Almonds Benefits Sexually: What the Research Shows

Almonds get sold as a sex food with the confidence of a supplement ad and roughly the same evidence base. The reality is more interesting, because there is a real randomized controlled trial on nuts and male sexual function — and its results are both more specific and more modest than the headlines suggest.

Short version: nuts measurably improved sexual desire and orgasmic function, but did not significantly improve erection scores. Here is what the data actually says and how to use it.

The Research: What the Trial Found

The best evidence comes from the FERTINUTS trial, a 14-week randomized controlled study of 83 healthy men aged 18-35. One group added 60 g of mixed nuts per day — 30 g walnuts, 15 g almonds, 15 g hazelnuts — to a typical Western-style diet. The control group ate the same diet with no nuts.

Sexual function was measured with the International Index of Erectile Function, a validated 15-question instrument that scores five separate domains. The secondary outcome analysis published in Nutrients reported:

• Orgasmic function improved significantly in the nut group (p = 0.037)
• Sexual desire improved significantly (p = 0.040)
• Erectile function did not differ significantly between groups (p = 0.192)
• Intercourse satisfaction and overall satisfaction showed no significant difference
• Peripheral nitric oxide levels did not change significantly (p = 0.737)

That last point matters, because the popular explanation for nuts and erections is L-arginine raising nitric oxide. In this trial, blood nitric oxide did not move. Whatever produced the improvement in desire and orgasm, it was not a measurable arginine-to-nitric-oxide effect.

Two honest caveats. The trial was partially funded by the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, which is worth knowing even though the methodology was sound. And the participants were young, healthy men — not men with diagnosed erectile dysfunction, who are the group most likely to be searching for this.

Benefit 1: Vascular Support, Not a Direct Erection Effect

Erections are a vascular event. Blood flows into the corpora cavernosa, and the pelvic floor muscles compress the veins to keep it there. Anything that damages arteries — high blood pressure, high blood glucose, smoking, poor lipid profile — degrades that inflow, which is why erectile dysfunction so often shows up before a cardiac diagnosis.

Almonds contribute to a diet pattern that protects arteries. They supply monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, magnesium, and fibre, and they replace worse snacks. A systematic review and meta-analysis of dietary patterns and erectile function found improved erectile function associated with Mediterranean-style and low-fat patterns rich in produce and nuts.

The mechanism is real but slow and indirect. Almonds are not doing anything on the night. They are one input into arterial health measured over years.

Benefit 2: Desire and Orgasm Quality

This is where the trial evidence is strongest, and it is the part most articles skip because it is less dramatic than promising bigger erections.

Both domains that improved — desire and orgasmic function — are influenced by overall metabolic and neurological health rather than by penile blood flow alone. A diet with adequate magnesium, zinc, selenium, and healthy fat supports the hormonal and nervous system signalling behind arousal and orgasm. Nuts deliver all four in a form your body absorbs well.

The effect size was modest, and 14 weeks is a short window. But a measurable improvement in two validated domains from one dietary change is a genuinely useful finding, and it costs the price of a bag of almonds.

Benefit 3: Sperm Quality and the Testosterone Question

The primary outcome of the same FERTINUTS trial was semen quality, and adding nuts improved sperm count, vitality, motility, and morphology in healthy young men eating a Western diet. If you are trying to conceive, that is the strongest reason on this page to eat them.

Testosterone is where marketing outruns evidence. Almonds supply zinc and magnesium, both required for normal testosterone production, and deficiency in either impairs it. But correcting a deficiency raises a hormone back to normal; it does not push a normal level higher. There is no trial showing almonds raise testosterone in men who are not deficient.

If you suspect genuinely low testosterone, the answer is a morning blood test, not a snack. Our guide to the signs of low testosterone covers what actually warrants testing.

How Long Until You Notice Anything

Weeks 1-4: Nothing sexual. You may notice steadier energy and better satiety from the fat and fibre.

Weeks 8-14: The FERTINUTS window. This is when the desire and orgasm improvements showed up on questionnaires. Expect subtle rather than obvious.

Months 6-12+: The vascular benefit — the part that could plausibly affect erections — operates on this timescale, and only alongside the rest of a decent diet, exercise, sleep, and not smoking.

Anyone promising a same-week erection effect from a food is selling something. Compare that with pelvic floor training, where randomized trial data shows meaningful erectile change at three to six months.

Getting Started

1. Eat about 30 g of almonds most days — roughly 20-23 nuts, a small handful. Raw or dry-roasted, unsalted.
2. Mix your nuts. The trial used walnuts as the largest share. Walnuts carry the omega-3 content, almonds the vitamin E and magnesium.
3. Replace, do not add. Almonds run about 170-180 calories per 30 g. Swap them for chips, biscuits, or a pastry, not on top of them.
4. Treat them as one part of the pattern. Nuts, vegetables, olive oil, fish, and less ultra-processed food is the combination the diet research supports — not any single item. Our guide on foods and male sexual health covers what else earns a place.
5. Train the muscles too. Diet handles blood supply. The pelvic floor handles retention, and it responds far faster than arteries do.

If you are also taking supplements aimed at erections, read our breakdown of vitamins for ED and ED supplements first — several popular products have been found spiked with undeclared prescription drugs.

Common Questions

Are soaked almonds better than raw ones?

There is no clinical evidence that soaking changes any sexual health outcome. Soaking softens the nut and reduces phytic acid slightly, which may marginally improve mineral absorption. Eat them however you will actually eat them consistently.

Can I get the same benefit from almond butter or almond milk?

Almond butter, yes — it is the same nut, so check the label for added sugar and oils. Almond milk, no. Commercial almond milk is mostly water, often containing only 2-3% almonds, so the nutrient dose is a fraction of what the trial used.

Is there a downside to eating almonds daily?

For most men, no. They are calorie-dense, so portion control matters if weight is a concern — and excess body fat lowers testosterone and worsens erectile function, which would undo the point. Anyone with a tree nut allergy should obviously avoid them.

Do almonds help premature ejaculation?

No evidence supports that. Ejaculatory control is a neuromuscular skill involving the pelvic floor, not a nutrient issue. Pelvic floor training and behavioural techniques have the evidence base — see our guide on how to stop premature ejaculation.

The Bottom Line

Almonds have a real, measured place in male sexual health: as part of a daily mixed-nut habit, they improved sexual desire and orgasmic function in a randomized trial, and improved sperm quality on the primary outcome. They did not improve erection scores, and blood nitric oxide did not budge.

Eat the handful. Just be clear about what it does and does not do, and put your effort where the evidence for erections is strongest — vascular health and kegel training.