http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/guide/sex-and-health
10 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex
The perks of sex extend well beyond the bedroom.
By Kara Mayer Robinson
WebMD Feature
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:
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 rateand 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.
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
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.
