{"id":9803,"date":"2015-10-28T06:38:34","date_gmt":"2015-10-28T13:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/about.zoosk.com\/en\/?p=9803"},"modified":"2021-05-31T23:43:56","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T06:43:56","slug":"regular-sex-partner-can-boost-brain-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zoosk.com\/date-mix\/relationship-advice\/healthy-relationships\/regular-sex-partner-can-boost-brain-power\/","title":{"rendered":"Regular Sex Can Make You Smarter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>We know the benefits of having a healthy sex life when it comes to our relationships. But, did you know that regular sex can also be good for our brains?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23460298\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">study by the University of Maryland<\/a>, researchers found that middle-aged rats grew more brain cells after mating and also increased brainpower with frequent sexual activity. The study also notes that older people who are sexually active are less likely to have dementia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While love biologist, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dawnmaslar.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dawn Maslar<\/a> agrees with the study, she says it depends on with whom and when you are having sex.&nbsp;Maslar says, \u201cThe study is correct in the fact that sex can help alter memory loss and disorientation associated with aging, however the study found that daily sex for 28 days has a restorative effect.\u201d In other words, you have to have a lot of sex. \u201cTwo weeks of sex followed by two weeks off, didn\u2019t,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While it\u2019s not completely clear how this happens, researchers believe that it might have to do with stress. A <a href=\"http:\/\/spr.sagepub.com\/content\/29\/1\/126.abstract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">separate study<\/a> points out that sex relieved stress for both men and women in satisfying relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stress causes damage to the hippocampus\u2014the area of the brain where long-term memories are made, says Maslar. \u201cDuring stressful times, the body releases certain hormones that have been found to suppress growth in the hippocampus, resulting in loss of function over time,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even just being close to your partner can soothe stress and anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Psychiatrist, <a href=\"http:\/\/happinesspsychiatrist.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dr. Sheenie Ambardar<\/a>, says \u201cwhen you touch, kiss and have sex with your loved one, it releases your body\u2019s natural feel-good hormones.\u201d One of which being oxytocin\u2014found to enhance the reproduction of cells in the same area of the brain impacted by stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, we all know the importance of sleep when it comes to the way our brain functions. Sex helps us sleep better,&nbsp;writes&nbsp;Ambardar in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.webmd.com\/sex-relationships\/guide\/sex-and-health?page=3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a piece<\/a> on the health benefits of sex. \u201cAfter orgasm, the hormone prolactin is released, which is responsible for the feelings of relaxation and sleepiness,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sex and intimacy also boosts your self-esteem and happiness\u2014two other important aspects of brain health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, if you\u2019re not having sex every day, are you doomed to be dumb? Not necessarily, says Maslar. There are alternatives to daily sex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe study found that exercise and exposure to new activities and novel things also leads to increased cognitive ability. It\u2019s like the old saying \u201cuse it or lose it\u201d. As long as you are staying active and using your brain, you are less likely to lose function,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As if you needed another reason to get closer. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":11927,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[894],"tags":[796],"class_list":["post-9803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-relationships","tag-healthy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Regular Sex With Your Partner Can Boost Brain Power<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Intimacy: Not just good for our bodies and our relationship, but our brains, too!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zoosk.com\/date-mix\/relationship-advice\/healthy-relationships\/regular-sex-partner-can-boost-brain-power\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Regular Sex With Your Partner Can Boost Brain Power\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Intimacy: Not just good for our bodies and our relationship, but our brains, too!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zoosk.com\/date-mix\/relationship-advice\/healthy-relationships\/regular-sex-partner-can-boost-brain-power\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Date Mix\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Zoosk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-10-28T13:38:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" 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