Every day we know of some new reason to be encouraged to have sex more often . We have read in several studies that ejaculating often protects men against prostate cancer and that sexual intercourse improves self-esteem, reduces stress, strengthens defenses and the immune system, and acts as a pain reliever . Well, it seems that it could also extend life , according to a new study that shows quite encouraging results, although at the moment they have yet to be confirmed by further research. The work, carried out by a team of scientists from the University of California, has been published in the scientific journal Psychoneuroendocrinology . The explanation is in the telomeres , structures that are found at the ends of chromosomes and that play an important role in the aging of cells , since they function as a kind of clock that limits their life span.
Every time a cell divides, its telomeres shorten. As it turns out , a possible relationship has been found between the length of these telomeres and the frequency of sexual activity . As cells divide, part of the DNA of the chromosomes is lost, so these are endowed with these telomeres, which are structures that commit suicide to prevent important genetic material from being lost in the process. For this reason, they are considered a great indicator of the longevity and life expectancy of a cell; the longer they are, the more time the cell will have before it starts to deteriorate. Various processes that could contribute to lengthening telomeres were already known. For example, one of the cases, published in PLOS One in 2016, related the number of children of a series of women to the length of their telomeres. But undoubtedly recent research by scientists at the University of California is more relevant when finding a possible correlation between telomere length and sexual activity.
129 women participated in the new study, all with stable romantic partners, although there were differences among them with respect to other parameters such as age, weight or their stress levels. After taking a blood sample, the length of their telomeres was analyzed. The researchers concluded that there was a statistically significant relationship between that length and their sexual activity. Specifically, they saw that those who had sex once a week or more had longer telomeres.
Can it be concluded then that if you have a lot of sex you will be able to live longer? Unfortunately things do not seem so simple. As the study authors indicate, it would be a mistake to try to draw definitive conclusions from their research. First, because the sample is too small; and, second, because they have not yet been able to find a causal relationship that explains these results. Because causality could be the other way around. In other words, it could be that healthier women with fewer aging features are better physically and emotionally and decide to have more sex than the rest , for example. In any case, it seems clear that there is a way to investigate, as the scientists involved in the Californian study believe. And it is also a good excuse to convince couples that they should have sex more often.
In Sweden, for example, it has been taken seriously, and a councilor in the northern city of Overtornea has proposed that all Swedish citizens should take a paid one-hour break from work to have sex with their partners . “There are studies that show that sex is good for health,” says Per-Erik Muskos, the aforementioned 42-year-old mayor, after having presented the motion. This politician believes that couples did not spend enough time together in today’s society.
