BUENOS AIRES, Jan 28 (AFP) - Eating pork is at least as effective as popping a Viagra pill to spice up your sex life, according to Argentine President Cristina Kirchner, who claims to have tested the theory.

"Pork consumption improves sexual activity," Kirchner informed a surprised gathering of business people at a meeting at the presidential palace.

"This is not a small detail," she said at the gathering to announce a reduction in the price of pork.

"Besides, some nicely grilled pork is much more gratifying than taking Viagra."

Kirchner said she ate some roasted pork over the weekend with her husband, former president Nestor Kirchner, at the couple's retreat in Argentina's bucolic southern Patagonia region, with "impressive" results.

"We were in high spirits the whole weekend," she said, smiling.

"I'm a pork fanatic," she added, "and I'm not saying this just to impress you, or for self-promotion."

The head of the association of pork producers, Juan Uccelli, on Thursday backed up Kirchner's claims.

He said that people in Denmark and Japan, where pork consumption is high, "have much more harmonious sexual lives than us Argentines have."

Argentines however are the world's most voracious beef eaters, with an annual per capita consumption of between 68 and 73 kilos.

President Kirchner has been the target of fierce criticism lately for seeking to remove the head of the Central Bank, Martin Redrado.