• Horseradish
• Cloves
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Thyme
• Oregano

While it's unclear whether the small amount of spice used in one meal can produce any real aphrodisiac effect, many spices do contain beneficial natural components and using them regularly as part of a nutritious diet can improve your overall health, including your sex life.

There are plenty of aromatherapy theories regarding sexual desire as well. The scents of vanilla, orange, cinnamon, and chocolate are high on the list of olfactory aphrodisiacs. Many commercial perfumes and colognes feature these scents. Musk, a strongly scented animal oil, is also a traditional aphrodisiac put to use in bottled perfumes.

Many of our most desire-producing scents are those that have their basis in childhood or in our early romantic experiences. A woman can be affected by a whiff of her first love's cologne decades after the relationship ends.

Of course, the strongest aphrodisiac scent is one we can't even consciously detect. Pheromones are chemicals produced by the human body that play a role in attraction and mate selection. We smell, or rather sense, these chemicals with a special part of our olfactory system. This is why the natural body scent of someone we love can be so intoxicating.