10 Scientific Reasons Having Regular Orgasms Keeps You Healthy

Like eating chocolate, having an orgasm isn't just a pleasure; it's a way to improve your overall health. And like eating chocolate, there are a few guidelines to follow to reap the benefits. 

Orgasms are fairly straightforward for most men. Not so for many women, however. A significant number of women don't automatically or intuitively know how to have an orgasm. In fact, 36 percent of American women in their twenties have never had an orgasm. And after menopause, many women experience dry vagina and lack of interest in sex. 

This is where Wise Woman Ways can help. Wise Woman Ways are old wives' tales with a modern twist. Let's look at a few of the reasons we ought to have orgasms:

1. They reduce stress and counter the effects of stress hormones. The next time you feel stressed out, reach for your vibrator or beckon to your lover, and let an orgasm heal you.

2. They improve cardiovascular fitness and blood vessel flexibility, reducing the risk of stroke. The older we get, the more important orgasm becomes as a way to maintain heart health.

3. They encourage deep breathing, countering CPOS and asthma. The deep, rapid, regular breathing of sexual arousal and culmination exercises the lungs and helps tone the breathing muscles. Think of orgasm as yoga for the respiratory organs.

4. They help maintain a youthful, positive attitude toward life. An orgasm is one of life’s most delicious rewards and we're never, ever too old to enjoy it. Think of them as rejuvenation treatments and indulge often.

5. They promotes healthy skin and a bright complexion. They increase blood flow to the facial muscles and skin, which prompts tissue repair and collagen production. Three orgasms a week is better than a face lift.

6. They help prevent cancer. Men who ejaculate at least five times a week in their twenties are one-third less likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer later on, according to scientific research. If you're too old to benefit, at least share the good news with younger men.

7. They improve vaginal health. An orgasm at any age increases vaginal elasticity, improves lubrication, and helps maintain health in the vaginal epithelium (the cells lining the vaginal walls). "Atrophic vagina" won't be in your future if you have plenty of orgasms now.

8. They acidify the vagina. This provides some protection against STDs/STIs such as yeast.

9. They lighten the mood. Regular and rigorous application of orgasms can even eliminate the need for anti-anxiety and anti-depressive drugs (most of which interfere with orgasm).

10. They aid emotional equilibrium and are a staunch ally during life's grimmer and sadder moments. Wilhelm Reich, one of Freud's most celebrated pupils, believed that healthy "whole body" orgasms are necessary for true emotional health. If you're lying on your back, a whole body orgasm will ripple through the entire body in waves, causing the head and back to lift off the bed.

I prescribe seven orgasms a week for postmenopausal women ... for health reasons, of course.

Written by Susun S Weed, author of Down There: Sexual & Reproductive Health the Wise Woman Way.