Sex - Stay healthier and younger

Sex is not only the most economical entertainment for two, a vigorous session leaves you optimistic, younger and healthier, say scientists and researches. It must be true because an artificial knee and hip have not deterred Jane Fonda from abstaining. Here’s the scientific explaination.

Keeps heart healthy:
A study at Queens University in Belfast found that having sex three times a week could halve your risk of heart attack or stroke.

Strengthens immune system:
Having sex once or twice a week raises the levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A or IgA, which can protect from viral and bacterial infections. According to a study, people who have sex more than once a week had 30 per cent higher levels of IgA.

Fights disease:
During sex, steroid DHEA is secreted and after an orgasm the level in the bloodstream soars to five times its normal amount. High levels of DHEA keep your body fitter and disease-free.

Cuts risk of dying young:
An Australian study found that people who had an orgasm three times a week had a 50 per cent lower chance of dying from medical reasons.

Knocks off 10 years:
Couples who have sex at least three times a week look more than a decade younger than people who make love less often, according to English neuro-psychologist Dr David Weeks’s 10-year study.

Shifts weight:
Thirty minutes of sex burns up to 150 calories per half-hour. If you have moderately active sex twice a week, you’ll burn 15,600 calories a year!

Makes you more attractive:
High sexual activity makes the body release more pheromones, the chemicals that enhance your appeal. And the more sex you have, the stronger your desire to have sex with your partner again gets.

Erases wrinkles:
Oestrogen, the hormone released during sex, plumps the skin. As oestrogen levels drop after menopause, skin becomes dry and wrinkled, which regular sex can combat.

Imparts a glow:
As sex is an aerobic form of exercise, it promotes skin renewal. Vigorous sex pumps higher levels of oxygen, pushing newer, fresher skin cells to the surface.

Boosts self-esteem:
Higher levels of confidence was one of the most important benefits noted by people having regular sex, says a survey made by the University of Texas.

Eases depression:
Sex causes your brain to release feel-good chemicals that boost your levels of serotonin that lifts your mood. Being intimate also eases mild depression.

Reduces pain:
Sex causes a surge in oxytocin and other endorphins, which reduce pain. Women say headaches, arthritis pain and PMS symptoms improve after sex.

Helps you sleep:
Oxytocin released during orgasm promotes sleep, according to research. Enough sleep has been linked to feeling happier, maintaining a healthy weight and controlling high blood pressure.

Relieves stress:
In a study published in Psychology Journal, researchers found that people who’d had sex in the past 24 hours coped better with stressful scenarios than those who had not.