—Just what the doctor ordered?
A rigorous session of sex can burn up to two hundred calories, but as well as being great exercise there are loads of untold benefits of sex.The oestrogen released during sex is thought to make hair shinier and skin suppler, thus making you more attractive to a potential mate. Endorphins are
also released, and have been found to have analgesic effects such as lesseningheadaches, stomach cramps and back pain.
Oxycotin, another hormone released during sex, has qualities such as being a natural sedative. This means having sex promotes deep sleep, which in turn benefits your health as a whole. Oxycotin is also known as the bonding hormone, as it is released during birth to promote a good relationship between
mother and child. It is thought that the release of oxycotin during sex promotes a healthier and loving relationship between partners.
The antibody immunoglobulin A is boosted by sex and helps to fight illnesses such as colds and flu. The study conducted by the Wilkes University of Pennsylvania found people having sex more than once or twice a week had 30% higher levels of the antibody. In a study between 1979 and 1983
experts at Caerphilly found frequent sex once or twice a week could reduce the rate of mortality. 918 men took part in the study, and those having regular orgasms had 50% lower mortality. Frequent sex
can also reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes in men, and research is underway to see if ejaculating can also reduce the risk of prostrate cancer.
Sex is an entirely natural and necessary part of human life, and of course has many health benefits.
While we may be the most intelligent species on the planet, our underlying instinct is still to find a mate and reproduce. When it comes down to it, our sex drive and search for love could be clinically described as searching for a mate and establishing time to successfully reproduce.
Sex is about survival of the fittest; our prehistoric ancestors have been assimilated to ‘promiscuous, no
commitment Bonobo chimps Sex, however, has always puzzled scientists. The act of copulation, of which humans manage 120 million times each day, is actually much less efficient than asexual reproduction. While scientists cannot agree upon a definite reason why many species use the act of sex to reproduce, one theory is that it weeds out genetic mutation. Sex may be ourform of natural selection, as those with harmful or undesirable mutations will find it harder to mate.
We could, however, be described as being part of an ongoing sexual revolution which began in the sixties with the birth of the contraceptive pill. Humans no longer only mate to reproduce, but instead have sex for pleasure and bonding between partners. Perhaps the enjoyment and health benefits could explain why we humans prefer the act of copulation, rather than just simply splitting ourselves in two.
Megan French