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1. Sex Relieves Stress
A big health benefit of sex is lower
blood pressure and overall stress
reduction, according to researchers
from Scotland who reported their
findings in the journal Biological
Psychology.
They studied
24 women and
22 men who
kept records
of their sexual
activity. Then
the researchers
subjected them
to stressful situa-
tions -- such as
speaking in pub-
lic and doing
verbal arithmetic
-- and noted
their blood pres-
sure response to
stress.
Those who had
intercourse had
better responses
to stress than
those who en-
gaged in other
sexual behaviors
or abstained.
Another study
published in the
same journal
found that fre-
quent intercourse
was associated
with lower diastolic blood pres-
sure in cohabiting participants.
Yet other research found a link
between partner hugs and lower
blood pressure in women.
2. Sex Boosts Immunity
Good sexual health may mean
better physical health. Having sex
once or twice a week has been
linked with higher levels of an
antibody called immunoglobulin A
or IgA, which can protect you from
getting colds and other infections.
Scientists at Wilkes University in
Wilkes-Barre, Pa., took samples
of saliva, which contain IgA, from
112 college students who reported
the frequency of sex they had.
Those in the “frequent” group
-- once or twice a week -- had
higher levels of IgA than those in
the other three groups -- who re-
ported being abstinent, having sex
less than once a week, or having
it very often, three or more times
weekly.
3. Sex Burns Calories
Thirty minutes of sex burns 85
calories or more. It may not sound
like much, but it adds up: 42
half-hour sessions will burn 3,570
calories, more than enough to lose
a pound. Doubling up, you could
ten Health
Benefits of Sex
By Kathleen Doheny