Besides pleasure, orgasms benefit your health
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Besides pleasure, orgasms benefit your health
Who can forget the scene from the movie, When Harry Met Sally, where actress Meg Ryan simulates having a powerful, earth-shattering orgasm? She gave a worthy rendition of the actual experience of the amazingly fantastic feeling orgasms provide. Besides having the ability to make your eyes glaze over while your body tingles with pleasure, not surprisingly, climaxing is actually quite good for our health. Maybe they are not a thoroughly well-researched topic in regards to our health but from the few that have been done, orgasms appear to benefit our well-being more than we realize.
Here’s a look at how orgasms are not only an extremely euphoric sensation for us but how they have a positive impact on our health:
· Relieves pain
Experiencing an orgasm sends a rush of the hormone oxytocin surging through our body acting as a natural pain-reliever blocking pain by as much as 50 percent but only during the orgasm. Other endorphins are also released during orgasm, the same ones that are triggered during laughter or exercise.
· Aids in fertility
The odds of conception appear to improve when a woman has an orgasm. One study found that contractions from climaxing cause both vaginal and cervical movement that may draw in sperm escorting them in the right direction. Increased amounts of sperm have been found in the cervical mucus of women who had an orgasm.
· May reduce incidence of prostate cancer
The National Cancer Institute had a study from 2004 comparing 50,000 men finding those who had more than 21 orgasms each month were 30 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than men who had fewer than seven orgasms in a month.
Another study from 2003 found that men who had five orgasms a week in their twenties had a one-third lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer later in life. It is speculated by researchers that ejaculation may clear out the prostate of old semen that might possibly turn cancerous.
· Reduces stress
There is nothing quite like an orgasm to sweep you away from all stressful situations going on in your life. It’s the perfect stress-buster as oxytocin and endorphins flood the body during sex and particularly during an orgasm making you feel relaxed free from tension and anxiety. Having an orgasm is far better than taking a valium.
· May possibly increase longevity
Even though the links are hazy, there are limited studies suggesting an association between sexual activity and health. A book called The Longevity Project: Surprising discoveries for health and long-life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study by Dr. Howard Friedman, found that women who had a higher frequency of achieving orgasm during intercourse tended to live longer than women who didn’t. The precise casual connection is not known but, hey, it’s worth giving it a try to find out if it’s true.
· Appears to reduce the risk of heart disease for men
It has been known that men who have few if any problems achieving and maintaining an erection sufficient for sex, tend to have healthier arteries. The same process that causes heart disease can also block blood flow in the penis. What is not as well understood is whether orgasms protect men from heart disease or if healthier men simply have more orgasms.
· Boosts the immune system
Research has shown that achieving an orgasm at least 3-4 times a week boosts the immune system by increasing the amount of IgA, a type of antibody found in respiratory and alimentary secretions as well as in saliva and tear that helps the body neutralize harmful bacteria. Other studies have found that people who have sex once or twice weekly had immunoglobulin levels 30 percent higher than those who abstained.
· Increases happiness
Sex appears to be very good for making us happy. According to a study in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, people having sex, orgasm or not, are plain happier. Over 4,000 women were analyzed looking at their mood, sexuality, and menstrual cycle. Strong links were found between sexual interest and an overall sense of well-being. Those with a stronger sense of well-being also had a stronger sex drive and overall higher quality of life.