Sex is Natural, Sex is Good

Health Tips

By Archie Armada

I advocate natural remedies in this column, from whole foods to natural supplements, from diet to nutrition, but here is a very important activity that we perform regularly that is still looked upon with disgust and in other cases a bit of embarassment. But for many, it is an eye-opener to really take a look at how our sexuality ads to our life and enhances our physical and mental health.

A long-term study conducted involving 3,500 people between the ages of 30 and 101 found that regular sex may shave between four and seven years off your physical appearance. Researchers at the Royal Edinburg Hospital in Scotland presented photos of the subjects to an impartial panel of judges, who were asked to guess their ages.

The people who were judged to be the youngest were also those who had the most sex. What’s the connection between youthfulness and getting it on? In addition to boosting self-esteem and confidence, sex increases the production of human growth hormone, which is known to improve muscle tone.

Among the benefits of healthy loving in a relationship are:

Sex Relieves Stress and Improves Cardiovascular Health

According to the above study which was reported in the journal Biological Psychology, a big health benefit of sex is lower blood pressure and overall stress reduction. They studied 24 women and 22 men who kept records of their sexual activity. Subjected to stressful situations such as speaking in public and doing verbal arithmetic, and noted their blood pressure response to stress, researchers found out that those who had intercourse had better responses to stress than those who engaged in other sexual behaviors or abstained.

Another study published in the same journal found that frequent intercourse was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure in cohabiting participants. Yet other research found a link between partner hugs and lower blood pressure in women.

While some older folks may worry that the efforts expended during sex could cause a stroke, that’s not so. In a study pulished in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, scientists found frequency of sex was not associated with stroke in the 914 men they followed for 20 years.

And the heart health benefits of sex don’t end there. The researchers also found that having sex twice or more a week reduced the risk of fatal heart attack by half for the men compared with those who had sex less than once a month.

Sex Is a Good Workout

Contemplating a move under the covers as opposed to a move under dumbbells? Think about spending your workout in bed. Thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. It may not sound like much, but if it adds up: 42 half hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound.

Sex Boosts Immunity

Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections. You’ve tried Vitamin C, Echinacea, and zinc supplements. Now try sex. Immunoglobulin A fights colds in our body, and sex raises its levels in our body. See? A kiss really make it all better.

Sex Relieves Pain

Sex releases the fun-time hormone, oxytocin. As the hormone oxyticin surges, endorphins increase, and pain declines. So if your headache, arthritis pain, or PMS symptoms seem to improve after sex, you can thank those higher oxytocin levels.

Sex Reduces the Risk of Prostate Cancer

Frequent ejaculations, especially in 20-something men, may reduce the risk of prostate cancer later in life, Australian researchers reported in the British Journal of Urology International. When they followed men diagnosed with prostate cancer and those without, they found no association of prostate cancer with the number of sexual partners as the men reached their 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s.

But they have found men who had five or more ejaculations weekly while in their 20’s reduced their risk of getting prostate cancer later by a third. Get busy, get healthy!

Sex Strengthens Pelvic Floor Muscles

For women, doing a few pelvic floor muscle exercises known as Kegels during sex offers a couple of benefits. You will enjoy more pleasure, and you’ll also strengthen the area and help to minimize of incontinence later in life.

To do basic Kegel exercise, tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor, as if you are trying to stop the flow of urine. Count to three, then release.

Sex Promotes Better Sleep

The oxytocin during orgasm also promotes sleep, according to research. And getting enough sleep has been linked with a host of other good things, such as maintaining a healthy weight and blood pressure. Something to think about, especially if you’ve been wondering why your guy can be active one minute and snoring the next.

So forget about an apple a day. To feel healthier, look younger, and live longer, an orgasm or two a week may be an effective – and certainly enjoyable — remedy