After the first spring rains, the vegetables in the fields come to life again, and spring leeks are probably one of the first to appear. If you can have a plate of dumplings with the first crop of leeks, you can taste the best of spring. These leeks are not the same as the leeks grown in the greenhouse, which are available 365 days a year. However, for leeks, the elegance of spring leeks has long been taken away by the new name of “aphrodisiac grass”. To be honest, I especially like the maverick taste of leeks, so much so that when I was a student, I always ordered grilled leeks at the barbecue stand, and my buddies always had a strange bad smile. I am ashamed to say that for a long time, I did not read the meaning of that smile. So, are there any magical substances in leeks that are related to male virility? To be a miracle drug, there must be some exclusive ingredients. For leeks, the most special thing is naturally the sulfur-containing compounds (such as dimethyl disulfide, propylene disulfide, etc.). It is because of their presence that leeks have that special pungent aroma. Although, there are more than 20 such substances in leeks, until now, none of them has been found to act on our reproductive system. Rather, their job has been magnified by humans, and what would have been pungent is promising as a new biopesticide, inhibiting fungi on the one hand, and repelling pests that eat fruits and vegetables on the other. Then let’s look at another “magic” substance – zinc. This is the scientific basis for the current “leek aphrodisiac” propaganda. Unfortunately, the zinc content of leeks is quite low, with only about 0.43 mg of zinc per 100 grams of leeks. Not to mention the 71 mg of zinc in the same weight of oysters, even the 8.6 mg of shiitake mushrooms are not as good. If zinc is really used to dominate male sexual function, we might as well eat two shiitake mushrooms and save ourselves the trouble of swallowing a big plate of roasted leeks. At least from the experimental reports so far, the main role of zinc still lies in promoting the normal development of the male organ and maintaining the activity of sperm. As for men who want to use them to enhance male virility, I’m afraid it’s a bit of a stretch. Well, in addition to these particular things. Aphrodisiac legends also emphasize that leeks are rich in nutrients – vitamin C, polysaccharide substances, and even cellulose have been pulled in as guest “sex-boosting” elements. Yes, all these substances are good for our body. However, these substances are not directly related to male function. Besides, providing these nutrients is not the specialty of leeks. Cabbage has a higher vitamin C content (47 mg/100 g) than even leeks (24 mg/100 g). Well, then the only “evidence” to support the aphrodisiac legend is the ancient medical texts. So let’s take a look at what the canonical texts say about the effects of leeks. In the “Compendium of Materia Medica”, the efficacy of leeks is: “raw juice main upper gas, gasping for breath, detoxification of meat prostrate. Boiled juice to drink, can stop the elimination of cough night sweat. Leek seeds nourish the liver and the vital organs, cure frequent urination and urine loss.” Although the urinary system, a neighbor of the reproductive system, is mentioned, there is absolutely nothing related to male function. If you have to look for words related to leek aphrodisiacs, the Materia Medica Gleaner has “warm, down the gas, tonic deficiency, harmonize the internal organs, people can eat, benefit the yang, stop leaking mortar pus, abdominal cold pain, and cook and eat”, where the word “benefit the yang” is taken as the leek aphrodisiacs The word “yang” is used as an important basis for leek aphrodisiacs, however, the interpretation of this “yang” as a male function is a bit far-fetched. In this way, leeks are more like a modern version of a health legend. Anyway, leek and egg dumplings are still my favorite, and as for the aphrodisiac legend, consider it a nice psychological placebo.