It turns out, if you have sex regularly, you are enjoying some pretty amazing health benefits by doing so.
There have been some interesting scientific studies done on the subject of having a healthy sex life.
In every one of those studies which used healthy participants, it was found that people who have sex more than 3 times a week are healthier, younger looking, and even live longer than those who don’t.
Personally, I think having sex frequently makes you feel incredible. It elevates your mood, and benefits your mind and body. But my personal experience isn’t really classed as “scientific.” So let’s see what the experts say.
Here are 7 reasons why you should definitely be having sex every day:
1. Immune System Is Boosted
When people have sex, their bodies produce countless chemicals, hormones, antibodies- all sorts of things- which are then released. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is an antigen that is responsible for strengthening our immune system (the same little guy that helps us fight the flu). This antigen is released, and the levels are increased, with frequent sexual activity.
A study done by researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that participants who had sex once or twice a week had 30% higher levels of IgA than those who had sex less frequently. Feeling a cold coming on? Have more nookie.
2. Keeps Your Heart Healthy
Yep, having sex on a regular basis does wonders for your heart. The American Journal of Cardiology published a study in 2010 that researched the correlation between the frequency of sex and the health of one’s heart. They found men who had sex at least twice a week were less likely to develop heart disease compared with men who had sex only once a month.
Another reason sex keeps your ticker ticking on time? “Sex is good aerobic exercise, and aerobic exercise is good for heart health,” says Dr. Dean Nukta, medical director of interventional cardiology at Fairview Hospital. Exercise is great for all parts of the body, as well as the mind, but is sex really an effective “exercise?” Yes! Men burn approximately 4.2 calories/minute during sex, and women burn 3.1, according to a study published in PLOS. The study says with moderate intensity, “sexual activity may potentially be considered, at times, as a significant exercise.”
3. Keeps You Looking Younger
Skip the wrinkle creams and botox injections. Sex has been proven to keep your skin looking younger, for longer.
Dr. David Weeks, former head of old age psychology at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, conducted a long-term study and published his findings in the book Secrets of the Superyoung. Weeks says, “the key ingredients for looking younger are staying active … and maintaining a good sex life.”
Weeks’ gathered 3,500 participants, aged 30 to 101. He found, “sex helps you look between four and seven years younger.” Again, it’s because of those wonderful chemical reactions.
Human growth hormone, as well as estrogen, are released during love-making, and both of these contribute to skin elasticity. Oxygen also plays a vital role in maintaining a youthful appearance; increased sexual frequency increases the oxygen levels in your blood. And then there’s DHEA, the anti-aging hormone. This hormone is released during orgasm and contributes to boosting the immune system, improving cognition, and giving your skin that healthy glow.
4. Reduces Pain (Seriously)
If you’re the type who uses excuses like “Not tonight, I have a headache,” you might want to think of something else. Sex reduces pain, so if you did actually have a headache, sex would be the way to get rid of it. (And it’s a lot more fun than taking an aspirin.)
Dr. Barry Komisaruk of Rutgers University has studied the neuroscience behind orgasms and pain response in the body for over 50 years. He says, “Orgasms can block pain. We’ve found that vaginal stimulation can block chronic back and leg pain, and many women have told us that genital self-stimulation can reduce menstrual cramps, arthritic pain, and in some cases even headache”.
5. Reduces Risk Of Prostate Cancer
The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study which contained some fascinating results. The research consisted of finding if there was a connection between frequency of ejaculation and reduced risk of prostate cancer. Over 30,000 participants assisted with this study for over 20 years. They found that men who ejaculated frequently (at least 21 times a month) were 20% less likely to get prostate cancer.
21 times a month? That’s almost every day. Well there’s good news, guys. You don’t need a partner to reap the benefits of this one. You can “prevent cancer” all on your own. *wink wink*
6. Improves Your Sleep
Having trouble nodding off? Well, there are a couple hormones responsible for getting a good night’s rest- melatonin, seratonin, and oxytocin. Sex can help you with all of them.
Seratonin helps to make you feel calm and relaxed. The body produces this chemical in the brain as a pleasure response, and it is released during orgasm/ejaculation. The Health Site says, “serotonin is a precursor of melatonin (hormone that regulates sleep and maintains circadian rhythm of the body). An increased serotonin level may also lead to an increase in melatonin level, which further induces sleep.”
Oxytocin, also known as the love hormone, can help you get some shut-eye as well. That happy-lovey-dovey feeling you get during or after sex is the result of oxytocin coursing through your bloodstream. It helps to reduce stress, lowers blood pressure, and makes it easier for you to fall asleep.
7. It Makes Your Day
Whether you choose to start your day off with a morning “workout” session, or end your night with a special course for dessert, having regular sex with a partner you love can make your entire day.
If you wake up with a smile on your face, you are setting the tone for the rest of the day. And if you’ve had a crappy day, ending it with some stress-relieving, sexual therapy will raise your seratonin levels and improve your mood overall.
So regardless if you are a male or a female, you should be having sex regularly. Like science says, it’s good for you.
*This article and the topics discussed within are intended for adults. This was written with regards to those who are in a healthy sexual relationship with a partner they know and whose sexual history they are familiar with. Be smart, if you don’t know what you’re “getting into”, use protection.*
By Raven Fon
