Research: regular sex can prevent senility in the elderly

Sexual intercourse is not only useful for maintaining the warmth of romance. If done regularly and continuously, sex is also believed to prevent senility once you reach old age. This was found in a study published in The Journals of Gerontology in 2017.

Sexual activity with a partner does have a positive effect on the body, as found in several previous studies. This is because during sex, your body undergoes a series of processes that have a good impact on heart health, blood circulation, the immune system, and of course the brain.

Researchers say about routine sex and a reduced risk of dementia

This good news was conveyed by several researchers from Coventry University and Oxford University, England. They have previously been analyzing the benefits of sexual activity and finding a link to cognitive function in the elderly.

Cognitive function is a series of mental processes that involve the ability to think, learn and remember. This function also enables you to focus your attention, solve problems, make decisions, and the like.

This study was conducted on 73 elderly aged 50-83 years who did not have a history of senility, memory problems, or brain injury. They were asked to fill out lifestyle and health questionnaires as well as tests of cognitive function. Cognitive function is measured by reference to a score Adenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III (ACE-III).

ACE-III is a short test that tests five cognitive functions, namely the ability to focus attention, memory, language, vocabulary, and understand shapes.

Overall, respondents who were sexually active had higher ACE-III scores than those who were inactive. A higher score indicates the potential for regular sex as a way to prevent senility.

In this study, there are two cognitive functions that have increased dramatically, namely the ability to think fluently (fluency) as well as visuospatial. Both are important elements in the cognitive function of the elderly and need to be maintained so that the elderly avoid senility.

Elderly who can think fluently will be able to understand information more easily. They know what to do with various things around them and can carry out daily activities independently.

Meanwhile, the visuospatial function allows the elderly to recognize, imagine, and calculate the distance of objects in their vicinity. With this ability, the elderly will not easily get lost or confused even though they are in a familiar area.

According to this study, the ability to think fluently and visuospatial increases with increasing frequency of sex. Both increased when respondents who were not active at all began to have sex regularly once a month, then once a week.

How can regular sex prevent senility?

There are many theories explaining why sex can have such a big impact on the health of older people. For one thing, sex increases the production of a chemical in the brain called dopamine.

When produced in large quantities, dopamine can cause feelings of happiness that make you want to do something on an ongoing basis. In this case, the joy that comes with having sex makes you want to do it again.

However, the function of dopamine doesn't stop there. This compound also boosts motivation, memory, and the ability to focus attention. The effect of dopamine after routine sex will gradually improve cognitive function so that it has the potential to prevent senility in the elderly.

This finding is still relatively new. The study sample used is also relatively small, so it needs to be studied further. However, this is proof that sexual relations are not only beneficial for the longevity of the relationship, but also for long-term health.

Tips to improve the quality of sexual relations for the elderly

Sexual relations in the elderly are not the same as when you were in your 20s. You may take a long time to reach orgasm, not be able to get an erection quickly, easily become emotional, or have other problems.

However, old age is not an obstacle to preventing senility through routine sex. Even though it requires extra effort, there are a few tips you can try to increase sexual satisfaction, such as:

Chat with your partner to share your wishes or concerns with each other.
Consult a doctor about health problems that interfere with sex.
Trying a comfortable sex position according to your condition and your partner.
Try new things and don't just get hung up on penetrating sex.
Adapting to a new routine, such as having sex in the morning when you feel refreshed and energized.
Consult a sex therapist.

Who would have thought, a simple activity like having sex has great benefits for physical and mental health. Regular sex can even improve cognitive function and help prevent senility.

Declining body condition is indeed an obstacle for the elderly to enjoy this one intimate activity. However, with a few adjustments, sexual intercourse in the elderly can still feel comfortable and thrilling.