10 Surprising Health
Benefits of Sex
The perks of sex extend well beyond the bedroom.
By
Kara Mayer Robinson
WebMD Feature
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:
·
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.
