Why Sex Is Good for Your Health
By Glenn Mueller
eDiets Staff Writer
Go have sex and call me in the morning? While you might not get this advice from your doctor just yet, there is an increasing amount of research to support the idea that sex is good for your health. Some public health experts even say that sex is as important to your health as diet and exercise.
One member of the medical community who is spreading the word about the health benefits of sex is best-selling author and radio personality Dr. Dean Edell. The anonymity of talk radio often persuades listeners to ask Dr. Edell questions about sex that they aren't comfortable discussing with their own physicians or their spouses or partners. "As a doctor I push it, because it is important for people to relax about the subject," Dr. Edell tells eDiets.
The physician broadcaster admits that he may be more comfortable about the topic than many people because of his professional medical background. However, Dr. Edell is quick to bring up the fact that "every one of us owes our existence to a sexual act."
"Sex is the most directly accessible route to ecstasy that God has given us, and we've turned it into a menace," says Dr. Edell. "For centuries societal dogma has carried the overt and covert message that sex is bad for your body."
Not only are these assumptions incorrect, but also there is increasing evidence that the opposite may be true. According to Dr. Edell, a healthy sex life may not only be a sign of good health, but also a cause of it.
"A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association 15 years ago declared that the more orgasms a man has, the longer he is likely to live," Dr. Edell says.
Another study Dr. Edell mentions in his books was conducted by researchers at Queens University in Belfast. Nearly 1,000 men from Wales, who ranged in age from 45 to 49, were tracked for a 10-year period. The men with the lowest frequency of orgasm were found to have twice the risk of death from all causes, but especially from heart attack. The researchers concluded that the men with the greatest frequency of sex had a 50 percent reduction in mortality rates.
"That puts sex right up there with eating five servings of veggies a day and all the exercise you can handle," writes Dr. Edell.
Dr. Edell offers several possible explanations why sex is good for your health, including the energy expended during the activity, the overall effect of sex on your well-being and the inevitable reduction in stress that should accompany sex. He even says that there are reports of back pain and arthritis improving or disappearing during sex.
"If you ask me, pumping up your sex life to improve your health and lengthen your life sounds a lot more fun than eating sprouts or trudging on your treadmill," Dr. Edell writes.
However, if you think hitting the singles bars to find a different partner every night is the best way to develop a healthy sex life, you are not following this doctor’s orders. Dr. Edell offers a simple prescription to ensure great sex: monogamy.
"I believe the best sex can be had in monogamous relationships," Dr. Edell says. In fact, he feels a person with more than one partner is admitting that no one person gives them enough satisfaction to sit around and explore more deeply.
"People invest years in improving their golf swing but cannot see the logic dictating that something as intricate as sex can take two people lots of practice to explore and perfect,†Dr. Edell writes. “Casual relationships, one-night stands and short-term relationships cannot foster great sex."
As usual, Dr. Edell provides plenty of scientific research to support his opinion. Researchers from the University of Chicago documented that there is "more emotional satisfaction and physical pleasure in a monogamous relationship" than a person can find with multiple partners. According to Chicago's National Opinion Research Center, a connection also has been found between marriage and more and better sex. This study found that 41 percent of married couples have sex at least twice a week, which is almost double the rate for non-cohabiting people. In addition, 75 percent of the married women surveyed claimed they "always or usually" achieved orgasm during sex, compared with 62 percent of the single women.
“Sex is really a family issue,†Dr. Edell says. “Couples who enjoy great sex together are more likely to stay together. It is as simple as that.â€
In his latest book, Dr. Edell describes sex as the perfect antidote for stress, depression and the complexities of modern life. “But we don't quite know the best way to communicate the fact that great sex -- the real thing, not the poor substitute seen in the movies -- is found within the context of a committed, loving relationship,†Dr. Edell writes.
Dr. Edell says the biggest reasons for this problem are the stresses of modern life and the distorted way sex is portrayed in our culture. “All we do is use sex to sell products,†Dr. Edell says. “We think we’re sexy, but we’re not.â€
Dr. Edell says the blatant use of sexual images in our media does not indicate openness, and he points to the fact that these images often are used to promote products or events that have nothing to do with sex. According to Dr. Edell, the act of sex -- which should be the greatest ongoing celebration of a primary relationship -- has been twisted into nothing more than a sales and marketing tool. Meanwhile, he complains that an open discussion of sensuality is still repressed in our culture.
One survey revealed that 90 percent of physicians agreed that many serious medical problems could be averted if patients were only more willing to talk about sex and other sensitive topics. “On my radio show, I am constantly reminded how ashamed and embarrassed many people still are about sex,†Dr. Edell says.
“Women don't want to get mammograms. Guys are embarrassed to have their prostate examined. We have a real problem here, and I refuse to stop talking about it.â€
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