Sex is pleasurable as well as offers several health benefits, experts suggest.

A good sexual relationship boosts your mental well-being, promotes immunity, makes you younger, is good for your heart, and helps you sleep better at night. In addition, sex facilitates intimacy with your partner.

This article examines the possible health benefits of sex and a healthy relationship.

1. Reduce anxiety and depression

One of the surprising health benefits of sex is it reduces anxiety and depression.

Sex stimulates the release of feel-good hormones such as dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin that help improve mood.

Dopamine brings pleasure during and after sex, and endorphins reduce pain and stress. In addition, oxytocin leads to rhythmic contraction of muscles and ejaculation.

Elevated sexual satisfaction is associated with lower anxiety and depression levels for adolescents and young adults.

It should be noted that sex is not a cure for depression. However, a healthy sex life ensures a happy relationship.

2. Boosts your immunity

Regular sex, one to two times weekly, helps boost your immunity.

This is because regular sex improves the production of protective antibodies. Scientists have measured the IgA antibody levels in people and found that those with two or more sexual encounters per week had higher antibody levels.

IgA antibodies are the first defence against infections like colds and flu.

Adhering to other health habits and frequent sexual activity offers strong immunity. This essentially translates to more sex equals a lesser number of diseases.

3. Helps better sleep

Better sleep is one important health benefit of sex, especially for your male partner.

When you struggle to sleep at night, try to have sex because scientific evidence proves that sex before bedtime promotes sleep.

Men fall asleep soon after a play in bed. This is because when a person reaches a sexual climax, their body chemistry changes.

Several chemicals are released during ejaculation: norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin, nitric oxide, and prolactin.

Prolactin plays a vital role in feeling sexual satisfaction and sleep. Higher prolactin levels mean better sleep. Oxytocin and vasopressin also promote sleep.

All these factors suggest that sexual encounters before sleep assist in good sleep.

4. It makes you look younger

Sex is the best anti-ageing treatment that makes you look younger than your age.

A good sexual relationship reduces the symptoms of depression and improves heart health, ultimately keeping you happy and younger.

Regular sex stimulates the release of hormones such as estrogen that promote the growth and vitality of hair and skin. Estrogen also increases collagen production and gives your skin a youthful and supple appearance.

A study found that those who have sex at least three to four times a week appear super young.

5. Lowers the risk of heart diseases

A good sexual relationship is essential for a healthy heart. In addition, experts suggest that sex is a light form of exercise that strengthens heart muscles.

Sex helps balance the levels of estrogen and testosterone in the body, which are essential hormones for heart health. 

In women, estrogen increases good cholesterol (HDL), reduces bad cholesterol (LDL), prevents damage from free radicals to blood vessels and dilates blood vessels, leading to better heart health.

In men, testosterone also increases blood flow and improves vascular reactivity, leading to a better heart. Conversely, evidence shows that low testosterone increases heart disease.

According to research by the American Journal of Medicine, people who had regular sex at least twice a week are better off than those who did not.

6. Reduce the risk of cancers

Regular sex is a good friend of your prostate. Ejaculating more than 20 times a month reduces prostate cancer by about 20% more than those who ejaculate 4 to 7 % a month.

The reason for reducing cancer risk is that frequent ejaculation is clear of the cancer-causing substances from the prostate.

The Bottom Line

Sex is an integral part of life that ensures extreme pleasure and satisfaction.

A healthy sexual relationship provides many benefits, from strong bonding to mood-boosting, better heart health and many more.

However, unsafe sex is harmful. There is a risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections like HIV. Also, if no effective contraceptive is used, there is a risk of getting pregnant.