Far-Reaching Health Benefits of Sex

Sex is a word bantered about in the media, conjuring a host of diverse images, however, seldom is this basic human act’s role in health and wellness discussed. Not so in Germany where researchers recently published the results of an extensive 10-year study that indicated that women and men who have sex on a frequent basis tend to be happier, more vivacious and slimmer than those persons who don’t have an active sex life.

Sex is good for you. While it may come as no surprise that sex can improve our moods, increase intimacy in a relationship and build self-confidence, the far-reaching health benefits are astounding. A healthy sex life in a committed relationship that is supported by love, trust, and intimacy, provides a diverse array of health benefits including a boost in self-esteem, improved immunity, cardiovascular strength, relief from stress, muscle toning, improved sleep, and a feeling of well-being in both men and women.

Regular intimacy that includes stroking, cuddling, hugging, touching, and feeling, together with intercourse, can promote mutual healing and provide many health benefits for both partners. Feeling good about ourselves emotionally leads to additional health benefits whereas a poor sex life or no sex at all can trigger depression and contribute to one’s negative sense of self-worth. Medical researchers have discovered that engaging in sex twice or more times per week reduced the risk of fatal heart attacks and other fatal coronary events by over 50 percent for men, compared to men who had sex less than once a month.

Daily Jumbo reports 10 Health Benefits Of Sex That Will Surprise You noting,

“A Pennsylvania study found that students who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of Immunoglobulin A (IgA) in their bodies. IgA is a disease and illness-fighting compound that helps fend off illnesses like colds and flues. This compound was about 30% higher in participants who had sex at least once a week than those who did not have sex at all. Interestingly, IgA was at its lowest level in people who had sex more than twice a week. More research is needed before conclusions on weekly sex can be made, but researchers agree there is a link between how healthy your immune system is and how often you have sex. Try weekly sex to boost your immune system, combat disease and keep your body healthy.”

Sex After 50 - Health Benefits of Sex – AARP reports,

“Sex may help relieve migraine pain, a 2013 study found. Headache specialists at the University of Münster in Germany surveyed migraine sufferers who had sex during their headaches. Sixty percent said it reduced or halted the pain. For them, “Honey, I have a headache” was obviously a good thing.”

Another research sex study published by the Journal of American Medical Association reported that men who ejaculate a minimum of 20 times a month have a considerable lower risk of developing prostate cancer.

A study conducted at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland assembled a panel of judges and as them to view study participants through a one-way glass. After observing the subjects, the judges were asked to determine their ages. Those participants in the study that engage in sex 4 or more lines a week with a committed partner were perceived as up to 12 years younger than their non-sexual peers. The Scotland study concluded that sex delays the onset of aging as it promotes the release of the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone, which in turn works to keep the body youthful and vital.

If you are still not convinced that an active sex life is good for your health, consider this. In a British study, men who engaged in sex at least twice a week lived considerably longer than men who had sex less than once a month. A recently published United States study had similar findings, and Swedish research reviewing the sex lives of 70-year-olds discovered that men who died before their 75th birthday had ceased having sexual intercourse at earlier ages. A Duke University study showed that engaging in sex 200 times or more per year could increase your lifespan by six years.