DEBORAH OCHENI 
Many Nigerian families include vegetables in their daily menu because of the flavour they bring to the table. Unknown to them, some vegetables are more than flavours, DEBORAH OCHENI reports
Making vegetables part of your daily menu is one of the most powerful ways you can influence your body’s performance in all areas of health, including sex.
Spinach has been considered as one of the best testosterone boosting foods by both dietician and medical doctors. Research has shown that for those that are ready to embrace more energetic sex drive, spinach might just be the way to go.
Although there are plenty of supplements that can give one the boost to be sexually active, there is nothing as good as natural foods. Spinach which is commonly called ‘efo’ or green is one of the best dietary sources of magnesium.
Magnesium according to research is a mineral that is actually involved in muscle development and important and essential for reproductive function in men old and young sedentary and active. Eating spinach puts you in the mood by increasing blood flow below the belt.
“Spinach is rich in magnesium, a mineral that decreases inflammation in blood vessels and increases blood flow,” explains Cassie Bjork in Healthy Simple Life.
In the similar vein, psychotherapist and sex expert Tammy Nelson said, eating spinach aids increased blood flow drives blood to the extremities, which, like Viagra, can increase arousal and make sex more pleasurable.
“Women will find it easier to have an orgasm, and men will find that erections come more naturally hence, you can make each other swoon with spinach” he said.
Dr Ijaja Onuche, Managing Director Nissi Hospital confirmed that the presence of Viagra in spinach makes it a good meal for those who wish to improve their libido.
“Spinach is healthy and highly nutritious, it contains Viagra element and Viagra helps in delaying ejaculation while promoting stigma.
Spinach is a good meal for those who desire to improve their libido. Other natural herbal mixture that activates male’s vitality with safe , powerful, all natural and fast acting testosterone boasting support are Perfomax and Revive” Onuche added.
Womenfolk
Mary Ochigbo, a teacher said she eats spinach because it nourishes the body “spinach belongs to the class of vegetable and vegetable is very nutritious to the body, it nourishes the body and gives glowing skin,” she said.
Aishat Bello, a pregnant woman who spoke to Inside Abuja at a vegetable shop, said she was buying spinach because she was advised to eat a lot of vegetables by her doctor .
“I am just coming from the hospital where I went for anti natal care and the matron that attended to me said I should eat vegetable, I am from the north, we the northerners cultivate spinach.
Alefo as we call it in my dialect has unique taste that stands it out from other vegetables,” Bello said. Lateefat Bolade, mother of two children eats spinach because it is very affordable easy to prepare “efo is a common and very affordable vegetable in Abuja, with N50 efo, crayfish, palm oil, pepper and seasoning, I can prepare efo soup that will feed my family of four members per day. I don’t know it improves libido I only eat because it is affordable and nutritious,” he said.
Celina Attah, a civil servant said that indeed spinach has a lot of health benefits. “I’m aware spinach improves libido, my friend who is a dietician told me about it sometimes ago and that encouraged me to add spinach soup to our daily menu and believe you me, it works so much” she said.
Ladi eko, a business women eats spinach because it’s a blood booster “I eat spinach soup because it’s a blood booster not because it improves libido, I don’t even know it improves libido but then, whatever gives blood has the ability to boast libido.
All my children likes it so I make it often,” she said. It a different thing all together for Janet Uzo who does not like the vegetable “Spinach is a no no. I don’t like the spinach soup because it easily gets soft. I prefer making pumpkin and water leaf for my vegetable soup.
Spinach is a turn off for me and my family. I am not aware it improves libido and we don’t eat it often,” she said.
Menfolk
Paul Aguda, a civil servant is not aware spinach improves libido but may have been eating the sumptous vegetable soup for a long time. “May be I will have to ask my wife because I really don’t know what I eat by their names aside rice.
Whatever is available at home is what I eat. I don’t know spinach boost libido, I will disuse it with her and introduce it into my meal”.
John Adikpe, entrepreneur loves eating spinach but doesn’t know the health benefit “I eat spinach because I love vegetable in general.
Vegetable is very nutritious to the body, I don’t know it improves libido but we eat it a lot,” he said. Chimeze Eze, a 42 years old man said he is also not aware spinach boast libido.
According to him, he doesnt eat it because he doesn’t like the taste. Musa Haruna notes that spinach is one of their local soups and part of his family’s daily meal.
“It is nutritious and I am aware it improves libido. I am an Hausa man and we eat it with masa our local meal and my wife can testify that I am not doing badly in the other room,” he said.
Interestingly, all the sellers interviewed as at when the story was filled, lacked the information that spinach boosta libido.
They were only aware of it been a natural blood booster Chika Chinonso, a vegetable seller said she sells the vegetable because it gives blood and makes the skin glow.
“I don’t know what is libido but I know efo is very good for the body and people buy it, both men and women buy it from us,” he said. Fulelah Abdul, a young spinach hawker said she sells ‘green’ (spinach) because people like the soup.
“Green is healthy and the soup is delicious,” she said. A male spinach seller who simply gave his as Hassan said: “I only sell vegetable but I don’t like eating vegetable soup. Those who like it eat it and they buy it from me. I am just doing my business,” he noted.
