7 Awesome Health Benefits of Sex

Of all the ways to stay healthy, having sex is undoubtedly the most entertaining option. But did you know that – to reference Marvin Gaye – that sex is also healing? It seems that “doing the deed” is a free and fun way to stay fit and boost both your mental and physical wellbeing. Keep reading to discover 7 awesome health benefits of sex. [1]

1. Natural Painkiller

Research published in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine shows that orgasms cut the body’s sensitivity to pain in half, thanks to the creation of endorphins. And those endorphins kick in within minutes. So, no more of that “Not tonight, honey, I have a headache” excuse.

2. Boosted Immunity

People who want to stave off illness should have more sex, according to a study conducted in Pennsylvania and published in Psychology Report. Having sex one to two times a week, on average, was found to have 30% more immunoglobulin than those who have less. But there’s a delicate balance between sickness and health; the same study found that people who had sex more than twice a week had the lowest levels of immunoglobulin.

Everything in moderation?

3. De-Stress with the Health Benefits of Sex

Instead of lying in bed worrying about your jerk of a boss or how you’re going to pay your electric bill, try having some fun between the sheets.

Sex is not just a physical need for a guy, it’s also a mental one: a study published in Biological Psychology shows that men who have recently had sex react better to stress.

But if you’re too tired for physical intimacy, you don’t have to go that far to feel your stress level drop. Even physical touch is a stress-reducer. An experiment published in Behavioural Medicine examined couples who held hands for 10 minutes, followed by a 20-second hug. These couples were observed to react more appropriately stressful scenarios like public speaking than couples who rested quietly without touching.

The couples that hugged were also found to have lower heart rates, lower blood pressure, and smaller heart rate increases.

4. Heart Healthy

Need more health benefits of sex? Men can cut their risk for heart disease in half by having sex at least twice a week, researchers at the New England Research Institute wrote in a study published in 2010.

Researchers looked at over 1,000 men and found that sex has such a profound protective effect on men’s hearts that the study’s authors actually called on physicians to screen men for sexual activity when assessing their risk of heart disease.

The study suggests that both the emotional and physical effects of sex play a role in the reduced heart disease risk.

5. Brain Health

The journal PLOS One reported in 2010 that rats that mate regularly were found to have a higher rate of cell proliferation in the hippocampus, the section of the brain that’s linked to memory. The rats also showed more brain cell growth and an increase in the number of connections between brain cells than those that did not.

6. Recapture Your Youth

Dr. David Weeks, the former head of old-age psychology at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, says regular sex could help people look up to 7 years younger.

Weeks told the British Psychological Society in 2013 that the health benefits of sex can help men and women look between 5 and 7 years younger. A youthful appearance is also helped by the release of human growth hormone during sex, which adds elasticity to the skin.

Another piece of research by scientists at the same hospital found that couples who have sex at least 4 times a week tend to look an entire decade younger than couples who make love less frequently. This is because penetration releases adrenaline, dopamine, and norepinephrine, all of which are responsible for preserving skin cells and relaxing muscles, thus preventing wrinkles.

7. Longer Lifespan

Guys who have sex more often live longer. A study conducted in a Welsh village in 1997 found that men who have two or more orgasms a week tend to live up to 8 years longer than men who climax less often.

”Sexual activity seems to have a protective effect on men’s health,” wrote Dr. George Davey-Smith and his team of researchers from the University of Bristol and Queen’s University of Belfast, pointing to the positive effects on the immune system, heart, and brain.

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Have more sex; it’s good for you.

Remember to share below other health benefits of sex that weren’t outlined in this article; the more, the better!

[1] The Telegraph