ANYONE looking to improve their health could do a lot worse than getting frisky under the sheets as sex has lots of benefits, experts have claimed.
The good news is that getting down to it once or twice a week can help in the battle against infections and can also help fight other conditions.
Kaye Wellings, a professor of sexual and reproductive health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said it’s normal for your health not to be at the top of the list when it comes to sex.
“But immunity, cardiovascular health and depression are just some of the areas where studies suggest that sexual activity might have a benefit”, she told the Daily Mail.
Here we take a look at the different ways sex can improve your health – from pushing back the menopause to helping fight infections.
HELPS FIGHT INFECTIONS
A 2004 study published in the journal Psychological Reports, revealed that having intercourse once or twice a week increased levels of immunoglobulin A.
This is part of the antibody response of the immune system that defends against infection.
Alongside this, the journal Fertility and Sterility also revealed that sexual activity at least three times a month was linked to milder Covid-19 infection.
Experts believe it primes the body to handle pathogens more effectively.
BEATS A BLOCKED NOSE
Battling the common cold can be the bane of people’s lives, but Brits might want to consider getting intimate with their partner to help fight it off.
Medics writing in the Journal Ear, Nose & Throat last year found that having an orgasm was as effective as a nasal spray.
It all depends on how active you are when it comes to getting beneath the sheets.
Those who are a little more vigorous may class sex as exercise.
And being active has been shown to be a decongestant – as the rise in body temperature loosens mucus while the increase in circulation encourages the flow of nasal discharge.
FIGHTS THE ONSET OF THE MENOPAUSE
Research from University College London found that middle-aged women who romp weekly are 28 per cent less likely to experience the change over the next decade.
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And those who still have sex at least once a month have a 19 per cent reduced risk.
Megan Arnot, from University College London, said: “The findings suggest that if a woman is not having sex, and there is no chance of pregnancy, then the body ‘chooses’ not to invest in ovulation as it would be pointless.
“There may be a biological trade-off between investing energy into ovulation and elsewhere, such as keeping active by looking after grandchildren.”
The findings suggest that if sexual activity is not detected, the body deprioritises ovulation, triggering the menopause.
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HEART HEALTH
The heart is the most important organ in the body and it’s key to keep it healthy.
The good news is that regular romps can help prevent heart disease – the bad news is that it only works for men.
