Has your doctor every written you a prescription for sex?
Perhaps she should. Sex can help lower your blood pressure, curb your anxiety, and even help your sleep. Here are some of the many surprising benefits of a healthy sex life.
- Relieves stress. Forget Prozac and Xanax. Sex is an effective way to compel the body to release oxytocin, a hormone that triggers feelings of relaxation. Oxytocin is also known to improve sleep.
- Boosts immunity. According to a study from Wilkes University in Pennsylvania, having sex just one or two times a week can increase the body’s production of antibody Immunoglobulin A by up to 30%.
- Burns calories. Sex is great exercise. An average-sized person burns anywhere from 85 to 150 calories during 30 minutes of lovemaking.
- Helps your heart. Here’s something your cardiologist may not tell you: having frequent sex can lower your blood pressure. According to a 20-year-long British study, men who had sex two or three times a week were half as likely to suffer from a fatal heart attack.
- Boosts self-esteem. Want to feel better about yourself? Studies show that having sex with a loving partner can make you feel attractive, desirable, and confident.
- Deepens intimacy. On top of relieving stress, oxytocin (nicknamed the “love hormone”) can create feelings of generosity, build trust, and make you feel bonded to your partner.
- Protects the prostate. A National Cancer Institute survey of 30,000 middle-aged men showed that those who had sex several times a week had a 33% lower risk of developing prostate cancer than those who have sex only one to two times per week.
