14 Unexpected Benefits of Sex

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During sex, "feel-good" hormones oxytocin and endorphin are released, says psychology professor James Coan, Ph.D. Having sex helps build trust and connection between partners because they come to associate one another with these positive feelings.

Daily intercourse led to increased cell growth in the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for regulating stress, according to a study conducted at Yale. More sex also means lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body, which means more peace of mind, and a calmer, less frenzied you.

Turns out there's truth to the old adage, "If you don't use it, you lose it." A study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that men who had sex more than once a week were less likely to experience erectile dysfunction as they aged. If that's not motivation to bump uglies more often, we don't know what is.

A psychologist at the University at Albany-SUNY discovered that consuming semen helps prevent morning sickness in pregnant women. Researcher Gordon Gallup asserted that morning sickness is a reaction to a foreign substance, among other things, and that regular consumption of semen will build the body's tolerance, therefore diminishing the effects of morning sickness.

Men who have more orgasms reduce their risk of prostate cancer by a third, according to researchers at the National Cancer Institute. A possible explanation for this is that ejaculation may expels the carcinogens that accumulate in the prostate. Masturbation also reaps the same benefits (albeit in a less exciting way).

Sex increases dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a hormone secreted by the adrenal gland which is said to give the skin a more youthful appearance. Expensive mosturizers, be damned.

Dr. Amy Wechsler contends that "Sex burns about as many calories as the same amount of time spent weight training or walking." Get physical rather than sleeping or watching television—it's what your body wants. All of it.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it's not just the (sometimes) strenuous physical activity that helps you sleep so soundly. Post sex a chemical called oxytocin is released, which helps promote a restful sleep, according to Dr. Laura Berman. Next time she shakes her fist at you for passing out rather than cuddling, tell her it's not lack of love, but science that inspires you to snooze.

It takes a level of confidence to have sex, but sex can also return the favor. According to research from the University of Texas, having sex often can help boost self-confidence and develop a more better positive attitude about yourself.

Though a fast heartbeat is one of the signs of a heart attack, a faster heartbeat during sex may actually lower the risk of a heart attack. According to Dr. Andrew Scheinfeld, having sex at least twice a week reduces stress and blood pressure, cutting the chances of heart diseases in almost half.

According to research from the University of Calgary, the surge of the hormone prolactin that occurs after sex helps to develop new nerve cells in the brain that are responsible for creating more cells in your olfactory bulb. Meaning, more sex could lead to a heightened sense of smell.

Studies have shown that the risk of certain types of cancer can be reduced by increasing sexual activity. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, men who ejaculate at least 12 times a month are less likely to develop prostate cancer.

According to a study done at Wilkes University, people who have sex two times a week are likely to have a higher amount of antibody immunoglobin, the main defense against colds and the flu.

According to a study from the University of Munster in Germany, sexual activity can lead to "partial or complete relief" from migraines. They attribute this to the release of endorphins during sex, which act as natural painkillers.