During cold season, it turns out that sex (not laughter) is the best medicine! Here’s how sex can help fight off those cold germs while making you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.
While October is roasting like chestnuts on an open fire, the cool breezes of fall and winds of winter are just around the corner. It’s hard to believe it when I’m jogging at 10 at night in shorts in the north but it’s true. I hate to think about it. Colder weather is coming.
And with that cooler air often comes more congested chests and colds. Not always, but sometimes.
So, wash your hands often, right? Yes. But how about having more sex?
Apparently, that can do the trick. Having sex can help protect you against coming down with a cold- unless, of course, your partner is up to here with snotty sniffles.
(Admittedly, that’s not very romantic, so chances are, if they are, you’re not smoochin’. At least for the moment. But anyhow…)
Here’s how sex can ward off a cold. A study published in Fertility and Sterility found that when women have frequent intercourse, a bunch of changes go on in her body. Her system thinks she’s trying to get pregnant if she’s connecting with her partner often and to help her out, her immune system gets a boost.
The study found that when women have frequent sex, Type 1 T-cell counts surge in the time period before ovulation. Type 1 T-cells help to protect the body against contracting illnesses.
It’s believed that a woman’s body produces more of these before she ovulates if she’s having sex often, in order to increase the chances of fighting off any pending infections and successfully becoming pregnant.
Not that having a cold prevents you from conceiving, but a healthy body is more likely to conceive than one with a lowered immune system, researchers believe.
In men, frequent sex lowers stress levels, which helps to keep the immune system running on all cylinders and up for the challenge.
So there you have it. Getting’ your groove on can actually help you stay healthy. And happy.
Other non-traditional ways of boosting your immune system include laughing, singing, taking probiotics and meditating.
Of course, washing your hands often (as stated) and avoiding touching your eyes and face will also reduce your chances of coming down with something.
Experts say we touch our face about 3.6 times each and every hour, and so breaking the cycle could be a difficult thing to do, but it’s possible.
If you’re super-serious about it, try these easy tips.
And there’s always the flu shot. The medical kingdom says it’s unable to predict exactly what the flu season will be like before it hits each year, but it can be worth the gamble.
(Actually, it’s not a gamble as there’s really nothing to lose. The CDC reports that last winter, the flu shot was successful at combating about 50% of the circulating influenza illnesses, which is better than none.)
Jump in bed, have sex, get some amazing sleep and drink a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice while you make an appointment in your head (or phone, or watch, or what-have-you,) to drop into CVS and get your shot.
Happy flu-season!
Photo Credit: Dmytro Sheremeta/Shutterstock