The Link Between Good Sex, Good Health, and Longevity

Blue zones centenarians are spry, fit, and live with energy and vitality into their golden years. In the blue zones region of Ikaria, more than 80 percent of people between ages 65 and 100 are having sex. (No enhancement drugs needed.) Sounds like fun, but sex is also a verified longevity enhancer. A study published in the British Journal of Medicine tracked 1,000 45- to 59-year-old Welsh men for ten years. The researchers found that men who experienced frequent orgasms had half the coronary heart disease mortality risk as their less orgasmic counterparts. And a longitudinal study of 1,500 Americans found that for middle-aged married women, frequency of orgasm was moderately protective against mortality risk as well. The lesson: An undistracted bedroom can make a difference.

Eat Healthy, Have Sex

While nurturing relationships is important for a healthy sex life, what you eat plays an important role in your overall sexual health as well. Blue zones centenarians ate a predominantly plant-based diet for most of their lives. This is probably one of the reasons blue zones centenarians were able to enjoy good sex lives, even in their later years. 

Erectile dysfunction is an early indicator of poor vascular function, blood flow, and heart disease. The same clogged arteries that cause ED eventually also slow blood flow to the heart and the brain. The Massachusetts Male Aging Study found a direct connection between diet and ED. Men who ate plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and who avoided red meat and highly processed foods were less likely to experience erectile dysfunction.

As Dr. Dean Ornish says, it’s the same diet and lifestyle changes that improve heart health, sexual health, and Alzheimer’s risk, type 2 diabetes, and most other chronic diseases. What’s good for your heart is good for your brain and all the rest of your body.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Blue Zones (@bluezones)