Besides being the most enjoyable activity for both men and women, sex has many benefits for men in terms of long range health. A great deal of research points to the benefits of social interaction and social support in helping heart health. While there are many different types of relationships that are supporting, the relationship with a partner willing to be intimate multiple times a week has more longer lasting effects than “one night stands”.
Sex is good for your health. Most people enjoy sex for its own sake, but a study suggests that men who have sex at least three times a week cut their risk of a heart attack in half.
Researchers started out studying the benefits of vigorous exercise, looking at an activity lasting 20 minutes or longer and making the exerciser sweaty or out of breath. Most of the men they questioned thought that sex fit this description just as well as soccer.
This surprised the scientists, but they decided to study the issue. About 2,400 men in the town of Caerphilly in South Wales were questioned about their habits, including how often they had sex—once, twice or three times a week or more. Then they were followed up for ten years. Those who reported the most frequent sexual activity were only half as likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack during that time.
The doctors conducting the study concluded that intercourse is good exercise. Other research has shown that even walking briskly for 20 minutes at least three times a week can help ward off such cardiovascular crises, so that explanation may be adequate. But there may even be something else at work.
A great deal of research points to the benefits of social interaction and social support in helping heart health. While many different types of relationships may be supportive, the relationship with a partner willing to engage in sex three times a week or more often is likely to be very close indeed.
Promiscuity isn't likely to have such health benefits. Japanese scientists recently announced that people engaging in adulterous relations were more susceptible to fatal strokes.
A loving and sexually fulfilling relationship is not always easy to achieve. People are so over-committed these days that taking time out of a busy schedule to enjoy sexuality may seem like a challenge. This is especially true for people on medications that may interfere with libido or the ability to climax.
So Just What Health Benefits Does Sex Bring?
Reduced risk of heart disease:
For men! Having sex 3 to 4 times a week will cut your risk of heart attack or stroke in half! Women also benefit in this category though the results are not as clear in percentage.
Overall fitness:
During sex, the average person maintains his/her heart rate above 70% of the maximum, making sex a wonderful workout.
Reduced depression:
Sperm contains prostaglandin (a male sex hormone), that when absorbed in the female reproductive tract helps to regulate female hormones in maintaining a balance and decreasing mood swings and depression.
Pain relief:
Endorphins released immediately upon orgasm are natural pain relievers that remain active in the body for several hours after climaxing. Intercourse also produces more estrogen in the female body, which helps to reduce the discomfort of monthly PMS.
Improved immunity:
People who have sex once or twice a week have been shown to have higher rates of immunoglobulin A, a known immune booster.
Better bladder control:
The muscles used during sex are the same used in doing the infamous “kegel exercises”. Yes, this applies to men too!
Improved sense of smell:
Prolactin (a hormone produced after sex) stimulates the olfactory nerve, the center for smell, thus increasing smell perception.
Nicer teeth:
Seminal fluid contains zinc, calcium and minerals that retard tooth decay! So for the girls’, going down isn’t just fun for her and great for him, it’s an awesome way to put a great smile on both your faces!
If size counts:
A great side effect of weight loss is that losing 25 to 30 pounds can decrease the amount of fat situated at the base of your penis. This fat loss, believe it or not, can actually add up to an inch to the length of your penis.
A happier prostate:
To produce seminal fluid, the prostate and the seminal vesicles take minerals, zinc, and calcium and concentrate them up to 600 times. However, any carcinogens in the blood would also be concentrated to this amount. Urologists support ejaculation as a measure of prostate cancer prevention by removing the concentrated carcinogens rather than allowing them to cluster and cause damage.
Long Term Health Benefits
The long-term health benefits of an intimate and nurturing relationship should not be underestimated. Many relationships suffer from a tendency to accept denial of both physical and emotional needs being met and maintained throughout the relationship. Men begin to take their partner for granted and they no longer pay attention to the details of the relationship that made it work when they were in pursuit of their mate. Some men become complacent about having a limited amount of sex.
This occurs primarily because their partner is not receiving the emotional support to foster an interest in intimacy and sexual fulfillment. This tends to lead to certain men having their sexual needs met in socially unacceptable solutions (infidelity, one-night stands, prostitutes and divorce).
This is the main contributing factor for a belief in the “ mid-life crisis” phenomenon in men (refer to chapter 8).