Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 7:12 am
I'm gonna print this out and carry it around with me. Then any random woman on the street will find me utterly irresistable immediately upon reading it. Oh man...misdemeanor charges for public nudity and lewd conduct, here I come!schuette wrote:this was in the newspaper the day...
GOOD news folks -scientists have discovered another great reason for having sex.
A study into the health benefits of making love found that the more often you do it the less likely you are to suffer stress.
Experts at the University of Paisley also discovered that people are better at public speaking if they have sex the night before.
During intercourse a hormone called oxytocin is released and it is believed this has a long-lasting calming effect.
But it has to be the real thing -other forms of gratification don't produce as good results.
The study in New Scientist magazine is the latest to show the benefits of a healthy sex life, which can also improve mental health, boost the immune system, reduce risks of certain cancers and help with pain relief.
1 LOOKING YOUNGER
A PHYSICAL love life can not only help you live longer, but can also help you maintain your health, quality of life and those good looks during all those extra years you get to enjoy as a result.
Scientists from the Royal Edinburgh Hospital have said the well-sexed person looks an average of 10 years younger than their less active counterparts.
Studies have found sex with a loving partner - as opposed to casual sex with a number of people - makes you happier.
Naturally, this has been shown to lead to increased longevity but there are chemicals at work here too - sex releases human growth hormones which aid life expectancy.
Charity Age Concern has encouraged older couples to keep making love to keep the heart and body healthy.
2 IMMUNE SYSTEM
AMERICAN researchers discovered that sexual intercourse twice a week will stimulate your immune system, which fights disease, illness and infection in the body.
Research by the Wilkes University, Pennsylvania, found that subjects who had regular sex had one third more levels of Immunoglobulin A, which is the strong antibody which boosts the immune system and maintains general health levels.
Separate research has also shown that the sexy hormone oxytocin can help wounds like cuts and scrapes heal faster and prevent risk of infection.
3 STROKES
A RECENT study showed that men having sex at least three times a week can cut the risk of having a stroke or heart attack by as much as a half.
The research of 2400 people found that having an orgasm three or four times a week improved heart performance - the study also found that even a short session could make all the difference as it was related to stimulation rather than perspiration.
But a separate bit of research has suggested that you have to be having guilt-free sex to enjoy these medical benefits.
Research from Japan also found that half of the patients who had a stroke or a heart attack during sex were being unfaithful.
4 HEART DISEASE
THE exercise carried out during even the most relaxed bout of sexual intercourse can be good for the heart and circulatory system.
Dehydroepiandrostone, the sexually-produced hormones, and testosterone have also been studied as helping reduce risk in heart disease.
The wonder-hormone oxytocin is also released during sex and helps to reduce blood pressure, boosting the heart.
Studies in the US and Israel have also confirmed that a healthy sex life is an excellent way to help treat angina and maintain a healthy heart.
5 STRESS
STUART BRODY from Paisley University claims that full sexual intercourse has a significant impact on blood pressure levels and the subject's ability to perform in stressful situations.
The sexiest subjects in his study saw their blood pressure levels return to normal quicker, following moments of acute stress, than those who had less sex.
Although an orgasm is a great stress reliever itself, the longer lasting effects of the reaction suggest that the hormone oxytocin, released during sex, could be responsible for the calming effect.
6 KEEPING TRIM
EVEN a minimal amount of sexual activity is as good for your system and toning as aerobics or most other forms of sport, and it can keep you healthy and trim if done on a regular basis.
Your arms, thighs, stomach, bum, and core torso muscles all get worked and toned by a sexy session, and even a good snog can burn 360 calories an hour.
An energetic sex session can see the heart jump to between 140-150 beats per minute - and recent research has shown the thought or excitement of sex can raise the heart rate to the level where you will burn calories.
7 PROSTATE CANCER
SEX has been found to help both men and women avoid cancers relating to sex and reproduction.
According to research, men who ejaculate more than five times a week have a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Men in their twenties can cut their risk by a third - and similar benefits are found up to men in their fifties.
Experts behind the Melbourne study believe one reason is that repeated ejaculation helps the gland grow and mature fully and be less vulnerable to attack from cancer cells.
Another reason could be that ejaculation flushes out any cancer-causing chemicals.
8 MUSCLES AND BONES
THE energetic side of sex is one of the best ways to tone and maintain growth of muscles and bones, but there are also chemical-related reasons why it helps your bone and muscle health.
For women especially, regular sex can give you double the oestrogen levels of a celibate woman and helps prevent the onset of osteoporosis.
That is also true of men, however as sex can increase their levels of testosterone, which can prevent male osteoporosis.
That same hormone can maintain muscle bulk and size, too.
9 PAIN RELIEF
THE good old oxytocin hormone is also an excellent form of analgesic pain relief.
As well as the endorphins that are released, the hormone is a natural opiate which helps soothe aches and pains - including headaches.
Corticosteroids are natural painkillers which are also released, while the boosts to the immune systems and stress-relaxing properties of intercourse are also all key to relieving different forms of pain. It can reduce arthritis pain, with testosterone helping to soothe joints.
10 MENTAL HEALTH
THE calming oxytocin endorphin and the other pleasure-giving hormones which are released during sex, help relieve stress and soothe anxiety in most people.
But as well as I those factors, scientists have found that a hormone called prostaglandin, which is only found in semen, helps balance the other hormones which can affect mood and depression.
The psychological effects of a good, regular sex life also include attraction and boosted self esteem, which helps to ward off depression and stress.
......glad i could help Mech 
