Does spinach help with low libido during perimenopause?

Spinach supports several physiological factors relevant to sexual desire and function during perimenopause, though it is not a direct aphrodisiac or hormone booster. Its most relevant contributions are through vascular health, neurotransmitter support, and the relationship between overall nutritional status, energy, and libido. Low libido in perimenopause has multiple interconnected drivers including falling estrogen and testosterone, mood changes, sleep disruption, and physical discomfort, and spinach addresses some of these indirectly.

Dietary nitrates are the standout mechanism. Spinach is among the highest dietary sources of nitrates. In the body, nitrates are converted to nitric oxide, a signaling molecule that relaxes and dilates blood vessels. Sexual arousal in women is a vascular event as well as a neurological one. Genital engorgement, lubrication, and sensitivity all depend on adequate blood flow to pelvic tissues. When vascular health is suboptimal, as it can become during perimenopause due to estrogen's protective effects on blood vessels declining, these physical aspects of arousal diminish. Dietary nitrates support nitric oxide availability, which helps maintain vascular responsiveness. A 2010 study by Larsen and colleagues demonstrated the meaningful impact of dietary nitrates on vascular and mitochondrial function, and the vascular mechanism is well-supported.

Folate supports dopamine synthesis. Cooked spinach provides around 146 micrograms of folate per 100 grams. Folate is a required cofactor for the enzymatic pathway that produces dopamine from tyrosine. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter most closely associated with desire, motivation, reward anticipation, and the initiation of goal-directed behavior, including sexual interest. When dopamine signaling is insufficient due to nutritional deficits or the neurotransmitter disruptions of perimenopause, libido tends to fall as motivation and pleasure broadly diminish.

Magnesium (approximately 78mg per 100 grams cooked) plays a role in testosterone production. While testosterone is often associated only with male physiology, women produce testosterone in the ovaries and adrenal glands, and it is a primary driver of female sexual desire. Magnesium is involved in the enzymatic reactions that produce steroid hormones. Deficiency can impair this synthesis. Additionally, some research suggests magnesium may help maintain free testosterone levels by competing with sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) for binding sites, although the direct clinical evidence in women is limited.

Fatigue and mood are major libido suppressors, and spinach addresses both. Its iron content supports oxygen delivery and energy levels. Its folate content supports serotonin synthesis, which supports mood. Feeling chronically exhausted and emotionally depleted, both common in perimenopause, are powerful suppressors of sexual interest. Dietary interventions that improve energy and mood can have a meaningful downstream effect on libido even without acting on hormones directly.

Anti-inflammatory flavonoids kaempferol and quercetin in spinach may also be relevant. Systemic inflammation can suppress hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis function, and reducing the inflammatory burden through diet may support more optimal hormonal signaling.

Practical guidance: Incorporate cooked spinach regularly into a diet that also emphasizes adequate protein, zinc (from pumpkin seeds, oysters, meat), and omega-3 fatty acids. These together support the nutritional foundation that healthy hormone production and vascular function require. Address sleep disruption and chronic stress alongside dietary changes, as both are more powerful suppressors of libido than any individual nutrient deficiency.

The PeriPlan app can help you track patterns in energy, mood, and libido alongside dietary changes over time, giving you useful signal about what interventions are making a difference.

When to see a doctor: Low libido that significantly affects your quality of life or relationships is worth discussing with a healthcare provider. Hormonal evaluation, including testosterone and estrogen levels, may reveal treatable deficiencies. Vaginal dryness and discomfort with intercourse (genitourinary syndrome of menopause) are distinct from libido but commonly co-occur and respond well to specific treatments including topical estrogen and lubricants.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider about your specific situation.