In a recent study published in the journal Age and Aging, researchers found that, people over 50 who are more sexually active have better memory and cognitive skills. For men, frequent sex was found to improve memory, problem-solving, and attention span. For women, frequent sex was found improve memory.
The researchers collected data from nearly 6,000 men and women between the ages of 50 and 89. Sex was defined as intercourse, masturbating, heavy petting, or fondling. Participants completed two cognitive tests: The first looked at memory asked them to to recall a lost of 10 words immediately after hearing them, and again after several minutes. The second test looked at higher brain function and asked the participants to identify the missing number in a numerical sequence.
The reason that sexually-active older men experience greater improvement in overall cognition than sexually-active older women may be due to hormonal differences. So, besides a healthy diet and regular exercise, we can add frequent sex to list of brain-healthy activities to engage in as we age.
