Nashauna Drummond, Lifestyle Coordinator

A variety of herbs and roots used to make 'roots drinks'. - FILE

'Gal hafi bawl and scream and moan when mi start drink di ole tiger bone'

- Bounti Killer's Cellular Phone.

Since the beginning of time, men have been seeking various ways to improve their sexual performance. In China, they eat animal penises. In the Philippines, they eat 18-day-old duck embryos. And in Jamaica, they have 'roots drinks'.

Forty-six-year-old Dennis Brownswears that various concoctions improve a man's sexual prowess. He believes his concoction of peanut, Guinness stout, egg yolk and Irish moss works. He notes that it reverses the adverse effects that smoking and improper eating habits have on a man's sexual performance. However, John Smithand Harry Thomasadmit that they have tried some of these 'roots drinks' and have felt no difference.

Mind over matter

But this may be a clear case of mind over matter. For most men, their masculinity is defined by their performance and dominance in the bedroom and they welcome anything that promises to give them an edge. The label of one of these roots drinks reads; "water, honey, molasses, chainy root, sarsaparilla, strong back, search-mi-heart and coconut root".

Healing properties

Coconut root is said to be useful for toothaches, fevers and menstrual haemorrhaging. Search-mi-heart is good for colds and stomach ailments while strong back is said to nourish the nerves and strengthen the male and female reproductive system. It is also helpful to persons suffering from sore throat. Chainy root, helps anaemia and is used as a blood cleanser, to treat syphilis and arthritis.

While there is no proven scientific evidence to support these claims of these drinks improving potency, men remain convinced that they work. They are sometimes not concerned about the ingredients but, in some cases, the name.

However, most of the herbs contained in these drinks are not specifically to improve a man's potency, but to maintain overall wellness.

In a previous article published in the Flair (February 17, 2003), herbalist Winsome Beckford, explained that, often, herbal concoctions claiming to improve sexual performance are not necessary, instead, more attention should be paid to health. "Some people just need to clean out their entire system, get rid of all the garbage and toxins within them and purify their blood. When they do that, their sexual performance will improve. My advice is to get all your organs in tune and then nothing can stop you from having explosive, mind-blowing orgasms."

Names changed on request.

What's in a name?

Some ingredients are geared towards total body wellness, and not specifically virility. - Norman Grindley /Deputy Chief Photographer

For some of these roots drinks, the name says it all:

(1) Tear dung fence

(2) Tan pan it long

(3) Mash dung bed

(4) Hard drive

(5) Man power