You
and your spouse have worked tirelessly all week. But balancing work and
family could take a toll on family life. Naturally, couples look
forward to that ‘together time’ in the bedroom during the weekends.
However, experts say some lifestyle
choices such as excessive consumption of alcohol, overeating, use of
recreational drugs and indiscriminate herbal medications can get in the
way of that performance.
A research published by The Journal of Sexual Medicine reveals
that bad lifestyle choices have been associated with male sexual
dysfunction. Though sexual libido is expected to decrease with age,
doctors warn that unlike before, younger men and women are experiencing
less desire for intimacy due to some social habits.
Danish researchers, after surveying more
than 5,500 adult men and women, found that unhealthy habits increase
their chance of not having sex by up to 78 per cent in men and 91 per
cent in women.
Denmark Professor, Morten Frisch, of
Statens Serum Institut, concludes that bad lifestyle choices such as,
tobacco smoking, high alcohol consumption and the use of hard drugs are
associated with sexual dysfunction, particularly in men.
He said, “Hopefully, our findings can be
used in future counselling of patients with unhealthy lifestyles.
Knowing about possible negative consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle
to one’s sexual health may help people quit smoking, consume less
alcohol, exercise more and lose weight,” Frisch says.
It is common knowledge that there are
recreational drugs, like Viagra or herbal medications, that are sold to
improve sexual performance. The herbal drugs are commonplace in Nigeria
and are even shared at social gatherings as take-aways.
Again, the airwaves are filled with
advertisements of these herbal preparations that are mostly targeted at
men. Ironically, the regulatory agency — the National Agency for Food
and Drugs Administration and Control — warns that though some of them
carry NAFDAC registration numbers, claims promoting them as aphrodisiacs
have yet to be confirmed.
Worse still, doctors have warned that
indiscriminate consumption of all these things could dampen libidos and
also lead to some serious medical problems.
A consultant gynaecologist, Dr. Olusola
Akinniyi, explains that recreational drugs increase pulmonary actions
abnormally and cause heart attacks or sudden death in some cases.
Akinniyi says, “We have been saying that
these drugs are very dangerous; we see the consequences every day.
Viagra, for example, improves the activities of the heart abnormally and
could lead to heart attack. That is what happens when a man suddenly
tumbles and dies after having passionate sex with a woman. But when that
happens, especially, when the woman is not his wife, Yorubas mistakenly
call it “magun.”
On how important a good sexual health is
to healthy living, another gynaecologist, Dr. Olarenwaju Ekunjimi, says
the act of love-making is just not for pleasure or satisfaction, as good
sexual relationship between couples does not only improve bonding, it
has also been proved to protect the heart, boost the body’s immunity
against diseases, reduce stress and increase longevity.
He explains that some hormones released
during love-making, such as oxytocin, endorphins and antibody
immunoglobulin reduce aches, pains, stress levels and the chances of
developing diseases like cold and fever.
Ekunjimi says, “Sex is a form of exercise
that improves the condition of the heart. You lose calories and shed fat
that could be injurious to the heart. It is a recreation that reduces
stress. Its benefits are endless — from keeping families together,
reducing divorce, to preventing heart diseases.”
Other benefits of sex, according to the
experts, include increased blood circulation, good sleep, body fitness
and increased levels of oestrogen and testosterone — hormones that help
protect women against heart diseases.
Is your sex drive isn’t what it used to
be? If the answer is ‘Yes’, here are some natural libido boosters,
according to Dr. Catherine Hood, which may put the spark back into the
family:
Eat the right things
If your body becomes frail due to bad
health, sex invariably suffers. Five to nine fruits and vegetables a day
can provide the cornerstone to your health. The vitamins and
antioxidants will help maintain good blood flow to the sex organs and
prevent certain chronic diseases.
Lose weight
Being overweight can affect not only your
self-esteem and your feelings of sexuality, but you’re also likely to
suffer from blood vessel diseases, which can reduce essential blood flow
to the genitals.
Keep fit
Moderate regular exercise will help
improve blood flow to the sexual organs. In addition, exercise helps you
feel good about yourself. Anything that improves self-esteem will
improve libido.
Stop smoking
It’s well known that smoking can have a
terrible effect on blood flow to the sexual organs, as it causes the
blood vessels to narrow. It also saps your stamina. So, kiss the ashtray
goodbye.
Drink in moderation
One alcoholic drink can lubricate a
nervous situation. By reducing anxiety and stress one drink can help get
you in the mood for sex. But beware, alcohol is a depressant; too much
booze and you can end up with quite the opposite problem.
Punch.
0 comments:
Post a Comment