Sex does a body good in a number of ways, according to Joy Davidson, a New York psychologist and sex therapist, and other experts. The benefits aren’t just anecdotal or hearsay, it is all backed by scientific scrutiny.

What are the health benefits of sex?

1. A big health benefit of sex is lower blood pressure and overall stress reduction. According to the researchers from Scotland, they studied on 24 women and 22 men who kept records of their sexual activity. The result of the research is stated that their blood pressure response to stress.  Those who had intercourse had better responses to stress than those who engaged in other sexual behaviors or abstained.

2. Good sexual health may mean better physical health. Having sex once of twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections. Studies shows that frequent sex, once or twice a week, had higher levels of IgA than those who had sex less than once a week, or having it very often, three or more times weekly.

3. According to Patti Britton, a Los Angeles PhD sexologist and president of the American Association of Sexuality Educators and therapists, sex is great mode of exercise. 30 minutes of sex burn 85 calories or more. It may not sound like much, but it adds up: 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound.

4. Scientists from England found frequency of sex was not associated with stroke. The researchers also found that having sex twice or more a week reduced the risk of fatal heart attack by half for the men, compared with those who had sex less than once a month.

5. One of the reasons people say they have sex is to feel good about themselves. Great sex begins with self-esteem, and it raises it; if the sex is loving, connected, and what you want, it raises your self-esteem, stated Gina Ogden, a PhD sex therapist and marriage and family therapist in Cambridge.

6. Having sex and orgasms increases levels of the hormone oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, which helps us bond and build trust. The more contact, the higher the oxytocin levles.  Oxytocin allows us to feel the urge to nurture and to bond, according to Patti Britton. Higher oxytocin has also been linked with a feeling of generosity. So, if you are feeling suddenly more generous towards your partner than usual, credit the love hormone.

7. As the hormone oxytocin surges, endorphine increase, and pain declines.  so if your headache, arthritis pain, or PMS symptoms seem to improve after sex, you can thank those hiher oxytocin levels.

8. Frequent ejaculations, especially in 20-something men, may reduce the risk of prostate cancer later in life. Researchers reported in the British Journal of Urology International, they found that no association of prostate cancer with the number of sexual partners as the men reached their 30s, 40s, and 50s. They also found men who had five or more ejaculations weekly while in their 20s reduced their risk of getting prostate cancer later by a third.

9. For women, doing a few pelvic floor muscle exercises known as Kegels during sex offers a couple of benefits.  You will enjot more pleasure, and you’ll also strengthen the area and help to minimize the risk of incontinence later in life.

10. The oxytocin released during orgasm also promotes sleep. And getting enough sleep has been linked with a host of other good things, such as maintaining a healthy weight and blood pressure.