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Study Finds Daily Sex Increases Nerve Growth in the Brain

C. Price

Written by: C. Price

C. Price

C. Price is part of DatingAdvice.com's content team. She writes advice articles, how-to guides, and studies — all relating to dating, relationships, love, sex, and more.

Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingAdvice articles have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Gwinnett Daily News, and The Gainesville Sun covering lifestyle topics.

Reviewed by: Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks is the Editor-in-Chief at DatingAdvice.com. When she was growing up, her family teased her for being "boy crazy," but she preferred to think of herself as a budding dating and relationship expert. As an English major at the University of Florida, Amber honed her communication skills to write clearly, knowledgeably, and passionately about a variety of subjects. Now with over 1,800 lifestyle articles to her name, Amber brings her tireless wit and relatable experiences to DatingAdvice.com. She has been quoted as a dating expert by The Washington Times, Cosmopolitan, The New York Post, Bustle, Salon, Well+Good, and AskMen.

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Can daily sex make you smarter?

That depends on how long you’ve been with your partner, according to a study coming out of the University of Pavia in Italy.

The study found daily sex increased nerve growth in the brain, which is linked to both increased memory and increased mental alertness.

Researchers also found individuals who were in new relationships where they recently fell in love with their partners experienced greater nerve growth than individuals who were in long-term monogamous relationships.

“Daily sex increased nerve

growth in the brain.”

In fact, the longer a couple remained together, the slower brain nerve growth they experienced.

Researchers said that doesn’t necessarily mean the benefits of daily sex stop being worthwhile at a certain point.

For example, researchers have previously found seniors who are sexually active are less likely to have dementia.

Even if nerve growth does diminish over the course of a lasting relationship, the many other benefits associated with regular sex (stress reduction, blood pressure reduction, increased testosterone, lowered menopausal symptoms) remain in place as a couple maintains their intimacy over the long haul.

Source: The University of Pavia via The National Post.