Health24.com | This is how having sex actually makes your brain smarter

Okay, so there are tons of reasons why you should have sex right now.

But here’s one you might not have thought of: Having frequent sex might boost your brain, researchers from Coventry University in the UK suggest.

In the study, researchers asked 73 older adults how often they had sex, and then had them perform tasks that tested their brain function – including things like attention, memory, fluency, language and visuospatial abilities.

They discovered that people who had sex at least weekly scored higher on tests of cognitive function – and, more specifically, on tests that measured verbal fluency and visuospatial ability – than those who had sex less frequently.

So, for example, they were able to name more animals and more words that started with the letter “F”, in 60 seconds, and were better able to copy a complex drawing from memory.

One possible reason? The more sex you have, the more dopamine your brain produces, the researchers believe.

That’s important, since the neurotransmitter has been linked to a bunch of important brain functions, like better working memory and executive function.

It’s also possible that more sex means more social, physical and mental engagement, which has also been shown to protect neurons in your brain as you age.

Since the study was done on older adults, it’s not exactly clear how having sex affects your brain now.

But it does suggest that staying active underneath the sheets can give you a mental boost as you grow older.

This article was originally published on www.mh.co.za

Image credit: iStock

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Health24.com | The 10 worst things that could happen to your penis

Invaginated. That’s the technical term doctors use to describe your penis being turned inside-out… er, outside-in. And yes, it could happen to you.

Also known as “trapped penis”, invagination is usually the result of some kind of forceful impact on your rod.

Basically, your penis is smashed straight back into your body with so much force that it becomes “trapped” in the fatty, subcutaneous tissue located between your pelvis and pecker, explains Hsin-Kai Wang, MD, of Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan.

Read more: 6 things every man should know about his penis

According to photos from Dr Wang’s recent case study of a motorcycle accident victim, this condition resembles an empty sheath of skin not unlike the end of an elephant’s trunk.

(A friendly warning: do not Google “invaginated penis”.)

The good news is that this sort of accident is very uncommon, Dr Wang says. Also, it’s largely reversible through “manual extraction” and surgery.

“There was no direct injury to the penis during the incident,” Dr Wang said of his very lucky report subject. This guy was able to have sex and urinate normally after his penis was “extracted” – which is a lot more than we can say for most of the unfortunate men on this list.

Here are nine more member-related maladies that will give you nightmares forever.

1. Saxophone penis

The result of a blocked lymph node or a bacterial infection related to chlamydia, this rare condition leaves the penis swollen and twisted, according to a case study from India. Also known as “ram’s horn” penis, drugs can help with the swelling and twisting, and normal urination is achievable – if you turn sideways. But sex may be impossible, the authors say.

2. Crossed wires

Shoddy bowel surgery or prostate cancer treatment can, in very rare cases, lead to a “fistula” – a tissue tear that connects your urinary canal to your rectum. Telltale signs of this condition are urine dripping from your butt and, yes, faeces making its way into your pee channel and bladder.

It’s fully reversible, but the recovery is long and difficult, according to materials published by the urology department at the University of Utah.

Read more: 6 penis problems and solutions 

3. Something fishy

If the piranhas, caimans and stingrays aren’t enough to keep you from taking a dip in the Amazon River, maybe this’ll do the trick: The candiru, or “toothpick fish”, has been known to dart into the penis openings of swimming men.

Confusing your urethra for a fish’s breathing gill, this freshwater catfish – once inserted – opens a network of umbrella-like spines, allowing it to feast on your blood. Extraction is as painful as you’d imagine.

4. Buried alive

If part of your penis shaft is accidentally cut away along with foreskin during a botched circumcision, your penis can grow attached to your scrotum as it heals.

The result is a shaft “buried”, or stuck, in the layer of fat located around your genitalia. Fortunately, it’s fully correctable through surgery, shows research from Eastern Virginia Medical School.

5. Trouble with the curve

A plaque buildup in your penis causes Peyronie’s disease – a dramatic curve in your Johnson that makes erections painful and sex difficult. Even more frightening: Between 65 000 and 120 000 middle-aged men are diagnosed with the disease each year in the United States.

Drugs or surgery may help. But a full recovery isn’t guaranteed, says Culley C Carson III, MD, of the University of North Carolina.

Read more: 8 ways to protect your erection

6. Broken penis

While there are no bones in your boner, you can “break” your penis’ corpus cavernosa – cylindrical tubes that fill with blood when you have an erection, according to doctors from Ohio State University OSU).

If these tubes are bent while you’re hard – usually the result of vigorous sex – they can rupture and cause blood to fill your penis, leading to swelling and permanent deformity or loss of sexual function if not surgically treated immediately, the OSU doctors say.

7. Doggone it

After drinking too much, most guys have misplaced keys or a wallet – or spent R1 000 on shots for buddies. But one Dominican Republic man woke up from a bender to find his penis missing.

Neighbours of the 64-year-old informed him a dog had attacked him while he was drunk and chewed off his member.

8. A permanent gesture

After having his girlfriend’s initials tattooed on his shaft, an Iranian man enjoyed a three-month erection followed by a permanent state of semi-rigidness.

The cause: abnormally high blood flow resulting from the tattoo artist’s needle going a little too deep. Since he could still have sex, the guy decided he’d just live with it. Think of it as a radical cure for whiskey-dick.

Read more: Does your penis smell

9. Rough day at work

A Florida man filed suit against a staffing agency after his penis and testicles were shorn away by an “industrial peeler”.

Designed to lop uneven edges off carpet rolls, the peeler claimed the man’s package after he was assigned to operate the machine without adequate training – or so his lawsuit claims.

This article was originally published on www.mh.co.za

Image credit: iStock

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Health24.com | Sex, love and bicycles

1. A leaner body

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, overweight people are at increased risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and more – any of which can ruin your sex life.

Another tidbit to spur along male slackers: Abdominal fat can add up around the base of the penis, making it appear smaller.

You can “lose” 2.54cm of penis for every extra 15kg you carry.

Read more: How to manage diabetes while riding

2. Stress relief

It’s difficult to remain amorous when job and family pressures hang over the bed like a black cloud. But throw a leg over the saddle and you throw stress out the window.

“Aerobic exercise, such as cycling, is considered one of the healthiest ways to relieve stress,” says Scott Saifer, exercise physiologist and CEO of Wenzel Coaching.

Read more: 5 max heart rate training myths, busted

3. Improved stamina

A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health showed that men over 50 who kept physically active were 30% less likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction than men who were inactive.

In fact, according to the researchers, the most physically active men seemed to have the sexual ability of men two to five years younger.

Read more: Sweat rate linked to body mass, not gender

4. Increased arousal

A University of Texas at Austin researcher found that vigorous exercise – specifically cycling – helped increase sexual arousal in women, both subjectively (the women reported being more aroused from an X-rated movie after a brief ride than they were without the ride) and objectively (blood flow to the genitals was significantly increased).

5. Higher sex drive

Testosterone is directly related to sex drive in both men and women, making us want to have sex, pursue sex, initiate sex and perhaps dominate the lovemaking.

A study at Britain’s University of Newcastle upon Tyne found that older men who exercise regularly produce more growth hormone and testosterone than those who lead an inactive life.

Regular exercise can boost testosterone levels in women, as well – proof that regular rides will make you want to ride regularly.

Read more: 7 signs you’re riding too hard – and what to do about it

6. More frequent sex

Riding on a regular basis increases the frequency of coupling. In an Archives of Sexual Behavior study, 78 sedentary but healthy men (average age 48 years) participated in a moderate aerobic exercise programme – mainly cycling and jogging – three to four days a week for nine months.

At the end of the study, the men reported a significant increase in their sexual arousal, activity, function and satisfaction. One inspiring example: Their frequency of intercourse went up by 30%.

This article was originally published on www.bicycling.co.za

Image credit: iStock 

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The Best Teas for Sleep, Anxiety, Bloating, Cramps, and More

 

Got a bloated belly? There's a tea for that. And also one for the jitters, insomnia, even crippling period cramps. It turns out that herbal brews can help remedy more than a few common health complaints. Read on to find the right sip to ease your discomfort.

 

 

For bloat

Fennel tea is a hero to the digestive tract: It contains a compound that relaxes gastrointestinal spasms, allowing gas to pass and relieving bloat, according to Health's nutrition editor, Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD.

Try: Pukka Three Fennel ($8; amazon.com)

Photo: Amazon.com

RELATED: Best and Worst Foods for Bloating

 

 

For a pesky cough

Marshmallow tea, made from the leaves and roots of this medicinal herb, has been used for hundreds of years to quiet coughs and sooth irritated throats.

Try: Celebration Herbals Marshmallow Leaf and Root tea ($11; amazon.com; )

Photo: Amazon.com

 

 

For nerves

Chamomile tea may help calm your jitters before a stressful event. Certain compounds in the herb bind to the same receptors in the brain as drugs like Valium. A study done at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center found that people who suffered from generalized anxiety disorder experienced significant relief from symptoms after taking chamomile supplements for eight weeks, compared to folks who took a placebo.

Try: Yogi Comforting Chamomile tea ($18 for 6 boxes;amazon.com)

Photo: Amazon.com

 

 

For trouble sleeping

Lavender tea may be just want you need to nod off. Research shows that just the scent of lavender has slumber-induce properties: It has been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate.

Try: Buddha Teas Lavender Tea ($8; amazon.com)

Photo: Amazon.com

RELATED: Best and Worst Foods for Sleep

 

 

For menstrual cramps

Ginger tea was found to be just as effective in treating painful period cramps as Ibuprofen in a 2009 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 

Try: Traditional Medicinals Organic Ginger tea ($21 for 6 boxes; amazon.com)

Photo: Amazon.com

 

 

For stomach pains

Peppermint tea calms the muscles of the GI system, aiding digestive processes. But if your pain is the result of acid reflux, best to skip peppermint tea. It also has a relaxing effect on the lower esophageal sphincter, which may allow more stomach acid to slip back into the esophagus.

Try: Yogi Purely Peppermint tea ($23 for 6 boxes; amazon.com)

Photo: Amazon.com

 

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Women ‘deserve apology’ over vaginal mesh implants

Hundreds of women say the vaginal implants left them in pain and unable to walk, work or have sex.

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Health24.com | Too little of this vitamin could harm young hearts

Getting teens to eat what’s good for them can be an uphill battle, and bypassing foods like leafy green veggies may take a toll on their heart health, new research suggests.

Teens who ate the least vitamin K-rich foods – such as spinach, cabbage, iceberg lettuce and olive oil – had triple the risk for enlargement of the heart’s left pumping chamber compared to their greens-eating peers, according to the study.

According to Health24, the adequate intake (AI) for vitamin K is 120 micrograms per day for male adults and 90 micrograms per day for female adults.

Importance of vitamin K

Changes in the heart’s left pumping chamber are usually seen in adults with chronic high blood pressure. Hearts that become bigger are less efficient and less effective, said the study authors from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.

“Those who consumed less [vitamin K] had more risk,” Dr Norman Pollock, the study’s corresponding author, said in a university news release.

For the study, researchers asked 766 healthy teens, aged 14 to 18, to wear activity monitors for seven days and to record what they ate. Most participants tracked their diet for at least six days. The teens also underwent an echocardiography test to examine their left ventricle.

Only 25% of the study participants had even adequate intake of vitamin K, the researchers found. And overall, about 10% of the teens had some level of enlargement in their left heart ventricle.

Study findings

The findings were published on 2 October in The Journal of Nutrition. The study’s co-first author, Mary Ellen Fain, a second-year student at the medical college, said, “Even at that age, it seemed to make a difference in their hearts.”

The findings held even after considering other possible contributing factors, such as gender, race, physical activity and blood pressure, Fain said.

However, the study doesn’t establish a direct causal relationship. The researchers said more studies are needed to assess the association between vitamin K intake and long-term heart health.

How to get more vitamin K

Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting and bone health. This nutrient may also improve activity of a protein, known as matrix Gla protein, which helps prevent calcium deposits from forming within blood vessels.

The following foods are good sources of vitamin K:

  • Milk, 250ml, 1 cup – 10 micrograms
  • Eggs – 1 whole – 25 micrograms
  • Pork, 100g – 88 micrograms
  • Beef, 100g – 104 micrograms
  • Soybean oil, 1 Tablespoon – 76 micrograms
  • Asparagus, raw, 4 spears – 23 micrograms
  • Broccoli, ½ cup – 63 micrograms
  • Cabbage, raw, ½ cup – 52 micrograms
  • Lettuce, 1 leaf – 22 micrograms
  • Spinach, ½ cup – 131 micrograms 
  • Chickpeas, 30g – 74 micrograms
  • Strawberries, 1 cup – 21 micrograms
  • Green tea, dry 30g – 199 micrograms

Image credit: iStock

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