In previous e-mails, we told you about the benefits of sex, which include burning calories, reducing stress, improving sleep, increasing intimacy, and improving your mood. Well, you can now add boosting brain power to that list too, according to latest research findings.
Researchers of the study published in The Journals of Gerontology found that regular sexual activity among seniors could help boost brain power. People who took part in more frequent sexual sessions had improved mental ability, verbal fluency, greater ability to visually perceive objects, and better judgment regarding spaces between objects.
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The study was a continuation of previous research that was released last year that found that those who were sexually active scored higher on cognitive brain tests.
Another previous study found that employees who engaged in more sex had higher workplace morale and a greater sense of engagement along with job satisfaction. This is because the hormones released during sex—oxytocin and dopamine—may influence performance and perception. Furthermore, these hormones linger in the blood for up to 24 hours after being released.
Frequent sex-linked to higher brain power
For the current study, the researcher’s aim was to explore the frequency of sex and mental capacity. The study participants were aged 50 to 83 years.
The researchers explored how frequently the participants were engaging in sexual activity over the course of a year.
The categories included not at all, monthly, or more than once a week. The researchers also looked at other factors including lifestyle habits, age, gender, education, cardiovascular, and general health.
The participants then endured a series of cognitive tests known as “Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-III (ACE-III) cognitive assessment,” which measures brain function.
Those who had sex more than once a week had the highest scores on the tests compared to those who did not engage in sexual activity at all. Areas of improvement resulting from sex more than once a week included verbal fluency, visual performance, and spatial orientation. There was no change in attention span, vocabulary, or memory.
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Additional research is required to better understand the underlying biological mechanisms that could contribute to the improvements in cognitive ability that relate to sexual frequency.
In the meantime, it is clearly a good idea to boost your libido and your sexual frequency, as your brain will reap the benefits.
Related: Frequent sex in seniors found to promote cognitive ability
