Regular Sex Prolongs Life - Researchers who study longevity presented data in late 2010 that draws a correlation between a healthy sex life and a longer lifespan. Dr.  Emmanuele Jannini of the University of Florence presented data from a study of 4,000 men that showed those with active sex lives enjoyed fewer cardiovascular conditions and lived, on average, 10 years longer than men for whom sex was rare. Sex releases endorphins and testosterone, which helps relieve stress and build muscle.

Have More Sex, Experience Less Stress - In a 2007 study published in the scientific journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, it was shown that, among middle-aged women, physical affection or sexual behavior with a partner significantly lowered negative mood and stress, and a more positive mood the following day. Simply put, researchers found that sex and physical intimacy led women to feel less stressed and be in a better mood the next day. Conversely, these results were not found when women had orgasms without a partner.

Want a Happy Marriage? Try Sex - Couples who find themselves arguing or temperamental with each other may just not be having enough sex. The act of sex promotes intimacy, trust and attentiveness to your partner’s needs. Frequent and satisfying sex helps communication among married couples, and there’s tons of science that shows a direct correlation between frequent healthy sexual activity and improved mood. Generally speaking, people who are happy, intimate and communicative don’t have a lot of arguments. Don’t believe us? Just ask noted psychologist Dr. Phil.

More Sex = Better Heart Health - In an exhaustive study that lasted 16 years and involved more than 1,100 men, doctors at the New England Research Institute in Massachusetts tracked the sexual activity of men between 40 and 70 years of age. The study conclusively showed men who partake in regular sex (twice a week or more) are up to 45 percent less likely to suffer from cardiac arrest than men who average sex only once a month or less.

Orgasms Can Bring Migraine Relief - If you’ve ever said “Not tonight, dear. I have a headache,” you may just be avoiding the most effective treatment for yourself. In a study published in the scientific journal Headache, researchers at Southern Illinois University report 47.4% of participants reported some or complete relief from migraine headaches immediately following orgasm. It’s worth a try. After all, only 5.3% of patients said an orgasm made their headache worse.

Sex as Exercise - Sex can’t beat an hour on the treadmill, but it’s certainly more fun, and not without its calorie-burning benefits! It turns out there are positions during sex that require more endurance and burn more calories than others. (Hint: “Missionary” isn’t going to work off that upside-down caramel macchiato… but “cowgirl” just might!) The fitness and nutrition experts at Fitness Magazine, show how you can feel the burn and enjoy doing it!

Orgasms Lower Prostate Cancer Risk - In a major U.S. study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers show that frequent ejaculations can lessen the risk of prostate cancer among men. Scientists followed nearly 30,000 men over an 8 year period. The study found men who averaged 21 or more ejaculations per month over their lifetime were 33 percent less likely to develop cancer than men with 4 to 7 ejaculations per month.

 

Semen as an Anit-Depressant - In a controversial study published in the Archive of Sexual Behavior, researchers studied the prevalence of depression among college-aged women who used condoms during sex and those who did not. The study found a decrease in depression among those women who were exposed vaginally to seminal fluid. While unprotected sex outside of an exclusive, committed relationship is never a good idea, monogamous couples may now have a way to increase their happiness.

Orgasms can Raise Pain Thresholds - According to a study by Beverly Whipple, professor emeritus at Rutgers University and a famed sexologist and author, when women masturbated to orgasm “the pain tolerance threshold and pain detection threshold increased significantly by 74.6 percent and 106.7 percent respectively.” Oxytocin, a natural chemical in the body that surges before and during climax, gets some of the credit, along with a couple of other compounds like endorphins.

Need a Good Night's Sleep? Try Sex - Forbes Magazine published an article that shows a how a lack of sleep among Americans has created a very profitable cottage industry for sleep aids. However, science says there’s one sure-fire way for men to fall asleep. Research shows that during ejaculation, men release a cocktail of brain chemicals, including norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin, nitric oxide (NO), and the hormone prolactin. All of these chemicals are sleep-inducers, and so it’s little wonder that sex and sleep often go hand-in-hand (for men, anyway). In other words, if you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re probably not getting enough sex.