Four Health Benefits of Sex (As If You Needed an Excuse!)

Everyone enjoys sex, but is that where the benefits to your wellness end? Absolutely not! Let’s take a look at some of the scientifically proven ways in which sex is good for you:

 

1. Exercise: Sexual health expert and private GP Dr Arun Ghosh argues that sex is ‘not emphasised enough as a really good form of exercise.’ If you make it last long enough, Graham Jackson, a consultant cardiologist and president of The Sexual Advice Association, asserts that sex could form part of your overall, varied fitness programme. ‘A typical game of tennis or squash is around 40 minutes of sustained cardiovascular activity,’ he points out. ‘So to compare these to sex in fitness benefits you would need to perform your peak periods of sex for around the same amount of time.’ A vigorous 30 to 40 minutes means ‘you could get a good cardiovascular workout during sex,’ Dr Jackson adds. ‘Sexual activity is meant to compliment other more sustained forms of exercise. You can’t say, “I have sex, I won’t exercise”.’

 

2. Brain Function: Scientists at the University of Maryland found that rats’ brain function improved after long periods of sexual activity, specifically in the hippocampus area where new memories are formed. According to Dr. Ghosh, ‘A huge amount of brain stimulus occurs during intercourse. It’s why we feel so overtaken when we orgasm. When researchers do MRI scans on people in orgasm, they observe both sides of the brain being stimulated, including parts of the brain we wouldn’t normally use.’ However, as the study was done on rats, we still don’t know if the same results would be found in people. Dr Simon Ridley, of the Alzheimer’s Research Council, notes, ‘Plus, any improvements in brain power were lost once the animals’ sexual activity stopped, so we can’t assume any benefits to their brains will be long-term…There’s as yet still no compelling evidence to support the idea that regular sex can help stave off dementia or cognitive decline in humans.’

 

3. Stronger Pelvic Floor: Not only does a strong pelvic floor make sex itself more enjoyable; Andrew Hextall, a consultant who specialises in genito-urinary medicine at Spire Bushey Hospital, points out that, a stronger pelvic floor can help reduce your risk of prolapse of the womb, which affects half of women over 50, and your risk of stress incontinence, which affects one in four women over 40. Mr Hextall explains, ‘During intercourse, the muscles in a woman’s pelvic floor naturally contract and squeeze. This increases muscle tone in the area, as the pelvic floor is like any other muscle, it responds to use by getting stronger. The recommendation for exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor are to squeeze the pelvic floor only eight times at any one time. It’s likely that during sex you will be contracting your pelvic floor at least that many times, so there’s no need for prolonged sex sessions to get these benefits.’

 

4. Lower Anxiety and Depression: A study published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour discovered that young women felt more depressed the longer they hadn’t had sex. Stuart Brody, professor of psychology specialising in sexual behaviour at the University of the West of Scotland, surmises that this could be because of the vaginal absorption of hormones in semen such as prostaglandins, testosterone and luteinizing hormone, which improves women’s moods. Dr Ghosh details, ‘Routinely now, when our patients – male or female – are diagnosed with depression or anxiety we encourage them to maintain their sex lives because it’s so beneficial for mental wellbeing’.

Categories: brain function, depression, dr ghosh, exercise, floor, Health Benefits, pelvic, pelvic floor, sexual, sexual activity, sexual behaviour, stronger pelvic

How Red Wine Assists in Hearing and Brain Function

 

Researchers have recently discovered that a compound called resveratrol , which is found in red wine and also in red grapes, can help protect against hearing loss and age-related cognitive issues. The research was published by the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. This research shows that rats who were given resveratrol  were far less likely to experience any prolonged effects of noise-related hearing loss if they had taken the compound before long-term exposure to the noise. In other words, taking resveratrol seems to shield the ears from negative effects that usually occur from exposure to prolonged loud noises. This article discusses what these findings mean, their implications, and how you can protect your hearing.

 

The Research

Research indicates that the compound itself may actually reduce the risk of hearing loss. The way it does this is by reducing the bio inflammatory response to loud noises, which medical researchers believe is the reason hearing loss occurs. Bio Inflammation happens when injury occurs. When you’re exposed to loud noises, the body perceives it as an injury to your ear. Just as you will experience swelling of your skin if you get cut, your ear will do same thing if damaged by loud noise, and that inflammation can cause further damage to your hearing. Since this compound seems to reduce the inflammatory response, it can protect you from loss of hearing.

 

Implications

The compound has been proven to at least have some helpful effects. Consuming more of the compound might be helpful to overall hearing health, as well. Since studies show the compound also wards off cognitive disease, it is helpful for more than one part of your body. For those who don’t want to drink or don’t like grapes, you can actually purchase the compound in supplement form, as well. The study has several implications, two of which are the prolonged hearing of individuals who take it, and the introduction of a way to possibly prevent a significant amount of hearing damage.

 

Using Common Sense

Having the compound available is not an excuse to take the supplement and then listen to extremely loud music through your headphones. Always use precautions when you’re around loud noises. Wear ear protection if your job exposes you to loud noises, particularly if you are exposed to these sounds for a prolonged period of time. There are online sources like HealthyHearing.com that can help you find a doctor if you need to see one. Early intervention of hearing-related problems has shown to be very helpful in long-term success of treatment, so at the first sign of hearing problems, see a doctor.

 

Resveratrol is certainly a benefit for those who are seeking a way to prevent hearing loss due to exposure to loud noises. Taking the supplement, or drinking one glass of wine per evening, is good for those who want to protect  their hearing, especially those who work around loud noises or listen to music.  Having the compound available is not an excuse to be irresponsible – always protect your hearing whenever possible. Clearly, this compound will have a positive impact on many people when used as a preventative measure to protect hearing ability and overall health.

 

Kenneth Bassett is a health researcher. He frequently blogs about innovative treatments and preventatives.

Categories: brain function, compound, Hearing, hearing loss, hearing nbsp, inflammatory response, Long term, loud, loud noises, Red Wine

What Everyone Ought To Know About These Everyday Foods

Looking after you wellness and wellbeing is often a simple matter of nutrition. Unfortunately, many people do not know which foods are their friends and which are their enemies. When it comes to cognitive function, nutrition is even more important as the brain relies on getting the right balance of vitamins and minerals to work properly, and those who consume a diet made up of junk food are depriving their brain of the chance to function to its best ability. Nutritionists advise us to consume brain-healthy foods and also to avoid certain types of food that are known for limiting the activity of the brain. Not many people know about the types of foods that can kill of their intelligence, however, so we’ve made a list of them here.

 

1. Sugary foods. Sugar, as we know, is terrible in terms of making us gain weight, but it can also be responsible for declining brain function. Lots of sugar consumption can lead to neurological problems in the long-term, as well as affecting the memory. Sugar also affects your ability to learn, so children and adults alike are advised to steer clear of products that are pre-baked and contain sugar, corn syrup or high levels of fructose.


2. More well-known for the damage it can do to the liver, alcohol can also have a devastating effect on the brain. It causes something called ‘brain fog’ which results in mental confusion and a lack of ability to think clearly or remember events from the immediate or distant past. High levels of alcohol can lead to this ‘brain fog’, but fortunately, cutting down on your alcohol intake may help restore your brain function to normal.


3. Junk food is also a key culprit, as a study has revealed that these types of food can actually change the brain chemistry, leading to symptoms such as anxiety and depression. They can also be addictive and can lead to withdrawal symptoms, so are best avoided.

Categories: Brain, brain fog, brain function, Damage, Food, foods, function, high levels, junk food, Sugar, Wellness

Can What You Eat Actually Affect How Well Your Brain Ages?

According to Vegetarian activist Dr. Neal Barnard, a clinical researcher and adjunct professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine, the chance of Alzheimer’s disease affecting your wellness comes down to your diet, rather than your genes. In his new book Power Foods for the Brain, Dr Barnard advocates for a complete avoidance of animal products, and few nutritionists would argue.

Dr Barnard’s beef with beef is that animal products contain saturated fat, which ‘has been pretty strongly linked to Alzheimer’s risk,’ he says. ‘There’s no good reason to eat it.’ He explains that saturated fat raises artery-damaging cholesterol, which contributes to the formation of beta amyloid plaques. These gunk-up your brain and are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. So, that’s what you should avoid; but what should you include in your diet to prevent your brain from declining?

Firstly, make sure you have a power plate at every meal. Your power plate should be broken down into four quarters, each containing a vital food group. You should have a quarter of the plate taken up with fruits, one quarter with grains, one quarter with legumes, and one quarter with vegetables. However, it’s not just the quantity, but the colour of the foods that’s important. Make colourful combinations of foods; combine sweet potatoes with kale or oranges with apples. This will ensure that you get a variety of vitamins and other plant chemicals that you need to promote good brain health.

When it comes to the legume quarter of your plate, get creative! This is a vegan’s main source of protein, but that doesn’t mean it has to taste dull and same-y. You’ve got a range of legume options, so pick from hummus, tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils, peas and more! Also, don’t forget the nuts and seeds. These can be easily sprinkled on your salads, grains, and morning oatmeal and will give you a brain-benefiting boost of omega-3 fats and vitamin E. Finally, skip the most of the supplements, but do take a supplement of vitamin B12. This vitamin is mainly found in animal products such as beef, turkey, and pork, but as your brain needs B12 to function properly, the book recommends taking a daily supplement of the vitamin.

Categories: brain function, vegan, vitamin B12

How to Slow Down Your Brain’s Ageing

In every cell in your body is a little part known as the mitochondria, sometimes known as ‘power plants’. Interestingly, these are responsible for producing the energy that keeps you going during the day. It might sound odd, but your mitochondria work in a way similar to nuclear power, extracting the power of sunlight from plant foods using a process known as electron transfer.

As time passes, the functioning of your mitochondria decreases steadily, as the process of energy extraction causes damage, just like it would to an ageing nuclear power plant. Around 90 percent of all free radicals in your body are generated at the point at which this energy release occurs, inside the mitochondrion. As the outer membrane deteriorates, more free radicals escape and cause damage.

In people aged over 60 years, the mitochondria lose about 50 percent of their efficiency due to this damage. This uncontrolled damage can cause inflammation, and this is especially bad for your brain. The free radicals that escape from this process can also damage your DNA, which is another cause of accelerated aging.

This means that anything you can do to protect your mitochondria is going to help to slow down or even prevent the ageing process in the brain. We know there are antioxidants that work within the mitochondria, and it helps protect them from damage. One of these antioxidants is alpha lipoic acid, but it is important for us to get it in the right form. In nature lipoic acid exists in the form of R+.

The R+ isomer is a particular shaped aspect that fits in with other chemicals in your body. The S- isomer does not. Unfortunately, most commercial supplements of alpha lipoic acid contain about 50 percent R+ and 50 percent S-. The problem with this is that the S- isomer can interfere with the R+ isomer and render it ineffective.

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How to Slow Down Your Brain’s Ageing

Categories: brain ageing, brain function, mitochondria