Aphrodisiacs have long been consigned to the ‘hocus pocus’ school of science. Chocolate might make you feel better, but there is no scientific fact linking the gloopy brown stuff to increased libido, or anything beneficial bedroom wise.

But scientists have recently learned of a powerful food source with genuine aphrodisiac value. Professors from the University of Veagarra, in Perugia, Italy, have announced a direct link between the consumption of pheasant and libido levels. Look to our top 10 best pheasant recipes to start cooking now…

This may be news to the 21st century, but Henry V believed in the priapic qualities of roast pheasant and the much married Henry VIII kept a priest as a ‘feasaunt breeder’. Now we can add to the history of the pheasant.

Professor Ivor Nurictión says:

We have been studying the link between food and sex for over a decade,analysing the cultural and dietary habits of many different countries. We have measured libido levels across populations, and what struck the research team as peculiar were the heightened levels we found from samples taken from some rural areas of Great Britain.

PHEASANT APHRODISIAC – SCIENTIFIC PROOF

As the team at Veagarra investigated their findings they were able to pinpoint a type of diet that showed heightened levels of zinc and phasianidae, both key to libido. These communities matched with the rural ‘Shires’ belt of England. Once communities with these raised levels were investigated further scientists were able to isolate the pheasant as the main cause of the increased levels.

“It is incredible that one bird has the power to up libido levels by 176%” says a spokesman for the Union of Gamekeeping. “We have always suspected that the romps in Lady Chatterley’s Lover were pure fiction, but judging from our findings we’re surprised Mellors didn’t risk further disgrace with the neighbouring chatelaine too. He’d obviously had one too many pheasant pasties.”

Rural communities have long been known as home to high jinks. Is the pheasant the culprit?

“It gives a whole new meaning to the ‘cocks only’ days” says Humpert La Vache, a shoot owner from Oxfordshire.

If managed wisely the increased libido levels should not be a danger. Experts from Game Eating advise a minimum of two birds a week. “We’re not saying three birds a week would be dangerous, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone in a stable relationship” says a spokesman.

Some parts of the Shires are notorious for their lax morals and robust attitude to sex, and now there appears to be a scientific reason for the Jilly Cooper-esque shennanigans.

“For years we assumed it was all that time spent in the saddle, when in fact it was the pheasant casserole we ate for hunt tea” says an anonymous Warwickshire MFH. “I’ll be asking my housekeeper to stock up on it in the future”.