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Sex Could Improve Your Memory When You’re Older, According to a New Study — Further Proof That It’s Great for the Brain

  • June 04, 2018

A new study shows that sex can improve your short-term memory, adding to earlier research suggesting that it also improves cognitive function, Business Insider reports. The data was compiled from studying the diets and other health components of more than 6,000 individuals who also took a memory test and answered questions about how much sex they had. The correlation between sex, kissing and other emotional closeness and memory applied only to short-term memory, researchers said.

It seems like we are constantly learning that the “science” of sex is far more complex than we can even imagine. Beyond the emotional benefits, science shows that there are many surprising benefits to sex, such as improved immunity, better heart health and blood pressure, pain and stress relief and even improved sleep. The “secret” to all this is the hormones that are released during the act of sex. For example, the “love hormone" oxytocin, released during orgasm, also promotes sleep, which may be especially beneficial if you prefer to be intimate right before bedtime.

When it comes to sleep, by the way, it’s a two-way street: If you don’t get enough good quality sleep, your sex life may suffer, as studies show that those who get less than five hours of sleep per night may also end up with a reduced sex drive and decreased sexual satisfaction.

That said, hugging is good for you too — as is other intimate contact like kissing. Like sex, hugging increases levels of oxytocin which, in turn, may have beneficial effects on your heart health and more. The common denominator here is, whether you’re in the act of sex, hugging or kissing, the release of chemicals and hormones in your body has whole-body protective effects, both physically and mentally, from infection control to cognitive function, including memory.