Female and feeling smarter after sex? There’s a reason for that.
A study out of Canada has shown that heterosexual women who have sex often are better at recalling abstract words than those who engage in less sex.
(The study didn’t look at sex and memory outcomes for people of other sexual orientations).
A team at McGill University in Quebec, Canada found that nervous tissue in the part of the brain that controls our emotions, memories and nervous system, grew when the women in the study engaged in frequent sex.
It could be simply that sex is a form of exercise and so it boosts memory, or that it can help people raise their mood and alleviate stress, and this is how it enhances memory. Researchers say they aren’t sure.
But the findings are curious. They sit in stark contrast to the fact that some people lose their minds when they have sex. It’s called getting “transient global amnesia” and for some people it’s a reality.
“Transient global amnesia” is a form of memory loss that’s temporary, and happens after strenuous activity.
Doctors aren’t sure exactly why it happens, but it can lead victims to rush to the hospital in distress, wondering if they’re having a stroke or suffering from some other permanent condition.
The strange thing is that it tends to happen to people only once in their lifetime. Medical experts say they think it could have something to do with patients’ necks and how the increase in pressure put on the body in strenuous exercise affects blood flow.
The moral of the story: have softer sex more often? It’s hard to say. If you find you’re losing your mind, maybe.
