Does Drinking Beer Really Make Men Better at Sex?

In a claim which violates most conventional wisdom (and anecdotal evidence), a sexologist has suggested that beer can actually make men better in bed. Dr. Kat Van Kirk, who earned her PhD from the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, recently told AskMen that beer can enhance sexual performance on almost every level.

For starters, she alleges that the "phytoestrogens" in beer, which is the fancy name for things that we eat which can block estrogen production, can help delay climax in men suffering from premature ejaculation. But it's well-known, even among scientists, that alcohol can have exactly the opposite effect, and make ejaculation almost impossible—that will hardly make a beer drinker "better in bed," as the article claims.

Dr. Van Kirk then goes on to single out dark beers for their aphrodisiac qualities because of higher iron content, which increases "red blood cells and overall circulation allowing for erections to be easier—and more frequent." As a result, she says "dark beer can get you in the mood," insofar as slowly losing your ability to make a rational decision can be considered "getting in the mood."

Other erotic benefits of some beers reportedly include "endurance," according to Van Kirk, who cites Italy's Fondazione di Ricerca e Cura to support her argument. "A pint a day makes you 31 percent less likely than those who don't drink to suffer from heart attacks, strokes or heart disease. This means that when paired with exercise—beer is actually keeping your heart healthier, giving you more cardio endurance to thrust away," the AskMen article reads.

Finally, and perhaps most boldly, Dr. Van Kirk recommends drinking Guinness in order to feel less lethargic during the act of love. Apparently, the dark stuff has high levels of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin B, which gives it probiotic qualities. "This means it can help fortify your overall health and be better on your stomach so you won't feel sluggish during sex," Van Kirk says, but there have been plenty of less formal experiments in America and Ireland which suggest otherwise.

In Van Kirk's defense, her claims are prefaced with a warning that they must be balanced with self-discipline, because "these facts are only true… in moderation." While beer may have some health benefits which are somewhat (or even remotely) related to sex, we'll probably be sticking to love potions that won't give us a nasty hangover.