Boost Your Brain Power by Having More Orgasms

Can It Possibly Be True That Orgasms Make Us Smarter?

Orgasms. They mean so many things to so many people. Some pursue them. Some can’t avoid them. Some feel guilty, ashamed, and unpleasantly vulnerable when they have them. For decades, if not centuries, they’ve been slurred, declared sinful, denied, condemned, deemed unnatural for women, and sometimes even led to time in sanitariums. For women. But all the sad history aside, there may be an association between orgasms and intelligence.

There’s certainly a link between orgasms and less painful menstrual cycles, lower stress, improved bladder control, and better sleep. Orgasms release endorphins and oxytocin, which are relaxing. Orgasms also stimulate more than 30 major brain systems, including the area responsible for memory, known as the limbic system. Likewise, the prefrontal cortex, which specializes in problem-solving. Neurochemicals activate the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, amygdala, hippocampus, and vagus nerve.

@dailysynapse Brain activity during orgasm  

Orgasms soothe and relax by temporarily letting the thinking and logic parts of the brain rest. A 2010 Rutgers study found that the brain increases activity as well as blood flow during an orgasm. This may not seem important, but it means more oxygen and that means increased brain functioning. Although there is still little research on how orgasms affect mental functioning, The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that the more sex adults over the age of 50 engage in, the better their cognitive function.

Research on a link between orgasms among elders and mental acuity is still minimal but a study published in Oxford Journals Age and Ageing with participants aged 50-89 had some interesting findings. Male study subjects experienced a significant improvement in number sequencing and recall after sex. Women did not have the same benefit in number sequencing after sex, but their recall improved considerably.

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Now, this doesn’t mean that having an orgasm is going to make anyone a genius. But it seems to mean that all those neurochemicals at least improve cognitive performance in the short term. In addition to having a surge in mathematical and logic abilities, orgasms help ward off depression due to increased levels of the hormone DHEA and estrogen. Like that’s not enough, orgasms make hair shinier, skin glow due to increased collagen, and eyes sparkle. Further, sex boosts the immune system.

Alas, there is this thing that The NY Times calls the orgasm gap. According to a study that appeared in Sexual Medicine 82-percent of men experienced orgasms during their last casual sexual encounter. Only 32-percent of women reported the same thing. Part of this is because men and women have different ideas of what pleasure and satisfaction feel like, which means that the idea of what an orgasm is can differ. Aliyah Moore is a certified sex therapist with a PhD in gender and sexuality studies who believes that part of the reason for this is that “The majority of women require direct clitoral stimulation to achieve orgasm. Men prioritize penile-vaginal intercourse over focusing on clitoral stimulation.”

Lesbians and bisexual women report more orgasms than heterosexual women. Part of this may be due to a lack of pressure for queer women to perform and live up to the expectation of their male partners. They also know the territory intimately and are more comfortable introducing sex toys. Psychologist, neuroscientist, and New Jersey Rutgerts University professor Barry Komisaruk, PhD found that menstruating women who have intercourse are less likely to be diagnosed with endometriosis than those who avoid intimate contact. This may be because orgasms help regulate hormones, which regulate mood and contribute to overall health.

@drsonjia What are the health benefits of having more 0rgasms, more often? There are so many! Let’s talk about this.

Those who don’t have a partner can improve their chances of being accepted into Mensa by masturbating frequently. In addition to a wide variety of sex toys to choose from and the chance to sample their sensations, masturbation is associated with improved body image and self-confidence. There is a caveat, of course. European American women in a study of 96 female patients of a mid-southern US city family planning clinic revealed that they masturbated more often and felt better about their bodies afterwards than Black women. For Black women, there was no association between body image and masturbation.

Factors like age, level of loneliness, depression, physical activity, quality of life, education, wealth, and overall health affect the ability to achieve orgasm. While an orgasm is not necessary to enjoy sex, they certain are a lovely reward when they happen, whether self-administered, with the help of someone dear, or out of nowhere with a friendly stranger.