Regular sex makes you physically healthier

Researchers have shed light on the myriad health benefits that an individual can reap from great sex. "Having sex regularly can do more than make you feel closer to your partner-it can actually make you physically healthier," ABC News quoted Dr. Hilda Hutcherson, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University as saying. Research from the University of the West of Scotland divulged that people who had intercourse at least once over two weeks were better able to manage stressful situations such as public speaking, said study author and psychology professor Stuart Brody, Ph.D. That is because endorphins and oxytocin are released during sex, and these feel-good hormones trigger pleasure centres in the brain that create feelings of intimacy and relaxation and help stave off anxiety and depression, said WH advisor Laura Berman, Ph.D., an assistant clinical professor of ob-gyn and psychiatry at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University and author of "It''s Not Him, It''s You!" You don''t have to climax to net the effects, but you''ll get the biggest surge of soothing hormones if you have an orgasm. Just one more reason to shoot for a stellar finish! Sex also ensures sounder sleep because the same endorphins that help you de-stress can also relax your mind and body, priming you for slumber, said Cindy M. Meston, Ph.D., director of the Sexual Psychophysiology Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin. Additionally, during orgasm, the hormone prolactin is released. "Prolactin levels are naturally higher when we sleep, which suggests a strong relationship between the two," she said. However, extremely active sex can make you feel more energized than sleepy. Sex should never be a snooze, but if you want to use knocking boots as a sleep aid, skip the acrobatics and opt for a subdued session. Sex can also help minimize pain. The surge of hormones released after an orgasm can help ease any annoying ache, whether it''s a strained back or a head pounder, asserted Meston. A study conducted at the Headache Clinic at Southern Illinois University revealed that half of female migraine sufferers reported relief after climaxing. "The endorphins that are released during an orgasm closely resemble morphine, and they effectively relieve pain," said Meston. Sex also results in fewer colds. People who have sex were found to have higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA), according to researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. These antibodies help fight diseases and keep the body safe from colds and flu.