Regular sex helps to protect DNA, increases life expectancy

Scientists have uncovered evidence that frequent sexual activity boosts life expectancy by protecting DNA.

Researchers in the US focused on telomeres - protective caps on DNA - which predict biological age, and shorten with time until they are so small cells die.

Women in the study recorded information about their sexual activity ad researchers collected information on their relationship satisfaction.

Blood tests measured the length of each participants telomeres, which were up to 30 per cent longer in women who had sex during the study.

"This is an important finding," Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, said. "It provides new evidence that sexual intimacy within long-term relationships has health-enhancing benefits."

"The comparison was between women who had sexual intimacy in the previous week and those who had not," Researcher Dr Aric Prather, of the University of California, San Francisco, said.

"It is possible the greater the frequency of sexual intimacy, the stronger the effect, and we plan to investigate that at a later date.

"Telomere length is linked to longevity, and if our results hold up in future studies, it may be that regular sexual intimacy can lead to a longer life.

"We don't know whether the same finding would be seen in men. It may apply to men - there is no obvious reason why it should not."

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