Aside from being pleasurable, orgasms have wide-reaching health benefits. But can they actually make you live longer?
According to some studies, yes.
One such study examined the frequency of sexual intercourse and death of 900 men aged 45–59 over a 10-year period. Scientists discovered that those with the highest frequency of orgasms had a 50 per cent lower mortality rate.
Two orgasms a week reduced the mortality rate even more significantly, with a 68 per cent lower mortality than for those who had less than one orgasm per month. Around 100 orgasms a year may add three or more years to your life.
The research showed that the more orgasms you have, the lower your risk of mortality – around 700 orgasms per year could increase your life expectancy by up to eight years.
For men, high frequency means longer life, but for women, it’s quality that counts.
The same study mentioned above found that enjoyment of sex is far more beneficial to women than frequency – although frequency still counts. So, more sexually-related pleasure equals fewer early deaths.
Physical and emotional benefits
Beyond the longevity issue, sex and orgasms stimulate sensory pleasure pathways that, in turn, trigger healthy chemical reactions in our brains and bodies, offering a whole range of physical, emotional and psychological benefits.
Sex lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol, increases circulation and raises your heartbeat from 70 to 150 beats per minute. Regular sex halves your risk of heart attacks and strokes compared to those who don’t have sex at all. Oh, and 30 minutes of sex can burn as many as 837 kilojoules.
Sex can also reduce food cravings, control your appetite, help you absorb nutrients from food more easily, boost immunity, aid in tissue repair, stimulate brain function and cognition, reduce stress, improve sleep, promote strong bones and may even be better for you than your annual cold and flu shot.
Orgasms can help to alleviate pain through the release of oxytocin and endorphins that can increase pain tolerance by more than 74 per cent, according to a study by Beverly Whipple, professor emeritus at Rutgers University.
Self-worth and love
Need more inspiration? How about the fact that the bond forged by regular intimate contact does more for your long-term physical and mental health than you can imagine?
Regular touch will increase your self-esteem and help you thrive emotionally and psychologically – and there’s nothing better for increasing longevity than having a strong sense of self-worth and love.
A study published in The American Journal of Medicine revealed that sexual satisfaction in women actually increases with age. Researchers from the University of California studied 806 postmenopausal women with a median age of 67 and found that approximately half of the women over 80 reported sexual satisfaction almost always or always.
So, get out the candles, wine, chocolates and roses, and get down to it, or try these tips for spicing up your sex life.
Is sex (and orgasms) still an essential part of your life? Why not share your journey in the comments section below?
Also read: How this couple navigates sex and intimacy after cancer
Disclaimer: This article contains general information about health issues and is not advice. For health advice, consult your medical practitioner.
It could also be that the people who engage in the most sex are able to do so because they have maintained good health in other ways. All the same though I agree that a sex life is important, though not essential, to maintaining a healthy body.