The simple suggestion of good sex is enough to put a grin on your lace and a sparkle in your eye. Sex powerfully affects the pleasure pathways of the brain, which directly contribute to making us feel more alive, upbeat and able to tackle life's difficulties. 'All you need is love' - it may sound too trite and simple by half, but loving sex is (lie ultimate act that affirms the magic of giving and receiving in harmony with each other.
The extra good news is that sex does more than simply raise the levels on your happiness barometer. Your whole body receives a wake-up call that in turn helps the various systems and mechanisms busily at work within you operate with a little more fizz and force. Doctors and psychologists all confirm that mind, body and soul function at their optimum as a result of good sex. So get giggly, indulge and rejoice at the very personal favour you're doing yourself!
Why It's Good
Intimacy is a stress-buster
Alter an especially fraught clay or an agitated interchange, stress hormones are high. Adrenalin and noradrenalin are released with fear and anxiety, muscles will tense and blood pressure rise. The body reacts to emotional stress precisely as it responds to physical danger. It undergoes that series of physiological changes commonly referred to as the light or (light' mechanism, as we've seen. Sex is the perfect tonic to soothe the rallied mind and body. Not only is it a source of profound sensual pleasure, but it also reaffirms the bond with our partners. The benefits of touch alone produce a chemical chain reaction in the brain that pleases and soothes.
Keeps you looking and feeling young
Ancient Chinese Taoists were philosophers and doctors who regarded an active sex life as laying the foundation for physical and mental well-being as well as extending life span. Dr David Weeks, a clinical neurologist in Edinburgh, would agree. He conducted a survey in which he found sex to be the second most important factor, after exercise, for looking young and possessing a rosy joie de vivre. Those indulging in sex most frequently appear between four and seven years younger than their chronological age.
Relaxes you
People who have sex frequently also have fewer stress-related illnesses. The role of sex as counterbalance to stress should not be underplayed. Studies by the American Medical Association revealed stress as a factor in 75 per cent of all illnesses today. So we are really doing ourselves a stupendous favour when engaging in a revitalising romp. The pattern of extreme tension followed by the overwhelming release of orgasm gives way to an intense wave of calm and relaxation. Sleep is likely to be better and a glorious cocktail of calm, ease and vitality contributes to a literal and figurative post-coital glow that nourishes you within and without.
Promotes pleasure and relieves pain
This post-orgasmic glow, known affectionately as a POG, may be due to the release of hormones such as oxytocin, human growth hormone and DHEA. Oxytocin, known as the cuddling hormone, both promotes feel-good states of affection and emotional attachment, and contributes to feeling more relaxed. A recent study by an American professor of neuroscience revealed that a woman in the throes of passion displays a markedly elevated pain threshold. Thus sexual activity wires the body to feel more like a house of pleasure than a house of pain. In this state of deep-body nourishment there is no room for stress.
Sex stimulates the pleasure and reward pathways of an area in the brain known as the nucleus accumbens, commonly referred to as the pleasure zone. Humankind evolved to find potent pleasure in basic things like sex and eating because it is these activities that need repeating to ensure continuation of the species. When sex is good, we are getting one of the most basic rewards nature intended for us.
Promotes health and well-being
Evidence revealing the 'ripple effect' good sex has on our entire beings is mounting. It is widely believed that regular sex helps keeps the prostate gland healthy. Increased heart rate, deeper breathing and more blood pumping around body and brain are more obvious features of sex. Fresh supplies of oxygen and blood allow cells, muscles and vital organs to run more efficiently.
Regular sexual activity also boosts a number of health-giving hormones, including testosterone and oestrogen levels in both men and women. Similarly, the hormone DHEA increases in response to sexual excitement and ejaculation. Current research suggests it plays a crucial role in balancing our immune system and slowing down ageing.
How Often and How Much?
Many sex therapists suggest we need and deserve to feel aroused every day to experience the fortifying power of sexual energy. How relaxing sex is depends on numerous factors. Mindful sex free from negative self-monitoring or power struggles can be difficult to achieve. Banishing anger, anxiety and frustration sometimes seems too daunting. Stress can even drive away sexual desire. However, in the knowledge that such an inherently enjoyable activity fuels physical health, perhaps we will be more willing to resort to regular loving sexual activity to exile stress. Sex, after all, need not be a guilty pleasure. It is time to relax and enjoy yourself - with a partner, or on your own.
Any Precautions?
Too much sex, at least for men, is thought to deplete vital energy. Certainly, it takes energy to make semen, which is packed full of nutrients, especially zinc. (Hence the reputation of oysters as an aphrodisiac - they're the richest known source of zinc.) More than three white spots on your fingernails is a sign that you may be low in zinc, and should consider supplementing 15mg per day, including what's in your daily multivitamin/mineral supplement.
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