Could drinking coffee before sex give you stronger orgasms?

When we think of aphrodisiacs, foods like chocolate and strawberries come to mind, but did you know your morning cup of coffee could also be hiding potential benefits that could lead to better sex and out-of-this-world orgasms? Well, according to women on the internet, it’s true. We talked to two sexuality and intimacy coaches to see if there was any truth to the claim. Read to find out if coffee is the answer to mind-blowing orgasms.

What does an orgasm feel like?

To understand how drinking coffee affects orgasms, we first need to understand what an orgasm actually is. According to sexuality coach Pallavi Barnwal, orgasms are not always as explosive and obvious as media portrays them to be. They can be subtle and short-lived, especially if you are at the start of your sexual exploration journey. But some of the physiological signs that indicate you’ve had an orgasm include involuntary muscular contractions in your genitals or a sex flush, where you might get redness on your chest and face. 

Does coffee actually give you more intense orgasms?

How did the connection between coffee and orgasm become so popular? Like most viral claims, this, too, is thanks to social media. Users on the popular app TikTok began talking about how drinking coffee before sex gave them stronger orgasms. A doctor in the UK, who is also on TikTok, verified their claim. Dr Karan Rajan, who’s a surgeon with the UK’s National Health Service,  explained that while lower doses of caffeine narrow your blood vessels, higher doses—think a few shots of espresso—cause the caffeine to widen the blood vessels and increase your blood flow. It’s a known fact that the better your blood flow, the easier it is for you to reach arousal and have a stronger orgasm.

Barnwal adds that hormones are one of the key factors that determine the sexual desires of a woman, and caffeine causes a mild increase in the hormone dopamine, which has a positive impact on libido. However, sex drive is more than a result of hormones that cause organs to act in a certain way. So, merely drinking coffee to increase libido might not be enough, though it can certainly help. 

Does it also improve men’s sexual health?

Turns out, coffee is not only beneficial for women and their sexual health, but it also improves men’s sexual health! Intimacy coach, Khushboo Bist, explains that according to a study by the University of Texas Health Science Center, it could have a positive impact on erectile dysfunction. The study found that men, especially those over 20 years old, who consumed two to three cups of coffee per day were less likely to report erectile dysfunction compared to those who avoided caffeine altogether. 

The caffeine in coffee can act as a stimulant, relaxing blood vessels and increasing blood flow to your genitals. However, we recommend you don’t start guzzling multiple cups of coffee just yet. “These benefits may vary from person to person, and coffee alone is neither a guaranteed solution for sexual health issues nor a substitute for medications,” says Bist.