7 Shocking Ways Having Sex Benefits Men

Feel like he's always thinking about sex? Well, according to research, he probably is about 19 times a day. But maybe there's a good reason for it: His life could depend on it.

Orgasms can work wonders for your health, from easing your menstrual cramps to lowering your risk of diabetes, but what about your guy? We're counting down the ways having sex with him makes him healthier! 

Make sure he thanks you for keeping him in tip-top shape.

1. Sex Makes His Heart Strong
You already make his heart go pitter-patter when you walk into the room, but turns out, you're protecting his heart in other ways too. According to research from Queens University in Belfast, men who have sex three or more times a week cut their heart attack and stroke risk in half. Could this be the trick to keeping the doctor away?

2. Sex Improves His Mood
Sexy time keeps your guy in good spirits. Well, duh. But, in addition to relieving his stress from work, and improving his self-esteem, sex can actually fend off depression by releasing those feel-good endorphins. If he's still bummed about the Yankees' loss, I think you know the solution.

3. Sex Ensures A Good Night's Sleep
Getting enough shuteye is essential to your health, affecting everything from your mood to your weight. One way to ensure he gets enough zzz's? You guessed it, a roll in the hay. Oxytocin, the "love hormone" released during orgasm, is a natural sleep aid, especially for men — which may also explain why he passes out afterward. 

4. Sex Decreases His Prostate Cancer Risk
Having sex regularly may protect your guy from getting cancer later in life. A National Cancer Institute survey found that guys who averaged 21 ejaculations a month had a 33% lower risk of prostate cancer than those with just four to seven ejaculations a month.

5. Sex Eliminates Pain
For you, the big O can relieve those awful menstrual cramps, but it's also a natural painkiller for your guy. In one study, 48 people inhaled oxytocin vapor and then had their fingers pricked. The oxytocin cut their pain threshold by more than half. Headaches, back pain, you name it — the hormone does wonders.

6. Sex Keeps Him Fit
Trying to whip him into shape? Look no further than the bedroom. In addition to strengthening his stomach, back and pelvic floor, a 30-minute romp torches about 200 calories. If we're talking a more intense, hour-long session for a 190-lb man, that burns about 413 calories. Talk about a total body workout.

7. Sex Helps Him Live Longer
Research has shown having regular sex makes you look more youthful — possibly even 10 years younger — but it turns out, it's more than just an illusion. Sex can actually slow the aging process. A study from the British Medical Journal found that men who had the highest frequency of orgasms had a death rate 50% lower than those who did not ejaculate frequently. Goodbye, wrinkles.