London - Having more sex in later life could help stave off dementia, scientists believe.
Those aged over 50 who were still active in the bedroom had sharper cognitive function, a study found. They were better able to recall lists and recognise patterns, both of which are signs of a healthy brain.
The researchers suggest this could be because during sex we experience a release of hormones such as dopamine in the brain, which are linked to feelings of reward and promote memory and learning.
The findings could provide hope for the thousands of Britons at risk of developing dementia. There are currently around 850 000 people in the UK with the disease and numbers are expected to soar to a million over the next decade. The scientists, from Coventry University, quizzed more than 6 800 people aged 50 to 89 about their sex lives and then set mental tests.
The participants were played a list of ten words and then asked to recount them straight afterwards and again after a five-minute delay. They were also given a sequence of numbers with one missing and told to complete the pattern.
Men who were sexually active scored higher by 23 percent on the word tests and three percent on the number puzzles than those who were not, while sexually active women did better by 14 percent and two percent. Better performance was still seen even when factors such as age, wealth and levels of physical activity were taken into account, the journal Age and Ageing reports.
Pauline Brown, a psychosexual counsellor, said: “Any part of the body needs to be exercised to keep in good shape and because sex triggers so many changes in the brain it will inevitably help keep it agile and capable.
“There can be physical barriers caused by ageing, but these results show just how important it is for couples to keep this part of their relationship strong.”
Dr Clare Walton, of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We know that older adults who keep their minds and bodies active have a reduced risk of dementia. As more and more people are living longer, finding ways to maintain good cognitive function into our later years is an important area of ongoing research.”
Daily Mail