10 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex
The perks of sex extend well beyond the bedroom.
Reviewed by
Michael W. Smith, MD
Sex not only feels good. It can also be good for you. Here’s what a healthy sex life can do for you.
1. Helps Keep Your Immune System Humming
“Sexually active people take fewer sick days,” says Yvonne K. Fulbright, PhD a sexual health expert.
People
who have sex have higher levels of what defends your body against
germs, viruses, and other intruders. Researchers at Wilkes University in
Pennsylvania found that college students who had sex once or twice a
week had higher levels of the a certain antibody compared to students
who had sex less often.
You should still do all the other things that make your immune system happy, such as:
- Eat right.
- Stay active.
- Get enough sleep.
- Keep up with your vaccinations.
- Use a condom if you don’t know both of your STD statuses.
2. Boosts Your Libido
Longing
for a more lively sex life? “Having sex will make sex better and will
improve your libido,” says Lauren Streicher, MD. She is an assistant
clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern
University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
For
women, having sex ups vaginal lubrication, blood flow, and elasticity,
she says, all of which make sex feel better and help you crave more of
it.
3. Improves Women's Bladder Control
A
strong pelvic floor is important for avoiding incontinence, something
that will affect about 30% of women at some point in their lives.
Good
sex is like a workout for your pelvic floor muscles. When you have an
orgasm, it causes contractions in those muscles, which strengthens them.
4. Lowers Your Blood Pressure
Research
suggests a link between sex and lower blood pressure, says Joseph J.
Pinzone, MD. He is CEO and medical director of Amai Wellness.
“There
have been many studies,” he says. “One landmark study found that sexual
intercourse specifically (not masturbation) lowered systolic blood
pressure.” That's the first number on your blood pressure test.
5. Counts as Exercise
“Sex is a really great form of exercise,” Pinzone says. It won’t replace the treadmill, but it counts for something.
Sex
uses about five calories per minute, four more calories than watching
TV. It gives you a one-two punch: It bumps up your heart rate and uses
various muscles.
So get busy! You may even want to
clear your schedule to make time for it on a regular basis. “Like with
exercise, consistency helps maximize the benefits,” Pinzone says.
6. Lowers Heart Attack Risk
A
good sex life is good for your heart. Besides being a great way to
raise your heart rate, sex helps keep your estrogen and testosterone
levels in balance.
“When either one of those is low you begin to get lots of problems, like osteoporosis and even heart disease,” Pinzone says.
Having
sex more often may help. During one study, men who had sex at least
twice a week were half as likely to die of heart disease as men who had
sex rarely.
7. Lessens Pain
Before you reach for an aspirin, try for an orgasm.
“Orgasm
can block pain,” says Barry R. Komisaruk, PhD, a distinguished service
professor at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. It releases a
hormone that helps raise your pain threshold.
Stimulation
without orgasm can also do the trick. “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,” Komisaruk says.
8. May Make Prostate Cancer Less Likely
Going for the gusto may help ward off prostate cancer.
Men
who ejaculated frequently (at least 21 times a month) were less likely
to get prostate cancer during one study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
You
don’t need a partner to reap this benefit: Sexual intercourse,
nocturnal emission, and masturbation were all part of the equation.
It's
not clear that sex was the only reason that mattered in that study.
Lots of factors affect cancer risk. But more sex won’t hurt.
9. Improves Sleep
You may nod off more quickly after sex, and for good reason.
“After
orgasm, the hormone prolactin is released, which is responsible for the
feelings of relaxation and sleepiness" after sex, says Sheenie
Ambardar, MD. She is a psychiatrist in West Hollywood, Calif.
10. Eases Stress
Being close to your partner can soothe stress and anxiety.
Ambardar
says touching and hugging can release your body's natural “feel-good
hormone.” Sexual arousal releases a brain chemical that revs up your
brain’s pleasure and reward system.
Sex and intimacy
can boost your self-esteem and happiness, too, Ambardar says. It’s not
only a prescription for a healthy life, but a happy one.
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