Holistic healing

Sex and age are linked: here’s why

Jayney Goddard on why sex makes you look and feel younger

In the month of love I thought it might be a good idea to talk about the many ways in which love and sex both make us look younger than our chronological years – and actually adjust our biology so that we become measurably physically younger too.

Researcher Dr David Weekes and his team at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital undertook a fascinating study which showed that people with an active sex life look anywhere between five to seven years younger than their chronological age – and this is without making any other lifestyle adjustments at all. Just imagine – if other changes are made to the way we live our lives, we can reap huge benefits overall, which have the cumulative effect of enabling us to appear 10, 15 or even 20 years younger than our chronological age.

Being in a warm, loving relationship is incredibly beneficial to your overall wellbeing, and has proven anti-ageing effects, but what if you are single? Can you still benefit from the biological age-reversal wonders of orgasms? The answer is a resounding “Yes!” So, whether you are in a relationship or flying solo, the frequency of orgasms seems to be the most important factor in health enhancement, and thus, age reversal.

How do sex and orgasms help to improve health?

Hormonal regulation: Research shows that women who have sex at least once a week are far more likely to have regular periods than women who are celibate or infrequently have sex – or orgasms.

Detoxification and protection: The body movement we experience during sex provides an outstanding lymphatic drainage massage. Lymph, and lymph movement, is essential to our health. It is your body’s waste disposal fluid and it also transports white blood cells to sites of infection or injury if we have them. However, unlike blood vessels, lymph channels have no pumping mechanism, and lymph is shifted around our body though through movement. If you are not having sex with a partner and not moving around a lot, you still get the benefit of lymph movement (to a lesser extent, granted), because of the muscular contractions your body does if you are masturbating to orgasm.

Improve brain function: When you orgasm, your body produces a surge of the hormone DHEA. This improves brain function, regulates other hormones, promotes healthy skin and repairs tissues.

Reduce stress: Orgasms induce deep relaxation by causing the release of the feelgood hormones, the endorphins. Furthermore, orgasms help to flush the pro-inflammatory hormone, cortisol, out of your body. This is incredibly important as when we are chronically stressed, cortisol – which is a helpful hormone ordinarily – becomes over-produced and puts us into a state of chronic inflammation. And this excess of cortisol is the issue that underlies all the diseases we associate with ageing – many cancers, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. (As you’ll know from my previous columns, all these conditions can largely be prevented, halted and even reversed using healthy lifestyle approaches – including orgasms!)

Immune enhancement: Regular sex boosts our infection-fighting ability by up to 20 percent. This means that frequent orgasms protect you from colds, flu and other opportunistic infections. Interestingly, there is no conventional medical approach that can boast such a high rate of immune enhancement. Yet another feather in the cap of lifestyle health approaches!

Pain relief: Sexual activity is associated with the improvement of cluster headaches and migraines – and the relief of a variety of other pain conditions.

Motivation and passion: Orgasms increase the production of the bonding hormone oxytocin, which is also linked to motivation, passion, nurturing, success and intuition. All of these qualities are extremely healthy and ensure that we nurture others – and ourselves – and help us to form supportive relationships. Again, good relationships are one of the cornerstones of healthy ageing – and a good, active social life can add around nine healthy years to your life.

How to have the best orgasms…

All this talk of orgasms is well and good, but what about those women who do not have orgasms? There is a huge amount of research into anorgasmia nowadays – thank goodness! The jury is out as to why some women do not experience them and, having read all the research, I believe that a multi-factorial approach is needed for women who would like to. Here are my top tips for orgasmic bliss:

Nutrition: First and foremost, look at potential physical factors which might potentially be impediments to orgasm. Switching to a healthy diet is essential. This should be a plant-based, wholefood diet with plenty of vegetables because this is the most anti-inflammatory way of eating – and furthermore, it is an excellent way of ensuring that cholesterol levels are brought down to normal levels – thus assisting blood flow to the clitoris, nipples and other sensitive areas, including the G-spot.

Reduce or ideally eliminate alcohol. It really interferes with the hormones and neurotransmitters that are involved in optimal sexual response. Add in circulation-enhancing spices including cayenne, garlic, chili, turmeric and the herb gingko biloba.

Exercise: Moderate exercise is helpful on a regular basis – 30-minute walks daily are ideal. If you are able, try adding in high intensity interval training (HIIT) as this improves production of the human growth hormone, which helps to reverse biological ageing in many ways. Also add in resistance training by lifting weights – personally, I’m opting for isometric training which uses your own bodyweight to exercise. I feel that it is more natural and reduces your risk of injury. All of these approaches will improve blood flow, mood and confidence (all necessary for a good sex life).

Mindfulness: Learn mindfulness – it will help you to stay present. This is especially important during sex as, if your mind wanders, you can easily lose concentration and this can really compromise your sexual response. Try doing yoga, tai chi or qigong – all of which will give you the double-whammy of mindfulness and physical activity.

Experiment and fantasise: We are all unique – what gets us going is such an individual thing. So, let your freak-flag fly and get fantasising. Often we may imagine some pretty taboo scenarios – and this can inhibit some women’s sexual response. It is incredibly important to realise that this is absolutely normal. Get online and google ‘common sexual fantasies’ to reassure yourself that what you are thinking about is, in all likelihood, really normal and lots of other women are all fantasising about the same scenarios.

Jayney is a world-leading anti-ageing guru. See more of Jayney’s anti-ageing tips at JayneyGoddard.org

Article by

Jayney Goddard

President of the Complementary Medical Association

is the president of the Complementary Medical Association

Discover more

Article by

Jayney Goddard

President of the Complementary Medical Association

is the president of the Complementary Medical Association

Discover more