. However, could something as odd as garlic breath actually spark sexual desire?
As Colm Tóibín writes:
‘His mouth had a taste that I had never found before. It was garlicHis mouth had a taste that I had never found before. It was garlic. Even now, if I ever notice a touch of garlic on someone’s breath, it conveys an erotic charge, a feeling of pure and simple pleasure.’
‘That garlic breath may be erotic or an aphrodisiac is not opinion, it is fact.’
But is this legit? Can garlic breath truly be an aphrodisiac? Let’s unpack this.
On the science side, some studies show garlic boosts testosterone and blood flow. Therefore, eating garlic may potentially increase libido and arousal. Additionally, the smell triggers reactions in the brain related to emotion and memory. So if your first French kiss was with someone who’d just eaten garlic bread, you might forever connect garlic with intimacy!
However, a lot also comes down to personal taste and past experiences. For some, like the writer, garlic breath may trigger sexy memories that instantly turn them on. For others, it may just smell unpleasantly strong.
At the end of the day, scents are deeply personal. If you love garlic bread and it reminds you of your hot first relationship, smelling it on someone’s breath could totally arouse you! Just don’t assume every romantic dinner needs to include garlic bread—make sure you know what smells your partner finds sexy.
Have you ever had any scent-related turn-ons or turn-offs? Share this on social media and see what people think!
