Taiwanese researchers find that men who have sex frequently have lower blood levels of homocysteine. And lower homocysteine is believed to decrease the risk of developing heart disease.
The next time your significant other tries to beg off when sex seems imminent, let him or her know that sex is not just a matter of sensual pleasure but also a way to fend off the threat of heart disease, particularly in men.
This fascinating finding comes from a recent study conducted by researchers at Taiwan’s National Defense Medical Center.
Their study concluded that having sex several times a week can help to reverse the negative effects of smoking, drinking, and a sedentary lifestyle on cardiovascular health and well-being.
Frequent Sex Reduces Homocysteine
Specifically, findings from the Taiwanese study, published in the July 2017 issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, indicate that frequent sexual activity significantly reduces blood levels of homocysteine, particularly in men. Homocysteine is a sulfur-based amino acid that is commonly found in the blood. However, elevated levels of this compound have long been considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
The Taiwanese research team based its findings on a review of the health records of 2,267 men and women between the ages of 20 and 59 who had participated in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination survey from 2005 to 2006. Researchers selected survey respondents who had completed a sexual behavior questionnaire and for whom data on blood levels of homocysteine were available.
Sex at Least Twice a Week
They found that men who had sex two or more times a week had significantly lower levels of homocysteine in their blood, particularly when compared with blood levels of the chemical in men who had sex less than once a month. Researchers found that homocysteine levels in women varied far less dramatically on the basis of the frequency of sexual activity. They were, however, unable to conclusively determine a rationale for this difference in homocysteine levels between the sexes.
One hypothesis for this gender-based difference in homocysteine levels is that while robust blood flow is essential to male sexual function, it is less involved in sexual arousal among females. Among men, homocysteine levels in the blood must be reduced for the blood to flow freely and strongly into the spongy erectile tissues of the penis, thus creating an erection.
Earlier Studies on Homocysteine
The association between high homocysteine levels in the blood and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease is based on previously established findings that elevated homocysteine promotes atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries. In atherosclerosis, the inner walls of arteries become lined with fatty plaques that impede the flow of blood and can lead eventually to heart attack, stroke, and other manifestations of cardiovascular disease.
Atherosclerosis can also lead to erectile dysfunction, as diminished blood flow to the penis becomes insufficient to facilitate erection. Because the arteries supplying the penis are significantly smaller than those that supply the brain and heart with oxygen-rich blood, ED has long been considered an early-warning sign that more serious cardiovascular episodes might lie ahead.
Conversion of Methionine into Cysteine
The body converts another amino acid known as methionine into cysteine. Homocysteine is an intermediary compound of this conversion process. Essential to the successful completion of this conversion of methionine into homocysteine and finally into cysteine is a high level of key B vitamins such as B6, B12, and folic acid. It’s been suggested that deficiencies of these vitamins can lead to elevated levels of homocysteine.
In their conclusion, the Taiwanese researchers note that their study “is the first observational investigation stratified by sex to evaluate the correlation between sexual frequency and serum homocysteine levels.”
While they didn’t explore the link between frequency of sex and homocysteine levels, other recent studies also have pointed to the dangers of elevated blood levels of homocysteine. A 2015 review of the scientific literature concluded that elevated homocysteine levels increased the risk of death from heart disease by a whopping 66 percent. And a study published in 2016 found that the risk of stroke was roughly 33 percent higher in those with elevated homocysteine.
Findings of 2010 Study Cited
Although it didn’t delve into the link between sexual frequency and levels of homocysteine in the blood, another study published in 2010 did find that men who had sex at least twice a week were less likely to develop heart disease than those who had sex only once a month.
That earlier study, published in the January 15, 2010, issue of The American Journal of Cardiology, did acknowledge that a correlation between erectile dysfunction and the risk of cardiovascular disease had already been confirmed. However, it noted that its results “suggest that a low frequency of sexual activity predicts CVD [cardiovascular disease] independently of ED and that screening for sexual activity might be clinically useful.”
How to Get Help for ED
For those men who need a little help to get and keep an erection strong and long-lasting enough for sexual intercourse, Viagra, Cialis, and the other popular oral ED drugs can supply that much-needed boost.
To get those drugs, you’ll need a prescription, which you can get from your regular doctor.
With a prescription in hand, you can purchase the ED drug of your choice from your local pharmacy or order it online from one of a handful of trustworthy suppliers, such as eDrugstore.com.
If the convenience of ordering your ED drugs online appeals to you, you can fax your prescription or scan and email it to eDrugstore along with your order. If you don’t have a prescription, the website can set up an online consultation with one of its team of licensed U.S. physicians who can authorize a prescription if appropriate. To get started, click here to access eDrugstore’s Erectile Dysfunction page.
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