fp wrote:
> a serious question: is there a relationship between the amount of sex one
> gets and one's immune response?
Of course there is. Any activity that gives pleasure, such as attending a
theatrical comedy, increases the TH1 cytokine agonists such as TNF-alpha or
IL-2. These in turn increase the cell-mediated immune system. IMHO, such
stress-relieving factors are promoted by the monoamine dopamine.
Historically, this concept goes back millennia. Norman Cousins described it,
before the onset of psychoneuroimmunology in his book, "Anatomy of an
Illness."
Dopamine is considered the "reward neurotransmitter." When we drink water,
eat food, or have sex, dopamine rises.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=768057&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b
Dopamine also increases the cell-mediated immune
system.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=6714473&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b
Therefore, any pleasurable activity increases the cell-mediated immune
system, although perhaps transiently. Sexual orgasm included.
I hope that you will be in touch if you find that this opens an avenue of
interest. Take a look at www.phen4.com for further analysis.
--
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<font color="#0000FF">Pietr Hitzig, M.D.</font> <br>
<font color="#FF0000"><b>4863 Bella Pacific Row, Suite 147<br>
</font></b>San Diego, California, 92109-8511<br>
<a href="http://www.phen4.com/" eudora="autourl">www.phen4.com</a><br>
PietrHitzig at PHEN4.COM<br>
619.274.5910<br>
<br>
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