Natural stress reliever: The endorphins released during sexual intercourse and orgasms are natural mood-boosters and stress relievers. Regular sex can also boost your self-esteem and increase intimacy between partners. For those in a monogamous relationship, studies have found that semen does contain several mood-altering hormones that can reduce depression, testosterone, oestrogen, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin and several different prostaglandins. Some of these changes have been detected in a women's blood within hours of exposure to semen.
Improves your immune system: Endorphins released during intimacy have been found to stimulate immune system cells that fight disease. Researchers have found higher levels of Immunoglobulin A in individuals who have regular sex. Immunoglobulin A is a type of antibody that helps to protect us from infections. It is normally found in high levels in the mucous membranes of the digestive and respiratory tracts.
BLOG CONTINUES BELOW
Reduces pain: Sex causes increased production of oxytocin, which is often referred to as the "love hormone." Before orgasm, oxytocin, released from the brain, surges up to five times the normal level. This increase then leads to the release of endorphins, our natural pain-killing hormones. The area of the brain involved in pain reduction is highly activated during arousal and endorphins are released; endorphins soothe nerve impulses that cause menstrual cramps, migraines or joint pain. Oxytocin also affects the way we feel, helping us form strong emotional bonds as well as reduce pain. According to a study by Beverly Whipple, professor emeritus at Rutgers University and a famed sexologist and author, when women have an orgasm, pain tolerance threshold and pain detection threshold increases significantly, by up to 74.6 per cent and 106.7 per cent respectively.
It's good for the heart: Intercourse, depending on your level of enthusiasm, can be considered aerobic exercise, burning up to 200 calories per session. Among other benefits, women who engage in regular sexual activity with their partners have higher levels of estrogen, which protects against heart disease. Research has found that men who have sex two times per week have fewer heart attacks than those who do not. The hormones released during sex cause an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, and it engages almost every muscle in the body. After sex, blood vessels dilate and blood pressure is then reduced. This change in blood vessel constriction may also help with tension headaches.
Keeps you younger, longer: A report from a large British population of men said researchers found a 50 per cent reduction in overall mortality in the group of men who said they had the most orgasms. The Journal of the American Medical Association has also reported that "high ejaculation frequency was related to decreased risk of total prostate cancer." Having regular orgasms can increase your life span. Every time you reach orgasm, the hormone DHEA increases in response to sexual excitement and orgasm. DHEA can boost your immune system, improve cognition, keep skin healthy, and even work as an antidepressant. It also promotes the production of collagen, which keeps the skin supple and gives you a healthy glow.
Improves hormones: Women who have more sex have higher levels of estrogen, which is essential to enjoying healthier, smoother skin. This increase in estrogen also helps to protect us from heart disease, osteoporosis and potentially Alzheimer's disease. Not only that, but the more sex you have, the more your partner will want it; when we are more sexually active we give off more pheromones, the chemicals we produce to increase the interest of the opposite sex.
Follow Natasha Turner, ND on Twitter: www.twitter.com/drnatasha
These are certainly interesting findings although some could easily suffer from reverse causality - I imagine men with less healthy hearts and cardiovascular systems have less sex.
My favorite part is that apparently the widely touted and patently self-serving claim by men that "semen is great for you" might actually have some truth, though the article does not make it clear what form of contact with semen are beneficial.