After a decade long study, psychologist Dr David Weeks found that older men and women who engaged in active, regular sex looked between five and seven years younger than those who have sex less often.

The boost in circulation and the release of pleasurable endorphins and DHEA – the human growth hormone which makes the skin more elastic, all play a role.

While you do build up a lot of tension during sex, experts point out that the release that comes with good sex is better at calming you down than any drug available. The orgasm allows you to let go of that tension and oxytocin is released in the brains, say sex therapists. Studies also showed that people in regular, fulfilling sexual relationships were able to handle stressful situations better.

When you have satisfying sex, your bodies are flooded with neuro-hormones which deliver high doses of feel good responses that fight off depression and anxiety.

The cardiovascular benefits of sex increases the heart rate and blood flow through the body, says Kroman, which helps keep blood pressure in check and enhances heart health. What’s more, a Scottish study revealed that committed couples who engage in regular sex tend to have lower diastolic blood pressure.

Experts say that if you’re having food sex regularly with someone you’re involved with, it improves the strength of your relationship and makes you feel better about yourself.

If you do your Kegels during sex, it not only improves the sensations and satisfaction but it also improves pelvic floor muscles, which leads to a reduction in incontinence later on.

Sex increases the movement of food along the gut – the peristalsis in your gastrointestinal system.

During sexual arousal, oestrogen is released into the bloodstream. It protects against heart disease diabetes, osteoporosis, colon cancer, Alzheimer’s and general cognitive decline. Oestrogen also makes your hair shinier and skin softer, say experts.

You tend to forget about aches and pains when you’re having sex because of the rise in endorphins which are plain-blocking hormones, say experts. A study by the Headache Clinic of Southern Illinois University in the US backs this up.

According to a US study, people who have sex once or twice a week have higher levels of the antibody immunoglobulin A that those who have sex less than once a week. You also tend to recover from illness, disease or accidents better.