The amount of sex I'm having has definitely decreased. (overweight 45yo male). It's not a performance issue. If I get bored I can visit some salacious web sites and I can get very aroused.

But my wife of 16 sixteen years has not seen much action lately.

Here's my theory on why. For me, sex was like an addiction. It was the drug, the rush of the orgasm, that helped me feel so much better compared to how I usually felt, which was poorly.

Since being paleo (or should I say avoiding the NADs), I feel absolutely fantastic. And all the things I used to rely on to feel good (alcohol, pot, caffeine etc. etc.) are no longer doing it for me. I just feel good all the time now.

So I think I've lost interest in sex because I no longer need the comfort and distraction it gave me.

ADDED: and if my theory is right, it might help explain why agricultural societies tend towards overpopulation.

It might be reduced carbohydrate. Carbs may well be a signal for fertility via signalling that you're 'feasted' whereas low carb mimics fasting/calorie restriction. Fewer carbohydrates also reduce testosterone as can higher protein. You won't need much carbohydrate or much limitation on protein (just adequate protein as always) to produce the desired effects.

You're almost certainly better nourished on paleo, so I wouldn't worry about micronutrients. I can't imagine a SAD diet that is lower in absorbable zinc than a standard paleo diet. Getting sufficient calories is certainly a plausible explanation, though I'd expect that he'd notice some other effects if he were inadvertently calorie restricted (I became cold, tired and food-conscious, despite spontaneously not eating enough, but still didn't realise what was the cause until afterwards).

Maybe if he used to associate alcohol/going out with sex, the absence of that trigger means that he doesn't feel moved to think about sex, even though he's perfectly keen once it is initiated?

I think the book "Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival," By T. S. Wiley, Bent PH D Formby, might be of interest in a paleo eating/lifestyle sort of way.

"The hormones melatonin and prolactin are major players in your mind-body-planet connections. They communicate with your immune system and metabolic energy system about light and dark cycles. Insulin and prolactin orchestrate the brain chemistry governing serotin and dopamine in your brian, to control behavior and mood. Serotonin and dopamine control your behavior toward food and sex."

So, it might be "natural" to feel this way in a paleo sort of way with an increase in summer. Something to think about for sure.

I am a woman, but wanted to add that I had almost no libido while eating VLC. One of many ways it did not agree with me.

Starch solved that problem.

Quick answer:

http://www.onlinedater.org/articles/boost-your-libido-21-foods-to-increase-your-sex-drive-naturally/

http://www.libido-increasing-food.com/

Skip the beans and the soy, though, and limit your watermelon intake if you're watching your carbs/sugar.

Also berries are a very good source of zinc, but again, if you're watching your sugar/carbs limit those too.

I've also read that there is anecdotal evidence that the high levels of androsterone in celery can raise sex-pheremone secretion in men:

http://www.asylum.com/2010/05/12/celery-sex-pheremones-androstenone-more-attractive-to-women/

although, that may have been disproved, as some articles state that is simply because someone mixed up androsterone, which is present in celery, and ANDROSTENONE which is a metabolic by-product of testosterone. Nonetheless, I enjoy celery and eat it just about every day. Not sure if it makes my girlfriend more desirous of me, as I'm not sure that would be possible! ;)

It's possible that the previous diet was higher in copper, zinc or selenium, which are all necessary for testosterone production. Same goes for vitamin A, though that would likely only change if he stopped taking a multivitamin or something.

Basically, you can address all potential nutrient deficiencies simply by eating a half-pound of liver every week. You can boost zinc further with oysters.

If lasting 3 minutes and being left unsatisfied and thus more desperate to reach some level of satisfaction despite inflamed joints, zero stamina, excessive sweating and less ability to achieve "fulfillment" of my spouse due to "fatblocking" is your idea of "better" than I guess it was better for me when I was on the SAD as well.

What Wozza is saying in reference to the lower quality of life leading to more addictive behaviours seems pretty damn spot on to me as well.

As body plummets SHBG increases. This binds up more of his free testosterone and that is the bioactive part. A clue to this is is getting a free and total testosterone level drawn with a DHT and E2 done. I bet he had a low testosterone to begin with

http://paleohacks.com/questions/17035/jack-up-your-testosterone/19016#19016

Check that thread. I list the foods he needs to focus on, and why.

also google phytoestrogens and make sure hes not munching on a bunch of estrogenic foods.

Give him extra Zinc and his balls will swell up like balloons and you'll get as much sex as you can handle.

It seems to me that my husband's sex drive has decreased a bit too (his performance is much better when it happens, though). The thing is, I'm not sure if it's really his sex drive that's decreased or mine that's skyrocketed! But some males here are attesting to the same thing, so maybe I'm not imagining things.

My spouse T levels normalized after strict gluten free. Paleo alone did not do it. Strict GF, even with VLC, worked.

If I understood the nature of disagreement, I might learn something.

make dinner... raw oysters for an appetizer followed by some nice steak tartare (i think steak tartare might be my answer for everything)... you should see an almost immediate increase in his, eh, appetite. seriously.