10 Ways Intimacy Affects Health

While sex is something we all enjoy for pleasure and intimacy, it turns out we also get great health benefits from it too! Here are 10 surprising health benefits of sex that will keep you busy between the sheets.

1. You get sick less

People who have sex often have stronger immune systems to defend the body against germs, viruses and other intruders. Researchers found that those having sex once or twice a week had higher levels of the antigen immunoglobulin A (IgA) than those who had sex less often. IgA is the body's first line of defence against colds and flus.

2. Improves bladder control

A strong pelvic floor is important for avoiding incontinence, something that will affect 50% of women and 25% of men 65 years and over. Good sex is like a workout for your pelvic floor muscles. When you have an orgasm, it causes contracts these muscles, which strengthens them.

3. Supports heart health

A study in the American Journal of Cardiology (Ref 1) suggests that men who have sex twice a week have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than men who have less frequent sex. A separate Massachusetts Male Aging Study (Ref 2), analysed the health records of 1,165 men who were monitored for 16 years and found that men who had sexual activity once a month or less were at 50 percent greater risk of cardiovascular disease than the men who had sex more than once a week.

4. Sex enhances libido

This may sound strange, but research claims that the more sex you have the easier it is to get aroused. However, particularly for women, if sex is stopped over a period of time, her body will decide to decrease the amount of hormones produced which can limit arousal and sexual desire. So in this situation, practice does make perfect.

5. Eases stress

Life is stressful and anxiety can be harmful to our physical health. Studies show that regular intercourse for two weeks helps keep stress levels under control. The body also releases hormones which act as a natural sedative and can trigger feelings of compassion.

6. Improves sleep

You may nod off more quickly after sex, and for good reason. After an orgasm, the prefrontal cortex winds down and the hormones oxytocin and serotonin are released, which are responsible for the feelings of relaxation and sleepiness.

7. Keeps you looking younger for longer

Can having sex keep wrinkles away? British neuropsychologist David Weeks, of Royal Edinburgh Hospital believes so (Ref 3). In a 10-year-long study, he interviewed 3,500 adults in England and the United States, and found that people who reported having sex four times a week looked about 10 years younger than they actually were. It seems that the pleasure derived from having loving sex releases hormones, including human growth hormone, is crucial in preserving youth.

8. May help reduce your risk of prostate cancer

Research has shown that men who ejaculate at least 21 times a month have a lower risk of prostate cancer. This link needs to be explored further, however, as there may have been additional factors involved in the association.

9. Love longer, live longer

An Irish study published in the British Medical Journal (Ref 4) in 1997 tracked the mortality of 1,000 middle-aged men over the course of a decade and concluded that sexual activity may help to extend your life. By comparing men according to age and health, researchers found that men who had the highest frequency of orgasms had a death rate 50-percent lower than men who did not (Ref 5).

10. Those who have more sex are—surprise—happier!

Happiness is priceless, right? During sex, oxytocin (a.k.a. the "love hormone") is released. This free brain chemical calms anxiety and fear and increases trust and contentment. Positive interaction with friends and family increases the chemical somewhat, self-arousal even more so and sex with a partner you care about tops the list.

In good health.

References

  1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2824175/
  2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8254833
  3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/294119.stm
  4. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=116684
  5. http://www.medicaldaily.com/frequent-ejaculation-may-reduce-prostate-cancer-risk-how-orgasm-protects-against-334018

4 Responses

Miss Madelynn Tolsma,

As a long term client of Xtendlife, I am always interested in the research findings they provide. Often times I discover very useful information within these articles that offers me new insight into ways to improve my well being. 

I began reading your article to my partner and we were both sincerely interested in the findings of the articles you cited.  Our intimacy is deeply rooted. Our commitment to our health is also very important to us.  

Upon reading point 5 and the remaining points of your article, I sadly realised you were writing to a demographic that did not include women like myself and my partner.  Your referral to stress reduction through regular "intercourse" fails to include the potential stress reduction through intimacy of every other means. Certainly,  intimacy’s impact on stress reduction is not limited to heterosexual intercourse.

Further points in your article cite studies made of the health benefits of sex in males.  Yet the title of your article refers to the health benefits of intimacy.  

As a woman who enjoys intimacy and sex within a long-term same sex relationship,  I am wondering if you understand that these two words – sex and intimacy – have a completely different meaning.  Maybe this article would more appropriately  be titled the health benefits of "heterosexual male and female sex". Or the body of your article rewritten to refer to the health benefits of intimacy in its infinite forms, as stated in your title.  

Inclusive language used in scholarly articles is and must always be a given.  

Kinds Regards,

Karen Brown 

Karen Brown March 07 2016

Hi Karen,

Thank you for your comment, I appreciate your feedback.

We value and welcome your opinion and you have inspired me to write a further blog specific to womens sexual health and orgasms so do stay tuned for that!

In good health,

Madelynn

Xtend-Life Expert March 07 2016

Hello,

This is Simon Sakkab, I have an account with you, ordered two times,and Love your products, would love to make a big order to also give gifts for family & friends, but, what holds me back, that in the two times, we passed thru very difficult and long procedure due to tests and approvals before we cleared the order.

Can you declare all items without any monetary value, like as samples or so?

Cause one bottle and 1000 of the same are treated exactly the same.

Thank you

Simon Sakkab March 16 2016

Hi Simon,

We are sorry to hear that you have been experiencing difficulty getting your orders through customs.

Unfortunately we cannot tamper with the monetary value of the order. However, if you do travel overseas, you can advise us of your destination address and we can arrange to have the orders sent to you there.

For more information on this, please contact us at customer.service@xtend-life.com.

In good health,

Madelynn

Xtend-Life Expert May 16 2016

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