Post by pelicanguy on Feb 8, 2007 14:17:59 GMT -5
Rx: Love as needed
Intimate relations can keep you healthy in body and mind, experts say
Joe Miller, Staff Writer
Raleigh News & Observer
Tonight, dear. I have a headache. That's not a misprint, no need to adjust your newspaper. Turns out this long-standing excuse for thwarting amore doesn't hold water. Quite the contrary: Research shows an evening of lovemaking may be just what you need to rid yourself of that pounding between the temples, Goody's be danged.
In fact, a little friskiness has been shown to yield a variety of healthful benefits, from easing joint pain to improving circulation to boosting your immune system. This Valentine's Day, forget Hallmark: If you really care to give the very best, give a little of yourself.
"The many psychological benefits [of sex] presumably translate into physiological benefits," says Dr. Carl Charnetski, a professor of psychology at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania and co-author of "Feeling Good is Good for You: How Pleasure Can Boost Your Immune System and Lengthen Your Life" (2001, Rodale).
For instance, Charnetski and Dr. Francis Brennan, associate director of the Neurobehavioral Research Laboratory at the VA Medical Center in East Orange, N.J., have found that if you want to boost your immune system, forget the zinc and echinacea. A pre-emptive romp may be just what the doctor ordered.
"We found several fascinating associations between the frequency of sex and immune strength," says Charnetski of their work examining the effects of simple pleasures on immunoglobulin A (IgA), the antibody that acts as the body's barrier against disease.
Among the positive effects of "one or two sexual episodes per week," their research showed, were increased IgA levels. But their research also found you can have too much of a good thing: Subjects who had sex three or more times a week had IgA levels comparable to those who were not sexually active.
"Behaviors that are pleasurable, as a rule, tend to be associated with boosts in immune function," according to Charnetski. "There are many factors that add up to illness, but these boosts in your immune function can tip that equation so you don't get sick."
So the next time you feel a tickle in the back of your throat ...
Chemicals released
Research at UNC-Chapel Hill has shown that hugging, holding hands and sharing fond memories can boost your levels of oxytocin. Oxytocin is a hormone produced in the brain that can help reduce blood pressure and relieve stress, especially in women. It also plays a key role in helping relationships bond.
"We believe that daily warm physical contact like hugs and cuddling between loved ones is good for biological as well as emotional health," says Kathleen Light, a professor in UNC's Department of Psychiatry who works in the school's Stress and Health Research Program.
Oxytocin also spurs the release of endorphins. Best known for giving runners and other athletes a natural high, endorphins are natural opiates that can relieve the pain of various ills: arthritis, whiplash and, yes, headaches. For women, sex promotes the production of estrogen, which can alleviate pain related to post-menstrual syndrome.
(It's never too early to start reaping the positive effects of hugging and cuddling, says Dr. Arthur Janov, champion of Primal Therapy and author of "Primal Healing: Access the Incredible Power of Feelings to Improve Your Health." "Love in infancy," Janov says, "can determine what diseases we will suffer from, how well we will learn and above all, how long we live.")
The effect of lovemaking on longevity was addressed by the British Medical Journal in 1997. There, it was reported that "men who said they had sex twice a week had a risk of dying half that of men who reported that they had sex once a month." (The study was conducted between 1979 and 1983, but dropped because men in the study group -- age 45-59 -- grew tired of discussing their sex lives.)
Helps all over
Other benefits of a healthy love life:
Weight loss. OK, this varies depending on whether you're a sprinter or distance runner, but on average, according to Forbes.com, a typical sexual encounter burns about 200 calories, roughly the equivalent of 15 minutes spent running on a treadmill.
Reduced chance of prostate cancer. Frequent "flushing of the prostate" can help eliminate toxins that may lead to prostate cancer. A study published by the British Journal of Urology International found that men in their 20s could reduce by a third their odds of getting prostate cancer by "flushing" more than five times a week.
Improved bladder control. Sex works the same muscle group as that used to urinate.
Cardiovascular. According to the same Forbes.com piece, during such a workout a person with a standing heart rate of 70 beats per minute can count on more than doubling that number. Such an increase is comparable to what many athletes experience during competition.
Muscle tone. You're burning calories, benefiting your heart and getting buff at the same time. A typical amorous workout works the pelvis, thighs, buttocks, arms, neck and thorax. Additional muscles may get worked depending upon your creativity.
Not surprisingly with all these physical benefits from making love -- "Men's Health" magazine once called a bed the best piece of exercise equipment you can buy -- there's one more fringe benefit to a healthy love life, according to Dr. Laura Berman, director of The Berman Center for women's sexual health.
You'll sleep well.
Intimate relations can keep you healthy in body and mind, experts say
Joe Miller, Staff Writer
Raleigh News & Observer
Tonight, dear. I have a headache. That's not a misprint, no need to adjust your newspaper. Turns out this long-standing excuse for thwarting amore doesn't hold water. Quite the contrary: Research shows an evening of lovemaking may be just what you need to rid yourself of that pounding between the temples, Goody's be danged.
In fact, a little friskiness has been shown to yield a variety of healthful benefits, from easing joint pain to improving circulation to boosting your immune system. This Valentine's Day, forget Hallmark: If you really care to give the very best, give a little of yourself.
"The many psychological benefits [of sex] presumably translate into physiological benefits," says Dr. Carl Charnetski, a professor of psychology at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania and co-author of "Feeling Good is Good for You: How Pleasure Can Boost Your Immune System and Lengthen Your Life" (2001, Rodale).
For instance, Charnetski and Dr. Francis Brennan, associate director of the Neurobehavioral Research Laboratory at the VA Medical Center in East Orange, N.J., have found that if you want to boost your immune system, forget the zinc and echinacea. A pre-emptive romp may be just what the doctor ordered.
"We found several fascinating associations between the frequency of sex and immune strength," says Charnetski of their work examining the effects of simple pleasures on immunoglobulin A (IgA), the antibody that acts as the body's barrier against disease.
Among the positive effects of "one or two sexual episodes per week," their research showed, were increased IgA levels. But their research also found you can have too much of a good thing: Subjects who had sex three or more times a week had IgA levels comparable to those who were not sexually active.
"Behaviors that are pleasurable, as a rule, tend to be associated with boosts in immune function," according to Charnetski. "There are many factors that add up to illness, but these boosts in your immune function can tip that equation so you don't get sick."
So the next time you feel a tickle in the back of your throat ...
Chemicals released
Research at UNC-Chapel Hill has shown that hugging, holding hands and sharing fond memories can boost your levels of oxytocin. Oxytocin is a hormone produced in the brain that can help reduce blood pressure and relieve stress, especially in women. It also plays a key role in helping relationships bond.
"We believe that daily warm physical contact like hugs and cuddling between loved ones is good for biological as well as emotional health," says Kathleen Light, a professor in UNC's Department of Psychiatry who works in the school's Stress and Health Research Program.
Oxytocin also spurs the release of endorphins. Best known for giving runners and other athletes a natural high, endorphins are natural opiates that can relieve the pain of various ills: arthritis, whiplash and, yes, headaches. For women, sex promotes the production of estrogen, which can alleviate pain related to post-menstrual syndrome.
(It's never too early to start reaping the positive effects of hugging and cuddling, says Dr. Arthur Janov, champion of Primal Therapy and author of "Primal Healing: Access the Incredible Power of Feelings to Improve Your Health." "Love in infancy," Janov says, "can determine what diseases we will suffer from, how well we will learn and above all, how long we live.")
The effect of lovemaking on longevity was addressed by the British Medical Journal in 1997. There, it was reported that "men who said they had sex twice a week had a risk of dying half that of men who reported that they had sex once a month." (The study was conducted between 1979 and 1983, but dropped because men in the study group -- age 45-59 -- grew tired of discussing their sex lives.)
Helps all over
Other benefits of a healthy love life:
Weight loss. OK, this varies depending on whether you're a sprinter or distance runner, but on average, according to Forbes.com, a typical sexual encounter burns about 200 calories, roughly the equivalent of 15 minutes spent running on a treadmill.
Reduced chance of prostate cancer. Frequent "flushing of the prostate" can help eliminate toxins that may lead to prostate cancer. A study published by the British Journal of Urology International found that men in their 20s could reduce by a third their odds of getting prostate cancer by "flushing" more than five times a week.
Improved bladder control. Sex works the same muscle group as that used to urinate.
Cardiovascular. According to the same Forbes.com piece, during such a workout a person with a standing heart rate of 70 beats per minute can count on more than doubling that number. Such an increase is comparable to what many athletes experience during competition.
Muscle tone. You're burning calories, benefiting your heart and getting buff at the same time. A typical amorous workout works the pelvis, thighs, buttocks, arms, neck and thorax. Additional muscles may get worked depending upon your creativity.
Not surprisingly with all these physical benefits from making love -- "Men's Health" magazine once called a bed the best piece of exercise equipment you can buy -- there's one more fringe benefit to a healthy love life, according to Dr. Laura Berman, director of The Berman Center for women's sexual health.
You'll sleep well.