6 Ways Science Says Sex is Good For You

Few people need another reason to have fun between the sheets but many people aren’t happy with how much sex they’re having, even when they’re in a committed relationship. The fact is many couples report that their sex life loses some spark as their relationship goes on. It doesn’t have anything to do with how they feel about each other, instead it’s often simply a case sex is goodof life getting in the way and sex simply getting pushed further and further back. But knowing that sex is actually good for you may be just what you need to take the plunge and make time for some fun – after all, it’s healthy!

  1. Lower Your Anxiety

There are a number of physiological reactions that happen in the body as people become sexually aroused and orgasm. One of the best known reaction is the release of dopamine, a naturally occurring chemical produced by the body to make people experience the sensation of pleasure and happiness. That’s pretty much just a long winded way of saying it’s your very own happy drug. The happiness and pleasure created by the release of dopamine not only makes you feel good, it also lessens the feelings associated with anxiety.

  1. Same Goes for Stress

The same reaction that lowers anxiety also reduces stress. Sex can be a fantastic stress reliever, especially if you and your partner enjoy a bit of acrobatics during the act. Changing positions, trying different techniques and simply engaging in some sex play all gives you a rush of dopamine and counts as physical exercise which is the number one natural form of stress relief. Both stress and anxiety are common causes or triggers for sexual performance issues such as erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. Sex play and extended foreplay is often recommended as a form of sex therapy for men dealing with these issues.

  1. Disperse Some Tension

There’s a reason why Make Up Sex is so good. No one is suggesting you pick a fight just to have sex, but seducing your partner can help when a relationship is simply in the doldrums. When life has you treating each other more like business associates than lovers, a night spent focusing on each other’s pleasure instead of scheduling time to take the car in or have the heater checked can put the spark back in your relationship.

  1. Stay Healthy

A study back in the late 1990s compared the immune systems between people who have sex regularly and those who has sex infrequently. They found that people having sex once or twice a week had a higher level of IgA, an antibody immuloglobin, which is associated with good health. Researchers believe this is caused by a number of factors, including exposure to other people’s germs and the release of various chemicals inside the body. While all the reasons aren’t clear, scientists continue to look into this for a better understanding of why sex is so vital to health.

  1. Nature’s Painkillers

Begging off for a night over a headache is not only a cliché, it’s medically unsound. Researchers have found that people who have sex also experience pain relief from the act. One study examined women at various stages of arousal. They determined a woman’s pain threshold increases by around 40% during vaginal stimulation and jumped to nearly 75% during orgasm. So the next time your back hurts don’t shy away from having some fun between the sheets – it might help.

  1. Good News for Men – Reduce the Risk of Cancer

A study made headlines in 2004 when it was released. The news? Having sex could cut a man’s chance of developing prostate cancer. The team looked at the sex habits of 30,000 men, 1,500 of whom eventually developed prostate cancer. They found that men who ejaculated 21 times a month or more were around one-third less likely to develop prostate cancer.