From Dr. Hüseyin Nazlıkul: Sexuality – An Important Part of Our Health and the Power of a Holistic Approach

Dear readers, dear friends,

Sexuality is without doubt one of the most exciting and natural topics in our lives. For most people, it is not just a source of pleasure — it also offers surprisingly important benefits for our health. In fact, some doctors recommend sexual activity three to four times a week, almost as if prescribing it. However, scientific studies show that the benefits of sexuality can vary from person to person, and every individual has their own specific needs. As I also emphasize in my Regulation Medicine philosophy: Nothing in health is one-size-fits-all; everything is individual, and closely tied to the body's capacity for self-regulation.

So, what are these benefits, and how does sexuality support our holistic health?

The Effects of Sexuality on Lifespan and Our Immune System

There are numerous studies examining the effects of sexuality on health. A ten-year long-term study at the University of Bristol in England, involving 1,000 male subjects aged 45-59, showed that greater sexual activity was associated with better health. However, this is not always the case; another study conducted in 2016 involving 2,204 people revealed some differences on this subject:

• Cardiovascular Health for Older Women: The study showed that as the frequency of sexual intercourse increased among older women, they developed fewer cardiovascular diseases.
• The Opposite Effect for Older Men: In older men, the opposite was observed — it was found that frequent sexual activity could lead to more cardiovascular problems. This once again demonstrates how important individual health conditions and the body's regulatory capacity are.

Sexuality and the Immune System: Another study showed that frequent sex with a partner weakened the immune system in women experiencing depression, while sexual intercourse had positive effects on the immune system in men with depression. These contradictory findings show just how deeply intertwined the effects of sexuality are with individual hormonal balance, stress level, and psychological state.

The Regulation Medicine Perspective: The most important thing these studies teach us is that the human body is a complex system. The effects of a powerful physiological and psychological experience such as sexuality depend on many factors, including overall health status, hormonal profile, and the regulation of the autonomic nervous system. There is no single "right" or "wrong"; what matters is listening to the body's own signals and living a balanced life.

Masturbation, Sexual Fantasies, and Hormonal Benefits

The Healing Power of Masturbation: Numerous studies conducted today show that masturbation can be extremely healing. In addition to stress reduction and overall health benefits, masturbation — especially with a vibrator — can provide many additional health benefits:

• Strengthening the Pelvic Floor: Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles helps relieve or ease many lower abdominal complaints, such as difficulty reaching orgasm, urinary incontinence, and susceptibility to bladder infections. (Of course, a vibrator can also be used during partnered sex.)

The Healthy Effects of Sexual Fantasies: Even sexual fantasies are beneficial for health. In other words, there is no need to necessarily act on them physically; instead, it is possible to simply close your eyes, lean back comfortably, and lose yourself in exciting daydreams. Men, however, tend to prefer keeping their eyes open — for good reason.

When a man sees a woman he finds attractive, his brain — particularly the region called the reward system — becomes activated. In other words, while looking at the woman, the man feels rewarded in a sense (regardless of the outcome). Unlike women, men cannot achieve this purely mentally.

A specialized magnetic resonance study has shown that when an attractive woman enters a man's field of vision, activity increases in the nucleus accumbens (a region in the forebrain, the "reward system"). If the man does not find the woman attractive, nothing happens in his body — at least, nothing that wouldn't also happen without a woman present.

Even chatting or flirting with an attractive woman causes a physical reaction in a man, because the man becomes less focused on the content of the conversation and has already begun drifting into sexual fantasies. A study conducted at the University of Chicago showed that, in this state, the brain produces more LH (Luteinizing Hormone).

LH stimulates testosterone production in the testes. So if a man wants to raise his testosterone level, all he needs to do is enjoy relevant images or films. A practical side effect of increased testosterone levels is accelerated fat burning. At the same time, fat cells then produce more leptin, a messenger substance that creates a feeling of fullness. In other words, sex makes you slimmer and more attractive.

Muscle Growth Without Side Effects: Testosterone is not just a fat-burner. Testosterone also plays an important role in muscle development. Sex thus offers a wonderful opportunity to support muscle growth without taking artificial hormones — and therefore without side effects. This is because sexual intercourse not only provides the hormones necessary for muscle development but also provides the necessary muscular stimulation through rhythmic movement.

Erection, Kissing, and the Duration of Sex: Holistic Benefits

The Incredible Benefits of Erection: Even the erection itself — for example, during flirting — is an incredibly healthy and desirable state. This is because every erection ultimately brings fresh blood to the corpora cavernosa. The penis becomes hard. Frequent erections continuously improve erectile capacity by exercising the penis. This is critically important for the health of circulation and tissue.

No Sex Without Kissing: Saliva and Immunity: Kissing stimulates saliva production, and good saliva production clearly has health benefits. The saliva produced during kissing is very rich in, for example, type A immunoglobulins. These are the immune system's own antibodies, which fight many pathogens, but are thought to have a particularly strong effect against cavity-causing bacteria.

Saliva also has the job of nourishing tooth enamel with minerals. For this reason, measures that stimulate saliva flow are also very beneficial for dental health. Increased saliva production continues for a long time after kissing. So kissing can lead to beautiful teeth.

Give Yourself Time: The Power of Dopamine and Endorphins: The health benefits of sexuality emerge when the activity lasts at least twenty minutes, because the production of the messenger substance dopamine is only stimulated and becomes noticeable after this period. Dopamine provides an intense and lasting stress-reducing effect, which is why sexual intercourse is, not without reason, one of the measures recommended for holistic stress management.

Endorphin release also increases with the duration of sexual activity. These are opiate-like substances that not only produce a feeling of happiness but also help you forget pain, and can have an intense effect, especially against headaches and joint pain. For this reason, it is definitely not advisable to avoid sexual intercourse at all costs when you have a headache. Because sex is clearly healthier than aspirin!

Prostate Health, Condom Use, and the Effect of Sexuality on Sleep

Benefits for Prostate Health: About 30% of a man's semen is produced in the prostate gland. When sexual climax is reached, the muscular walls of the prostate contract and semen is pumped into the urinary tract. If a man has prostatitis (prostate inflammation), every ejaculation further encourages the expulsion of infectious microbes from the lower urinary and sperm ducts. In this way, every ejaculation helps cleanse the prostate.

To prevent the expelled microbes from entering the woman's vagina, it is recommended that a condom be used if the man has a related infection.

Sex Without Condoms and Psychotropic Substances: However, if both the man and woman are healthy in every respect, and condoms are not needed or wanted for contraceptive purposes, it may be better to avoid them. Sex without a condom is healthier — especially for the woman. This is because sperm contains psychotropic substances that can increase the feeling of happiness resulting from (good!) sex in women. These substances appear to be effective when absorbed both vaginally and orally.

A Good Solution for Sleep and Sleep Disorders: After sexual intercourse, a strong tendency toward falling asleep quickly is observed, especially in men. Responsible for this is the hormone oxytocin, a natural and powerful sleep aid. In addition, the hormone prolactin, which induces sleep after orgasm, also increases in men. However, women do not always remain wide awake after orgasm either. In women, levels of estrogen, which provides deeper sleep after orgasm, rise.

Sexuality as We Age: If you think you're too old for all this, you're mistaken! Although sexual intercourse in older age generally involves very different needs and priorities than in younger years, it can still be exciting and wonderful in old age.

Supporting Sexual Function and the Role of Regulation Medicine

Dear friends, we have discussed the countless benefits of sexuality for our health. But sometimes, even when we want to take advantage of all these benefits, we may experience incompatibilities or difficulties in our sex lives or with our partner. In my Regulation Medicine philosophy, the optimal functioning of sexual function is an indicator of the body's overall regulation and balance. Disruptions in one system can affect the others.

Support for Sexual Function: For conditions such as sexual dysfunction or low libido, in addition to regular pelvic floor exercises, certain natural nutritional supplements can also be very helpful and can have a positive effect on potency and libido:

• Arginine (an amino acid): Can improve blood flow by dilating blood vessels, which supports the quality of erection.
• Maca: A plant native to the Andes, known to have effects that boost energy levels, endurance, and libido.
• Capsaicin: This compound found in red pepper can accelerate circulation and support general arousal.
• Cordyceps (a vital mushroom): This vital mushroom is also recognized as a natural substance that boosts potency and libido. Cordyceps supports libido at various levels and is effective against potency disorders. For example, Cordyceps vital mushroom can support erection by promoting blood flow to the penis. In addition, Cordyceps improves sperm quality and has positive effects on hormonal balance.

Regulation Medicine and Sexual Health: At the foundation of sexual health lies the smooth functioning of the body's blood circulation, hormonal balance, and nervous system regulation. Chronic stress, circulatory disorders, or hormonal imbalances can directly affect sexual desire and function. This is precisely where Neural Therapy and holistic Regulation Medicine come into play:

• Regulating Circulation: Neural therapy can optimize blood flow to the sexual organs by regulating the nervous system and, accordingly, vascular tone. This is a factor that directly affects the quality of erection and genital arousal in women.
• Stress Management: Chronic stress is one of the most important factors suppressing sexual desire. Neural therapy reduces stress in the autonomic nervous system, helping the body relax and focus on sexual activity. This can help overcome psychological barriers and increase libido.
• Balancing the Hormonal Axis: Neural therapy can help hormonal axes (such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis) function in a more balanced way by improving the body's overall regulation. This helps keep sexual hormones such as testosterone and estrogen at optimal levels, supporting sexual desire and function.

Remember, sexuality can be satisfying and healthy at every stage of life. The difficulties we encounter may be signals the body is sending us. It is within our power to understand these signals and, with a holistic approach through the possibilities offered by Regulation Medicine, to support our health — and, in turn, our sexual life. What matters most is always consulting a specialist and seeking solutions tailored to individual needs.

I wish you healthy and balanced days, and I am always ready to be by your side.

Dr. Hüseyin Nazlıkul