5 Surprising Health Benefits of an Active Sex Life
If you’re looking for another reason to have an active sex live — as if you need any additional motivation — you can look to numerous studies which show that making love once or twice a week gives your health a shot in the arm. Just in case you need another reason, here are five:
Eases headaches. A study from Germany’s University of Munster found that the pain of more than half of migraine sufferers disappeared following sex, and a study from Southern Illinois University found similar results. Orgasm produces a cascade of hormones, beginning with oxytoxin (the “bonding” hormone that’s released with touching), which surges to five times the normal level. The release of oxytoxin prompts the release of endorphins (one of the brain’s “feel good” chemicals) that calm aches and pains.
Makes you look younger. Engaging in regular sex can make you look 10 years younger, according to Scottish research. Middle-aged men and women who looked younger than their chronological age enjoyed sex 50 percent more than others in their age group who looked their age. In women, the hormone estrogen is released during sex, which can make them look younger by plumping the skin and smoothing wrinkles. One study found that estrogen levels were doubled in postmenopausal women who engaged in regular sex when compared to older women who abstained.
In addition, the anti-aging effect extends to lifespan. A study from Belfast’s Queen’s University found that men who have sex twice a week cut their risk of dying prematurely in half when compared to men who have sex less than once a month. Researchers believe the link could be the age-defying hormone DHEA, which increases during sex
Fights cold, flu, and other viruses. A strong immune system fights flu and colds, and a study at Pennsylvania’s Wilkes University found that people who have sex once a twice a week have 30 percent higher levels of the antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA). IgA fights bacteria and viruses at entry points to the body, such as the nose, and helps stop colds and flu viruses before they can set up shop in the body and start multiplying.
Reduces risk of incontinence. Remember Kegel exercises? They’re used to strengthen pelvic floor muscles to avoid or treat incontinence, which is the involuntary release of urine. Pregnancy and menopause can weaken these muscles, but pelvic floor exercises can reduce the risk of incontinence, and can reduce leakage up to 50 percent. Fortunately, you use the same muscles during sex, so an active sex life strengthens your muscles and gives you better bladder control.
Lowers blood pressure. A study at Scotland’s University of Paisley found that people who had sex at least once during a two-week period had lower blood pressure than those who abstained. Researchers at Brigham Young University found a link to frequent intercourse and lower blood pressure.
Sex is an all-around benefit for heart health. A study from the New England Research Institute found that men who have sex at least two times a week lower their risk of cardiovascular disease by 65 percent. A British study that spanned 20 years found that men who had sex at least twice a week had a 50 percent reduced risk of having a fatal heart attack when compared to men who had sex less than once a month.