Or, Why I’m so Smart!

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Spoiler Alert! Sex makes us smarter!

Are you over 50? Have you made serious attempts to improve your working memory? Do you clench your teeth over tough crossword puzzles, zen out over those digital brain games? Are you the woman who took boring piano lessons at the age of 55 because you suspected that the creative side of your brain may have shriveled up into a hardened little ball during your child-rearing days?

Hey, I just found out what I wanted to believe anyway!

SEX MAKES US SMARTER!

The way it works is – well, you know the way it works!

But the official explanation goes like this: The Atlantic reports that having sex can increase the production of new neurons in the brain, particularly where long-term memories are stashed; the hippocampus. This may be to make sure you remember the experience well and try it again, for biological reasons.

A win-win situation

All in all, though, it sounds like a win-win situation!

The University of Maryland jumped on it. They observed middle-aged rats and found that if they performed often in the hay or nest, they showed improved cognitive function.

They invited some mice to join the party, too, and discovered that sexual activity buffered the brain shrinkage caused by chronic stress. Frankly, I don’t like the sound of chronic stress in laboratory mice, but then, a lot of us party to combat stress!

What about pornography?

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Pornography has become a plague for some of you, interfering with your lives and ruining relationships, for starters. Did viewing porn make the partner you ditched smarter?

The Journal of Sex Research tested the working memory of 28 healthy individuals when they were asked to keep track of neutral, negative, positive, or pornographic stimuli. “Results revealed worse working memory performance in the pornographic picture condition,” concluded Matthias Brand, head of the cognitive psychology department at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.

Pornography remolds the brain to a more juvenile state

Neuroscience News states: It’s somewhat paradoxical that adult entertainment may revert our brain wiring to a more juvenile state. The much greater irony is that while porn promises to satisfy and provide sexual gratification, it delivers the opposite.”

In the long run, pornography did not enhance brain power, but seemed to create dysfunction with partners, like lack of orgasm or even impotence!

Is sex beneficial to older women?

Some of you would rather knit a sweater than engage in sexual activity. I get it, but getting started is the first step. Engaging may change your mind.

Studies claim that sexual activity is very important to older women’s health. One of these benefits is lower blood pressure, as well as lowering stress and raising immune system performance.  

I found that menopause at the ripe age of 42 caused a complete stall for sexual activity. When the gas tank is empty, the car stays in the garage. So it is with low hormonal activity in post-menopausal women. I found that bioidentical hormonal replacement restored my former desires. Bioidentical hormones are not for everyone, but, in my case, I developed more muscle mass and bone mass, and lost much of the mental vaguery I blamed on menopause.

Very important news: low sex steroid levels have been suggested as a risk factor for dementia!

Orgasm gives your brain a boost!

Studies find that older men and women who engage in regular sexual activity have better cognitive functioning than those who would rather watch TV or engage in sex infrequently. Of course, the people surveyed were healty enough to engage in sexual activity; but these findings show that increased social, physical, and mental engagement of any kind in later life stimulate and protect our brains.

Most importantly, sex makes us smarter!

Pub Med Central says: “Sexual activity is associated with higher scores on tests of memory and executive function in adults aged 50-89”.

Eighty-nine! I’m impressed!

They further state: “There was a significant association between sexual activity and recall scores in women, even after full adjustments. These results show an additional benefit of sexual activity, on memory function specifically, in women.”

A little wisdom goes a long way, here. A healthy body will inspire sexual activity. That means – here we go again! Healthy eating habits and consistent exercise. A healthy-looking body and positive outlook in life probably strongly increase your chances of getting lucky.

I’m all in!

#sex andolderwomen #sexandsmarter#orgasmbrainbooster#longevityandsex

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