The 5 surprising health benefits of having an orgasm – from weight loss to pain relief

SEX makes us feel great and there's nothing that some time between the sheets can't fix.

While having an orgasm can put a spring in our step there are also other surprising health benefits that hitting the big "O" can bring.

National Orgasm Day is this Sunday and recent research found that men orgasm 66 per cent of the time when having sex, with women orgasming just 43 per cent.

Sexual wellness brand LELO surveyed 4,003 heterosexual Brits to discuss their orgasms in detail and found that a lack of sex education is creating an orgasm gap.

But researchers suggest that orgasms don't just have to be used for pleasure and state that they can also help with pain relief and weight loss.

Sexpert Kate Taylor says there are a range of health benefits that orgasms can provide.

1. Pain killing

Endorphins released during orgasm have natural pain-relieving qualities.

In fact, the effect is so powerful that even just thinking about sex might increase your tolerance to pain.

Dr Sherry Ross has also previously said that sex before your period could help with cramps.

"Orgasms are helpful in reducing any pain you may be experiencing, such as menstrual cramps, headaches, and joint pain", she added.

2. Weight loss

An orgasm only burns two or three calories – but they all add up.

If you fancy getting jiggy to get less jiggly, choose positions where you are the most active.

Top PT and nutrition adviser Harry Thomas has also made the link between sex and shifting the pounds.

"Sex, especially good sex burns calories.

"If you increase your activity throughout the day this will help shed some more pounds", Harry added.

3. Intelligence

Sex can actually make you more intelligent – at least temporarily.

Research has found that having regular sex generates more cells in the hippocampus region of the brain, the area that handles memory and information retention, actually increasing your IQ by a few points.

The effect only lasts while you are having regular sex, though.

However, previous studies have also found that the more intelligent you are the less sex you have.

4. Immune system

The more frequently you orgasm, the stronger your body’s ability to fight off infection.

In 2004, scientists discovered that people who had sex three or more times a week had 30 per cent higher levels of immunoglobin-A (a disease-fighting antibody) than those who only managed two sessions or fewer.

During the coronavirus lockdown doctors urged people to masturbate more as it "boosts the immune system and helps stave off coughs and colds".

Dr Jennifer Landam, a specialist in hormone therapy,  suggested that masturbation might be exactly what you need to strengthen your body's natural defence forces.

5. Lifespan

Those few blissful seconds of orgasm might even add years to your life.

A study asked middle-aged men how often they orgasmed every week, then followed up with them ten years later.

The men who had climaxed two or more times per week were found to have a 50 per cent lower mortality risk than their less-frisky cohorts.

Another study also found that women who have regular sex live longer.

U.S. researchers quizzed 129 women aged between 20 and 50 about their love lives.

They then carried out blood tests to determine their long-term health prospects.

Experts found women who had regular sex had significantly longer telomeres – boosting their overall life expectancy.

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, said: “This is an important finding.

“It provides new evidence that sexual intimacy within long-term relationships has health-enhancing benefits.’’

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