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“May you live to 100 and die having sex.” Anonymous
The first significant link between sex and longevity was uncovered in 1997 at Queens University in Belfast.
10,000 middle-aged men of similar health and circumstances were tracked for 10 years, with the results showing that men who reported the highest frequency of orgasm had death rates that were half that of those who had little or no sex life.
While it wasn’t clear whether individuals who had more sex did so because they were healthier or sex made them more healthy, a follow-up study which focused on cardiovascular health, found that the men who had sex 3 times a week showed half as much risk of heart attack and stroke.
Other findings showed that regular sex improved the sense of smell, protected the immune system against colds and flu, and improved bladder control.
Let’s toast to the goddess of love.
In 2002, it was reported that sexually active women whose male partners did not use a condom, were less subject to depression than those whose partners did. The researchers theorized that the hormone Prostaglandin, found only in semen, may be absorbed into the bloodstream of women, and thus help regulate female hormones.
Sex, or more specifically, orgasm can make pain go away. Oxytocin, the body’s natural “feel good” chemical, surges before and during climax, acting like a natural pain killer. Evidence also suggests that oxytocin may play a role in helping wounds heal faster by stimulating cell regeneration. This may be why men of all ages fantasize about nurses in short white uniforms.
Assuming you’re in a monogamous relationship, it’s safe to say that “use it or lose it” applies. Post-menopausal women who have little or no sex risk suffering vaginal atrophy. To avoid this and garner all the good side effects – have sex!
Abstinence may make the heart grow fonder, but sex makes it stronger longer.
