Sex as Pain RelieverThrough the touch magic of sex the
hormone oxytocin is secreted in your body which in turn causes
the
release of endorphins. Because of these natural opiates sex acts as a
powerful analgesic, elevating the pain threshold and helping to relieve
the aches of conditions like arthritis, whiplash and headaches. Now
there''s a novel approach, sex as a remedy for headache rather than an
excuse for abstaining!With arousal and orgasm oxytocin levels
rise. They spike 3 to 5 times higher than usual just before orgasm. In
fact it is oxytocin that triggers the orgasm. Measurements performed at
the Masters and Johnson laboratories have shown that the uterine
contractions brought about by orgasm (triggered by oxytocin) are just
as powerful as those of child labor. Women can use this extraordinary
orgasmic contraction and relaxation of the uterine muscle to relieve
cramps during PMS and menstruation.Live Longer, Stay YoungerA
British study of 1,000 men found those who had at least two orgasms a
week had half the death rate of their countrymen who indulge less than
once a month.The hormone DHEA promotes sexual excitement and
increases in response to it. Dr Theresa Crenshaw author of The Alchemy
of Love and Lust says DHEA may be the most powerful chemical in our
personal world. It helps balance the immune system, improves cognition,
promotes bone growth, and maintains and repairs tissues, keeping your
skin healthy and supple. It may also contribute to cardiovascular
health and even function as antidepressant.Prostate and Genital HealthSome
doctors believe that more than 75% of men over 50 have a somewhat
enlarged prostate, and that virtually all men will suffer from prostate
enlargement if they live long enough. This condition, called benign
prostate hypertrophy (BPH), is normal and usually not dangerous.
Unfortunately, some of these men develop prostate cancer, one of the
leading causes of death in older men. Regular sexual intercourse with
frequent ejaculations will help to keep the prostate healthy.For
those men who practice delaying ejaculation, for example in the
practice of Tantra Sacred Sex, performing Kegel exercises (in which you
contract the muscles around your genitals), will tone these muscles,
just as exercising other muscles tones other areas of your body. More
importantly, these exercises will help keep the prostate healthy, by
moving the sexual energy up out of the prostate and circulating it
throughout your body. The technique is very simple and you can perform
hundreds of contractions per day for top sexual/physical fitness for
both men and women. Imagine you are urinating, but want to stop the
flow of urine, that''s all there is to it.Contracting your
muscles in this way is one of the healthiest exercises you could add to
your exercise regime. When 178 Belgian men with minor erection problems
participated in a 4-month daily rehabilitation program which primarily
focused on Kegel exercises, 74 percent showed improvement and 43
percent were cured. For women, Kegels strengthen the entire urogenital
tract, aiding greatly in childbirth and preventing the onset of
incontinence in later life. They also sensitize the genital tissues,
helping women to become orgasmic and/or increase the intensity of their
orgasmsBoost Testosterone and EstrogenRegular sexual
activity boosts testosterone and
Estrogen levels in both men and women.
Besides boosting your libido testosterone fortifies bones and muscles.
Some physicians suggest that testosterone keeps hearts healthy and good
cholesterol high. Testosterone is what makes the sex drive in men and
women more aggressive. It makes you want to have sex, pursue sex,
initiate sex and perhaps dominate the lovemaking. Testosterone seems to
motivate both men and women to strongly desire specific genital sex and
release by orgasm. Because men have so much testosterone, they seem
obsessed with genitals, intercourse and ejaculn, but appear to care
less for romance and foreplay-touching, hugging, cuddling, eye gazing,
etc.Sex increases women''s estrogen levels keeping vaginal
tissues more supple and also protecting against heart disease. It is
estrogen that makes a woman sexually receptive and responsive to a
man''s approach. It is estrogen that makes her want to be touched and
feel romantic, it is testosterone that makes her want to be penetrated.
Estrogen makes a woman soft-breasts develop in response to estrogen.
Estrogen is a powerful influence on how a woman smells. It influences
the degree to which she projects softness, openness, and interest in
sexual touching.Men''s bodies also produce estrogen. In fact
testosterone can be converted into estrogen in the man''s body. Some
estrogen helps a man to develop the softer, more nurturing feminine
sides of their personalities. As men age, the testosterone/estrogen
balance begins to shift, with testosterone decreasing and estrogen
increasing, and this is one reason why so many men seem to mellow out
as they get older.The Healing Power of IntimacySex is
good for you, but sex with love is even better. According to Dr. Dean
Ornish author of ''Love and Survival: the Scientific Basis for the
Healing Power of Intimacy'', "an open heart can lead to the most joyful
and ecstatic sex". His researches into intimacy and its effects on
health have shown that "anything that promotes feelings of love and
intimacy is healing". If you have someone who really cares for you and
for whom you care in return, someone you are intimately connected with
in all ways - emotional, physical and more -- then you may be three to
five times less likely at risk of premature death and disease from all
causes.Part of this has to do with the positive effects of
touch, what Dr. Crenshaw refers to as Vitamin T. The chemical
composition of your body is changed by touch. Caressing, hugging,
stroking, cuddling send a chain reaction of chemicals to signal your
brain that this is pleasurable, nurturing, good.There is strong
scientific evidence demonstrating the importance of touch to good
health. In the 1930s, Dr. Rene Spitz, attending physician at a number
of nurseries, noticed that the illness and mortality rates were quite a
bit higher in some of the nurseries. His observations and experiments
led to the finding that the children who were becoming ill and dying
had nothing to do with hygiene or nutrition, but rather had to do with
the amount of touching the infants received from the attending staff.
He confirmed his findings by hiring "grandmothers" to come into the
nurseries to hold, fondle, and cuddle the children. The illness and
mortality rates declined rapidly.Researchers at Miami''s Touch
Research Institute (TRI) found that premature infants who received
three massages a day over 10 days gained 47 percent more weight than
preemies who weren''t massaged. David Sebringsil, who writes regularly
for The Society For Human Sexuality (one of the best online sources of
excellent, sex-positive information), recommends Erotic Massage become
a part of or alternative to regular lovemaking. It is one of the best
ways to help someone achieve extended, multiple, or "whole body"
orgasmic states. Through erotic massage partners learn to give and
receive loving touch and extraordinary pleasure. It makes you healthier
and happier.Healthy blood, healthy bones, healthy heart, healthy
body and a peaceful mind - all thanks to the healing powers of sex.
Next time you''re in the mood let her know you''ve got the doctor on your
side!