FACT CHECK: Balut’s ‘Filipino Viagra’ reputation isn’t backed by science

While balut carries valuable nutrition for energy, it does not increase libido.

It’s late at night. A balut vendor passes through the neighborhood, calling out the familiar “Baluuut!” A group of men drinking outside calls him over. Someone orders two eggs. Then comes the inevitable teasing: apparently, somebody needs extra “energy” tonight.

Everyone laughs because everyone seems to know what balut supposedly does.

For generations, the fertilized duck egg has carried an unusually sexy reputation in the Philippines. It is widely believed to increase male stamina, virility and sexual desire—earning it the cheeky nickname “Filipino Viagra.”

There’s just one problem: science has yet to prove it.

The National Nutrition Council (NNC) has noted that although balut is popularly regarded as an aphrodisiac, there is insufficient scientific evidence showing that it actually increases libido or sexual performance.

What balut can provide is something much less mysterious: nutrition.

Balut contains protein, calories, iron and B vitamins involved in energy metabolism. For someone hungry or exhausted, eating a nutrient-dense snack can help provide the body with fuel.

But energy and libido are two different things.

Energy is the body’s capacity to perform physical and mental activity. Food supplies calories and nutrients that the body uses to function, move and recover. Feeling less hungry or fatigued after eating can therefore make someone feel more active or alert.

Libido, on the other hand, refers specifically to sexual desire. It is influenced by a much more complicated mix of factors—including hormones, psychological state, relationships, stress, sleep and overall health.

In other words, having enough energy may help someone act on sexual desire, but it does not necessarily create that desire.

Eating also produces heat as the body digests and processes food. That feeling of warmth, combined with balut’s reputation as a nighttime food, may have helped generations associate it with sexual arousal and stamina. But feeling warm or energized is not evidence of an aphrodisiac effect.

Psychology could also play a role. If someone has been told all his life that balut makes men “stronger,” expectation may influence how ordinary sensations of warmth, fullness or renewed energy are interpreted.

The legend became so persistent that scientists considered putting it to the test. In 2018, The Philippine STAR reported that the Department of Science and Technology was considering research into whether balut’s supposed aphrodisiac qualities had any scientific basis.

Until convincing evidence says otherwise, balut remains exactly what science can confidently describe it as: a nutrient-rich Filipino delicacy—not a natural Viagra.

So enjoy the broth. Sprinkle the salt. Add vinegar and chili.

Just don’t confuse having more energy with having more sexual desire.

READ: