DUBAI: A study published in the journal, Archives of Sexual Behaviour, has shown that men who are over 50 years old and having less sex increase their risks of “serious illness,” including cancer, while 64 percent it is for women albeit not so serious, British newspapers, Daily Mail and The Sun reported.
The study was led by senior author, Dr. Lee Smith from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), who, according to the ARU website, “researches ways in which we can increase levels of physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior across the lifespan and within special populations.”
Citing the study, the report said men who become less interested in sex are 63 percent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and 41 percent more likely to develop a long-standing illness.
The study said a decline in sexual activity could actually be a warning sign. Fatigue, for instance, can be a red flag for an affliction; impotence, vascular problems that put men at risk of heart disease.
Meantime, Smith said that like all other physical activities, sex burn calories.
“It is important to remember that sex is a form of physical activity, albeit often performed at a moderate intensity, which burns around 3.6 calories a minute. All exercise comes with health benefits and sex is no different,” the report quoted him as saying.
More to the point, experts said middle-aged people can lose up to 85 calories following a “night of passion,” which by itself also releases endorphins which are believed to boost the body’s immune system.
The study looked at people in England aged 50 upwards – all participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, according to the report.
