Science says an apple a day could improve women's sex lives

Chocolate and wine may taste much more decadent, but for ladies looking to give their sex lives a boost, an apple a day could get the job done, too.

Researchers in Italy studied 731 women, aged 18 to 43. Half of the participants were asked to include at least one apple in their daily diet, while the other half were asked to abstain — from the fruit, that is. Each group was also instructed to complete a Female Sexual Function Index, which lists 19 questions about the study participants' sexual activities and overall satisfaction.

The findings? Published in the Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, researchers wrote in the study that women from the apple-noshing group reported higher sexual satisfaction than their non-apple-eating counterparts, notes The Telegraph. The scientists surmised the higher satisfaction may be thanks to the compound phloridzin, present in apples, which is similar to the female sex hormone estradiol. Apples also contain polyphenols and antioxidants (just like chocolate and wine!), both of which stimulate blood flow, assisting in arousal.

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Apples, by the way, are still good for things besides sex: Scientists have found the fruit may lower blood fat levels in postmenopausal women (cutting the risk of heart attacks and strokes), and eating the fruit can also help lower cholesterol levels.