Can food which are proven to increase sexual libido be considered "Tamasica"?

Question

One of tamasic food is food that has ''sedative effect on the body''. Now this can mean libido boosting food can be said to be Tamasic. Tamasic food such as onions, garlic and meat are indeed libido boosting.
Now in ancient India, dark chocolates and fruits such as pomegranates & watermelon were not available and these food are scientifically proven to be libido boosting. So can these foods be considered to be tamasic?

Answer 1

"One of tamasic food is food that has ''sedative effect on the body''. Now this can mean libido boosting food can be said to be Tamasic ... So can these food be considered to be tamasic?"

No. The food which "boosts" something (i.e. libido) cannot have "sedating" or dullness effect. The tAmasika foods are those which are stale & smelly. Onion, garlic, meat may not be necessarily containing more tamas.

A sAtvika/rAjasika food kept too long for rotting, would develop tamas quality. BTW certain foods (like fruits, dhebra) would not possess much tamas quality even if kept for few days. Hence one needs to be judicious among the types of the foods.

Following are the food likings for the people with nature of sattva, rajas & tamas:

BG 17.8 - Foods that augment life, firmness of mind, strength, health, happiness and delight, and which are succulent, oleaginous, substantial and agreeable, are dear to one endowed with sattva.
BG 17.9 - Foods that are bitter, sour, salty, very hot, pungent, dry and burning, and which production pain, sorrow and disease, are dear to one having rajas.
BG 17.10 - Food which is not properly cooked, lacking in essence, putrid and stale, and even leftover and that which is unfit for sacrifice, is dear to one possessed of tamas.

All the foods have these 3 modes, in more or less or equal amounts.

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Libido (desire for sex) is one of the many desires. The food which boosts the desires are RAjasika. Because the lust/desires (kAma) is born out of the Rajas.

BG 3.37 - The blessed lord said: This desire(lust), this anger, born out of Rajas(passion) -- are great devourers(consumers), great sinners; Know that to be enemy here.

Hence if the foods such as certain chocolates, pickles, spices, chilli etc. (or certain fruits) which may increase libido -- are RAjasika.

The rule of thumb:

• SAtvika food: Can be eaten regularly to keep the body fit & working; Hence these foods are DhArmika; i.e. consumable daily without any side effects & satisfying; e.g. All Indian home cooked items which are fresh & easily digestible
• RAjasika food: Strong on taste buds, but bad on stomach; Any artificially tasty food are usually bad for health -- too sweet/spicy/salty/bitter/hot/cold,... e.g. items usually available in food joints & are consumed for fun
• TAmasika food: Dull in all aspects; It has neither taste nor freshness nor health; It's consumed in the state of ignorance; e.g. liquor (notebook example), uncooked meat, packaged/refrigerated items; They bring lethargy