Sex is an important part of people’s lives. It provides benefits for the overall well-being of a human including physical and emotional benefits. People need sex because of these benefits and for different reasons such as pleasure, exercise, stress reliever, love, commitment, curiosity, to improve self-esteem, and to make a baby. Everyone feels the urge to engage in sexual activity because of our sex drives, also called libido. Sexual health refers not only to the sexual engagement of the person but also the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being as defined by the World Health Organization, but does weight affect sexual health? Is weight loss necessary?
THE BENEFITS OF SEX TO AN INDIVIDUAL
Celibacy and abstinence are practiced by some people and is said to have negative side effects such as an impact on self-esteem, sexual frustration, and loss of affection. Sex has benefits in the physical, emotional, psychological, social, and intellectual aspects of life. Safe sex is an important practice of course, especially if pregnancy is not in your plans when engaging in sexual intercourse. Condoms can prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV which can lead to AIDS, HPV, gonorrhea, etc. Here is the list of the benefits of sex to an individual.
Oxytocin
During sex, the brain release oxytocin which can help you connect better to your partner and develop future relationships. Oxytocin is often referred to as the “love hormone” because it enhances trust, empathy, fidelity, communication, and gazing in a relationship. This love hormone also plays a role in reproduction and in males, it helps move sperm. Its impact on social behaviors is related to trust, relaxation, and overall psychological stability. It enhances the communication of a couple during an argument and makes them understand better.
Makes you smarter
Researchers show that regularly having sex grows more neurons and produces more brain cells in the hippocampus. Frequent sex also prevents a person from stress hormones called corticosterone which is responsible for stress. We all know that stress makes you indecisive and destroys your concentration. Engaging in sex often also boosts your memory and enhances analytic thinking. Orgasms also help the brain become sharper which can help solve problems and puzzles easier. It can also help in maintaining cognitive help.
Better mental health
Sex can be a stress reliever and can also prevent anxiety. Stress can cause mild to serious implications and can even cause the malfunction of the immune system, headaches, fatigue, and muscle tension. Stress and anxiety can also lead to depression. Regularly engaging in sexual activities can also improve your self-esteem and enhances intimacy with your partner. Sleep is important for mental health and after an orgasm, the body releases the hormone prolactin which influences sleep, which is why people, especially men feel tired after sexual intercourse. Sleep after sex feels good too because there is also a release of oxytocin.
Physical and health benefits
The immune system is strengthened by frequent sex as studies showed by comparing sexually active people to people who aren’t. Sex influences the body’s ability to produce more antibodies such as IgA that protect people from germs, bacteria, and other illnesses which of course, needs to be associated with a healthy lifestyle such as a healthy diet, regular exercise, and enough sleep. Having sex can also relieve migraines and headaches. Regular sexual intercourse can also benefit men by lessening their risk of prostate cancer. Sex also boosts libido and lowers blood pressure, but of course, sex is not an alternative for blood-pressure medications and treatments. Having sex is also an exercise and can lose weight because it burns calories, but it is also not an alternative for working out. It also lowers the risk for a heart attack because sex helps keep the levels of hormones at a normal amount. A low hormone level can result to heart diseases and other health conditions. Sexual stimulation and orgasm can also lessen pain because it can release hormones that can block pain signals. Lastly, sex can make you look younger and live longer.
DOES WEIGHT AFFECT YOUR SEXUAL HEALTH?
Weight does play a role in sexual dysfunctions, sex drive, and sex performance. Being underweight or overweight can create problems such as hormonal imbalance, erectile dysfunction, etc. It does not necessarily mean you need weight loss, but for some, being overweight is a hindrance to having good and enjoyable sex. Weight can lower both energy and motivation. Being overweight also increases the risk for erectile dysfunction because obesity lowers the testosterone level which is a sex hormone. Sex is also less enjoyable. The positions you can do are only limited because other sex positions may be challenging and hard to perform. Obesity can also affect your sex drive and make you less excited about sex. High cholesterol also creates a buildup of plaque in the blood vessels which makes arousal, orgasm, and erection harder to achieve. Obesity also reduces the penis size and although weight loss won’t make your penis increase in size, it increases its visibility because it won’t be hidden under a pad of skin anymore. Weight loss can increase your energy for sex and improve your self-esteem. It can also provide you a better and positive love life.
CONCLUSION
Weight indeed plays a role in sexual health and weight loss is significant for obese people who want to have a better sex life. Weight loss does not only promote a better sex life but also makes the person’s physical strength and health improve by preventing it from possible health conditions especially diseases that are related to cholesterol. Losing a little weight of at least 10 pounds is already enough for the stimulation of sexual hormones. It is better to keep going and replace unhealthy foods such as junk foods with nutritious ones such as fruits and vegetables.
