But the real point of this article is the fact that a healthy sex
life can provide for a longer, healthier and, most would agree, more enjoyable
life. Among the many health benefits of sex are:
1. Improved Immunity
People who have sex frequently (one or two times a week) have
significantly higher levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA).1 Your IgA immune system is your body's first line of defense.
Its job is to fight off invading organisms at their entry points,
reducing or even eliminating the need for activation of your body's immune
system. This may explain why people who have sex frequently also take fewer
sick days.2
2. Heart Health
Men who made love regularly (at least twice a week) were 45
percent less likely to develop heart disease than those who did so once a month
or less, according to one study.3
Sexual activity not only provides many of the same benefits to
your heart as exercise but also keeps levels of estrogen and testosterone in
balance, which is important for heart health.
3. Lower Blood Pressure
Sexual activity, and specifically intercourse, is linked to better
stress response and lower blood pressure.4
4. It’s a Form of Exercise
Sex helps to boost your heart rate, burn calories and strengthen
muscles, just like exercise. In fact, research recently revealed that sex burns
about 4 calories a minute for men and 3 for women, making it (at times) a
‘significant’ form of exercise.5 It can even help you to maintain your flexibility and balance.
5. Pain Relief
Sexual activity releases pain-reducing hormones and has been found
to help reduce or block back and leg pain, as well as pain from menstrual
cramps, arthritis and headaches. One study even found that sexual activity can
lead to partial or complete relief of headache in some migraine and
cluster-headache patients.6
6. May Help Reduce Risk of Prostate Cancer
Research has shown that men who ejaculate at least 21 times a
month (during sex or masturbation) have a lower risk of prostate cancer.7 This link needs to be explored further, however, as there may have
been additional factors involved in the association.
7. Improve Sleep
After sex, the relaxation-inducing hormone prolactin is released,
which may help you to nod off more quickly. The “love hormone” oxytocin,
released during orgasm, also promotes sleep.
8. Stress Relief
Sex triggers your body to release it’s natural feel-good
chemicals, helping to ease stress and boost pleasure, calm and self-esteem.
Research also shows that those who have sexual intercourse responded better
when subjected to stressful situations like speaking in public.8
9. Boost Your Libido
The more often you have sex, the more likely you are to want to
keep doing it. There’s a mental connection there but also a physical one,
particularly for women. More frequent sex helps to increase vaginal
lubrication, blood flow and elasticity,9 which in turn make sexual activity more enjoyable.
10. Improved Bladder Control in Women
Intercourse helps to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, which
contract during orgasm. This can help women to improve their bladder control
and avoid incontinence. You can boost this benefit even more by practicing
Kegel exercises during sex (a Kegel squeeze is performed by drawing your lower
pelvic muscles up and holding them up high and tight, as if you’re trying to
stop a flow of urine).
11. Increase Intimacy and Improve Your
Relationship
Sex and orgasms result in increased levels of the hormone oxytocin
-- the “love” hormone -- that helps you feel bonded to your partner, and better
experience empathic connections.
Source. Mercola
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