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Sex is good for us. Here are ten reasons why.
#1 Reduces Stress, Improves Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
Sex moves major muscle groups, improves cardiovascular fitness, reduces stress, and burns calories.
(Photo credit: Rdoke)
Several studies suggest that having sex regularly can protect against cardiovascular problems. One British study found that men who reported having three or more orgasms per week experienced 50% fewer heart attacks than those who had fewer.
Diastolic blood pressure tends to be lower in people who live together and often have sex. Women who get lots of hugs from their partner tend to have better blood pressure.
#2 Fights Incontinence
Sex muscles work similarly to Kegel exercises, the floor muscle exercises women do to prevent incontinence.
#3 Improves Immune System
Researchers at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA, found that having sex once or twice a week boosts the immune system. They found a 30 percent increase in immunoglobulin A (IgA) in people who had sex once or twice a week, compared to those who didn’t have sex. IgA proteins act as antibodies, binding to pathogens when they first enter the body and summoning the immune system to destroy them. These are the proteins which protect you from getting colds and other infections.
#4 Reduces Pain
The elderly are more likely to experience aches and pains. Oxytocin stimulates endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, which is why sex can bring temporary relief from back pain, arthritis, migraines and other body aches. Happily, orgasm sends oxytocin, the love and intimacy hormone, into your system. Oxytocin released during orgasm promotes sleep. Oxytocin enhances bonding, reduces fear, and can increase feelings of generosity.
#5 Enhances Mood Without Drugs
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Sex unleashes a wave of feel-good endorphins that help ward off depressive symptoms. “When you have good sex, there’s a relaxation response and a satiation response…you lie there and life is great,” says Dr. Irwin Goldstein, a urologist, the director of sexual medicine at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, California, and editor in chief of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Much of that is due to chemistry—the rush of hormones and neurotransmitters that rise and fall during sexual activity. Arousal boosts dopamine, which activates the brain’s centers of craving and reward. Oxytocin enhances bonding, reduces fear, and can increase feelings of generosity.
# 6 Promotes Youthful Skin and Longevity
Having sex several times a week on a regular basis can make people look four to seven years younger. Sex increases blood circulation, which helps pump oxygen to our skin. Regular sexual activity has prolonged effects and can actually make us look younger. Sex boosts our natural collagen production, which staves off age spots and sagging. The same sex-triggered hormones that make your skin glow also make your nails strong.
Other studies suggest that having sex extends life in general. A study in the British Medical Journal found that men who had sex less than once per month were twice as likely to die in the next 10 years than those who had sex once per week. A 25-year study of 270 men and women aged 60 to 96 conducted at Duke University found that the more men had sex, the longer they lived. Women who said they enjoyed their sex lives lived seven to eight years longer than those who were indifferent.
# 7 Provides Testoserone Boost
Frequent sex may benefit men’s health by increases testosterone, which in turn is linked to stronger muscles, more energy, and better cognition. Women also benefit indirectly because semen contains testosterone, estrogen, prolactin and prostaglandins, which can pass through vaginal walls into the bloodstream and elevate mood.
# 8 Prevents Cancer
A 2004 study having the most frequent ejaculations had a much lower risk of prostate cancer than those reporting fewer. A 1989 study in France found that women who had sex infrequently or not at all had three times the risk of breast cancer compared to those who had sex more frequently.
#9 Maintains Sexual Energy
Having sex actually boosts your self-esteem. Regular sex maintains sexual energy that flows into all areas of your life.
(Photo credit: mrjoro)
Many ancient traditions view sexuality as something sacred and spiritual. When we merge with this power during orgasm, some believe that we are connecting to the deepest parts of ourselves, our non-physical aspects. Not only do we gain a deeper sense of ourselves, but we can experience an energy that feeds other areas of our lives. Many who think of sex as a spiritual practice report they have a stronger sense of self and of their relationships.
# 10 Provides $100,000 Worth of Happiness
Having sex regularly makes people happier than earning more money. A study done by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that marriages with frequent sex left couples feeling as happy as earning an extra $100,000 annually.
Have as much safe sex as you enjoy. It is good for you.
