Can a Healthy Heart Help Create a Healthy Relationship (or is it the other way around)?

Your heart swells, sings, skips a beat, races, goes pitter patter… oh yes, that feeling of effervescent love and its physical effects on the body. You better believe that for the entire month of February you’re going to be hearing a lot about matters of the heart, how it feels to fall in love, and what to do to stay in love. But what about the health of the heart and it's effects on your ability to express that love?

Studies have shown that happy relationships can improve heart health. More than a healthy heart, the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction has found a link between healthy people and frequency in sexual activity. But the question that has yet to be proven is this: is it thathealthy people are more sexually activity, or does sexual activity improve health? Regardless of the final statistical outcome, what we do know is this- healthy and regular sexual activity helps your health, and therefore the potential longevity and health of your relationship by:

-Boosting Cardiovascular Healthby getting the heart beating, lowering blood pressure, and, this may be a shocker, Dutch scientists found that ingesting (yes, swallowing) semen lowers the risk of preeclampsia (high blood pressure) in pregnant women.

-Minimizes Stress, both emotionally and physically; in fact, according to the Kinsey Institute, semen is like a shot of zinc, calcium, potassium, fructose, proteins, translation: vitality!

-Relieves Pain, thanks to the oxytocin and endorphins released during orgasm.

-Decrease Prostate Cancer risk for men who regularly ejaculate.

-Healing Cuts and Wounds another effect of the oxytocin said to help heal wounds faster, helping to regenerate skin cells.