Can Bagels Improve Your Sex Life?
Part Two: A Hole-Some Scientific Investigation
Revisiting “Can Bagels Improve Your Sex Life?” Marc Nason conducts a rigorous inquiry, scrutinising anatomy, academics, carbs and connection.
While leafing through the Young Zionist archives at HadSem 2025 I stumbled across a 1996 article by Jo Galinsky titled “Can Bagels Improve Your Sex Life?” The title alone was enough to stop me in my tracks, I was intrigued. I thought it was hilarious that such a piece could be exist in a historical FZY archive - proof that within FZY, members have long been encouraged to voice their opinions and share their insights, no matter how niche, irreverent, or carb-based.
The original article is genuinely excellent: meticulously crafted, a deft blend of humour and valuable insight. As an active member of FZY in Leeds, I had been blissfully unaware of the cultural weight that a bagel may bring to London’s Jewish community. It wasn’t until revisiting Galinsky’s piece at BogSem 2025 in Budapest that I had an epiphany: this treasured literature deserved a modern sequel.
This, then, is Part Two. A contemporary response that builds on the original with science-based perspectives and modern insight, exploring the power of the humble bagel and if it can impact one’s sex life. I hope this follow-up delivers the enlightenment that Part One brought me. Enjoy!
P.S. As this is written by a northerner, I want to firstly clarify the correct pronunciation of “bagel” is bay-gul rather than the silly southern interpretation of bye-gul.
A Brief (and Delicious) History
The bagel can be defined as “a doughnut-shaped, yeast-leavened bread roll that is characterised by a crisp, shiny crust, a dense interior, and is shaped by hand into a torus or ring, boiled in water for a short period of time and then baked” (Hunt et al., 2025).
This unusual method of bread-making originated in Jewish communities of early-17th-century Eastern Europe, notably Poland, where bagels emerged as a durable, portable and affordable food that can be eaten on the go. However, they were also symbolic enough to be gifted to women after childbirth, the circular shape representing life and continuity. I am certain the original bakers of the bagel were completely unaware of the impact this food would have as a diaspora cornerstone for future generations or as a subject of debate regarding libido.
The Science of the Chew (and Beyond)
The bagel’s distinctive chewiness is credited to its unique boiling prior to baking. This results in gelatinisation, altering the dough’s structure and producing the dense texture we know and love (Bath and Hoseney, 1994).
Unfortunately, my research failed in the search for definitive proof that bagels have a direct impact on one’s sex life. However, there is increasing evidence that diets rich in carbohydrates are correlated with improvements in testosterone levels and enhanced sexual function metrics.
While hormonal balance is only one component of sexual wellbeing, it is an important one. Psychological factors, as explored extensively in Part One, also play a significant role. Research suggests that carbohydrate intake can positively influence mood and libido via serotonin pathways (Tang et al., 2025). Lower anxiety and improved emotional regulation—both linked to carbohydrate consumption—are consistently associated with healthier sexual desire (Ghosn et al., 2025).
As one current FZY Boger succinctly put it:
“Bagels and other carbohydrates improve your love life… must be all that extra hole-some satisfaction.”
Science, it seems, is on our side.
Bagels, Jews, and Social Capital
Returning to the cultural heart of the matter, Galinsky’s original article focused on the bagel scene of Golders Green and the social currency attached to a Saturday-night bagel. This connection between bagels and social hierarchy may sound absurd, but I find myself inclined to agree. Bagels are cool. Its direct Jewish heritage is something undeniably ours, promised to us 400 years ago and still so relevant in our culture.
Whether topped with salmon and cream cheese or enjoyed plain and warm, the bagel remains a pillar in Jewish homes and social spaces alike. And where there is social connection, there is opportunity - for flirtation, intimacy, and perhaps even romance.
Final Thoughts
In summary, Part One demonstrated how bagels can socially impact one’s sex life: by fostering connection, confidence, and community; meeting new people and presenting oneself in a particular way aids this. Part Two supports this claim with scientific evidence, suggesting that carbohydrates - and by extension, bagels - may positively influence mood, libido, and sexual wellbeing. The bagel has such a cemented place in Jewish history, loved by all and knowing the benefits it can bring can only strengthen our love for such innovation.
References
Bath, D.E. and Hoseney, R.C. (1994) ‘A laboratory-scale bagel-making procedure’, Cereal Chemistry, 71(5), pp. 403–408. Available at: https://www.cerealsgrains.org/publications/cc/backissues/1994/documents/71_403.pdf (Accessed: 15 January 2026).Ghosn, B., Abbasi, H., Dehnavi, M.K., Hajian, P.N. and Azadbakht, L. (2025) ‘The association between quality and quantity of carbohydrate with sleep, mood, anxiety, depression and stress among elderly’, BMC Geriatrics, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-025-06068-4.Hunt, C., Singh, A., Ramesh, D. and Channaiah, L.H. (2025) ‘Validation of a simulated commercial plain bagel baking process and thermal resistance characterization of a 5-strain Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli when introduced via flour’, Foods, 14(7), p. 1218. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14071218.Mayer, S., Bannon, A., Lester, A., Myer, J., Summerfield, B., Woolf, J. and Bayford, J. (2026) ‘Hole-some bagel interactions’, Philosophy of the Bagel, 3(2), pp. 543–544.Tang, J., Krushelnycky, L., Shaqo, A. and Cho, C.E. (2025) ‘A comprehensive review of nutritional influences on the serotonergic system’, Advances in Nutrition, 16(11), pp. 100524–100524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2025.100524.