Pito suppresses sexual motivation in women, but…

Drinking alcohol can have a range of effects on arousal, desire, responsiveness, and sexual behaviour. Although red wine and beer make people feel relaxed, spirits make people feel sexy and energetic. Research suggests that drinking alcohol is also associated with feeling more attractive and finding others more attractive, too.

Wondering whether traditional alcoholic beverages like ogogoro, burukutu, pito and goskolo might also affect arousal, desire, responsiveness, and sexual behaviour? In a new study, experts found the effect of traditional alcoholic beverages varies from man to woman but is similar to that of other alcoholic beverages.

The study, which tried to understand the effects of these traditional alcoholic beverages on sexual behaviour, indicated that although ogogoro, burukutu, pito and goskolo may ease sexual inhibition in men, they suppress sexual motivation in women. Ease of inhibitions can lead to an increase in sexual behaviour.

According to the findings, “the effects of some samples of these traditional alcoholic beverages on the sexual behaviour of male albino rats suggests that ogogoro and burukutu produced disinhibitory effect, while rats fed with pito suggest that there was no change in the inhibition usually experienced by non-consumers of alcohol.

“Surprisingly, the goskolo fed rats which initially suggested what seems to inhibition later gave way to clear expressions of disinhibition. Although burukutu, goskolo and pito did not show a statistically significant effect on the sexual behaviour of the male albino rats, there was a pronounced trend that showed disinhibition.”

The 2021 study in the IOSR Journal Of Pharmacy involved Ogundeko Timothy Olugbemiga at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bingham University, Jos Campus in collaboration with Moritiwon O, Wannang N.N. and Ogaji J.I. at the University of Jos.

For the study, the researchers had 30 males and 30 female normal albino rats of about 12 weeks. These were randomly divided into five groups of six animals per cage and were administered with various doses of four freshly brewed local alcoholic beverages — goskolo, burukutu, pito and ogogoro purchased daily from the same commercial brewer for a period of 30 days.

On day 31, the animals were placed in a transparent glass cage and after an adaptation period of 10 minutes, sexually receptive females were presented to the males at a time by introducing them into the cage. Their sexual behaviour was observed.

Pito-administered albino rats did not exhibit any sexual disinhibitory effect in male rats but significantly inhibited the female sexual motivation. The trend suggests a gradual but mild suppression of the quantity and quality of sperm cells in the male albino rats.

In the burukutu-fed albino rats, the trend suggests a mild to moderate sexual disinhibition in the male rats, while female sexual motivation suggests suppression.

The ogogoro-fed albino rats depict a trend that suggests a significant sexual disinhibition effect in the male rats, while female sexual motivation suggests an inhibitory effect, while in goskolo-fed albino rats, the trend initially suggested an inhibitory effect.

The researchers, however, suggested that the sexual behaviour of rats administered with these alcoholic beverages should be tested within more frequent intervals within the longer duration and paired male and female rats in order to observe the possible reproductive outcomes.

Historically and indeed till today, alcoholic drinks have played some important roles in religion and festivals. It has served as a source of energy and nutrition, for medicinal purposes such as analgesic, antiseptics. It also facilitates relaxation, promotes conviviality and social bonding.

Alcohol consumption is a well-known part of the Nigerian culture and is also frequently part of festivals and celebrations. Increasingly, attention is turning to the rate at which individuals engage in the consumption of locally brewed alcohol, irrespective of age, sex, gender and status, especially with increasing cases of rape and other social vices.

Alcohol has been shown to have a strong causal relationship with sexual arousal and disinhibited sexual behaviour in humans. Psychologically, alcohol has also been observed to play a role in sexual behaviour. It has been reported that women who were intoxicated believed they were more sexually aroused than before consumption of alcohol.