Indian herb that spices up sex life

A herb used to add flavour to Indian curries can also spice up our sex lives, according to a new study.

Researchers found that men taking fenugreek can boost their sex drive by at least a quarter.

Sixty healthy men aged between 25 and 52 took an extract of the herb twice a day for six weeks.

Their libido levels were monitored using a scoring system to assess any changes after three and six weeks.

Within six weeks, their scores had soared by an average of 16.1 to 20.6, a 28 per cent rise, reports the Daily Mail .

Meanwhile, another group of men taking dummy pills saw their scores fall.

Fenugreek seeds contain compounds called saponins which are thought to stimulate production of male sex hormones including testosterone.

The tests were carried out by researchers from the Centre for Integrative Clinical and Molecular Medicine in Brisbane, Australia, who said: 'This study has demonstrated that there was significant improvement in sexual function and performance following treatment.'