The surprising health benefits of orgasms: From boosting your immune system to unblocking your nose
Orgasms, often associated with pleasure and sexual satisfaction, have been found to contribute to various health benefits beyond the bedroom. From aiding the immune system to relieving nasal congestion, orgasms offer a range of positive effects that may surprise many.
- Immune system boost: Regular orgasms can strengthen the immune system by increasing the number of infection-fighting cells in the body, reducing the likelihood of catching colds and other common illnesses.
- Pain relief: The endorphins released during orgasm act as natural painkillers, helping to alleviate headaches, migraines, menstrual cramps, and other forms of pain.
- Stress reduction: Orgasms trigger the release of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes relaxation and reduces stress levels, contributing to improved mental health.
- Better sleep: The release of hormones like oxytocin and prolactin during orgasm can lead to feelings of relaxation, making it easier to fall asleep and enjoy a more restful slumber.
- Improved cardiovascular health: Regular orgasms can help lower blood pressure, increase blood flow, and reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Unblocking nasal congestion: Orgasms can act as a natural decongestant, as the increased blood flow and muscle contractions help to open up the nasal passages and provide temporary relief from a blocked nose.
Incorporating regular orgasms into one’s life can lead to various health improvements, making it an essential aspect of overall well-being.
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They last typically between 13 and 51 seconds in a woman but a mere six seconds in a man – but their benefits can extend way beyond this.
For orgasms unlock much more than the obvious benefits of sexual pleasure.
‘Orgasms trigger the release of ‘feel-good’ hormones such as oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine,’ says Dr Tania Adib, a consultant gynaecologist at the private HCA Lister Hospital in London.
Other benefits include raising your heart rate to 140 to 160 beats per minute, which is equivalent to walking a mile in 20 minutes and then climbing two flights of stairs, adds Geoff Hackett, a professor of sexual medicine at Aston University in Birmingham.
Now a new study suggests it can also help women with stress — researchers in Switzerland surveyed 370 women on how often they masturbate and the reasons behind it: 64 per cent reported they masturbated to relax, 55 per cent said it evoked joy and 12 per cent said they did it to relieve stress, reported the International Journal of Sexual Health.
Previous research has suggested it helps relieve stress by prompting the release of the feel-good hormone dopamine in the brain.
We know that orgasms have a physiological and evolutionary purpose, as Professor Hackett explains: ‘When we orgasm, hormones including oxytocin, the ‘love’ hormone are released by the hypothalamus [the body’s hormone control centre] and it triggers rhythmic contractions in the uterus and pelvic floors of women and the pelvic floors of men.
‘The contractions help men ejaculate, and in women move sperm up along the vagina towards an egg so conception is more likely – these were important in evolution when the main purpose of sex was getting your mate pregnant.’
But here leading sexual health experts reveal the other benefits for body and mind – some of which may surprise you.
Were you surprised by all of the orgasm’s health benefits?
NATURAL PAIN RELIEF
Feel-good hormones released when you orgasm are also potent natural painkillers, says Dr David Edwards, past president of the British Society of Sexual Medicine.
‘Orgasms can give good pain relief – an Italian study found that an orgasm gives the equivalent effect of 10mg of morphine.
‘This is down to the release of hormones such as endorphins, oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin.
‘They can relieve pain by blocking pain signals and they also reduce stress and improve mood.’
A small U.S. study of ten women in 1985 found that their pain tolerance threshold and pain threshold detection rose by 74.6 per cent and 106.7 per cent respectively at the point of orgasm, reported the journal Pain.
Dr Edwards says orgasms are also believed to relieve menstrual cramps in some thanks to the release of endorphins which block pain signals in the uterine muscles.
Orgasm may also alleviate migraine headaches in some people.
In a 2013 study at the University of Munster, Germany, questionnaires were sent to 800 migraine patients and 200 with cluster headaches. Analysis of these revealed that 60 per cent of those who had sex during migraine attacks found it reduced their symptoms. With cluster headaches (a rare but very painful type of headache that usually occurs in attacks known as ‘clusters’), 37 per cent said sex eased their headache. However, some patients in both groups reported that orgasm made their pain worse.
IMMUNE SYSTEM BOOST
Orgasm may also boost immunity and help you fight off infections and stay well.
Research on this has focused on masturbation (and limited because of the difficulties of finding volunteers to have orgasms inside an MRI scanner) – one study of 11 men found that levels of immune cells called white blood cells and natural killer cells rose for 24 hours after orgasm.
‘Hormones released during sex reduce the stress hormone cortisol – and high levels of cortisol are associated with stress which can affect immunity,’ says Dr Edwards.
‘But the higher levels of white blood cells might only be short lived.’
UNBLOCKS YOUR NOSE
Another short-term fix is that having an orgasm can actually clear congested nasal passages if you have a cold, says Dr Catherine Hood, a specialist in sexual and psychosexual medicine, working in private and NHS practice in London.
