#110: 🧠 What Sex Does to the Brain

How Intimacy Impacts Our Minds and Bodies

Hey Friends….

What health and science questions do you have that you want answered before the end of the year?

I’m planning an upcoming Q&A event and would love to hear your questions.

Drop them in the comments, or reply to this email.

---

🗣️  Looking for the Nina’s Notes Podcast?

It’s available on: 🟢 Spotify, 🟣 Apple Podcasts, 🟠 Substack Podcasts

On the Nina’s Notes Podcast I interview entrepreneurs who are building products based on the science that I write about in the Nina’s Notes Newsletter.

You’ll also find voice overs of all the weekly Nina’s Notes.

---

💬 In this note:

• 🧠 What Sex Does to the Brain

• 🎥 Uglies

• ⚡️ The Blue LED

---

🧠 What Sex Does to the Brain

Source: Photo by Cyrus Crossan on Unsplash

Let’s talk about sex, baby….

Sex can impact the way our body functions. 

It can affect how well our heart functions.

Sex is an effective way of burning calories.

It can have an effect on how much we eat.

And, our appetite is reduced in the afterglow of sex.

For both men and women, sexual stimulation and satisfaction have been demonstrated to increase the activity of brain networks related to pain and emotional states.

Sex also increases activity in our brain’s reward system.

Male Stimulation & Orgasm

In 2005, researchers at the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands took a close look at what happens in a man’s brain during sexual stimulation.

They used PET scans (positron emission tomography scans) to watch the blood flow in the brain while female partners stimulated their male partners.

What did they see?

Blood flow to the posterior insula and the secondary somatosensory cortex in the right side of the brain went up. 

And, blood flow to the right amygdala went down.

Why does that matter? 

The insula processes emotions, like pain and warmth. The somatosensory cortex is thought to play an important role in encoding sensations of pain as well.

The amygdala is a brain region that controls emotions too. It regulates them and keeps them in check. Dysregulation of activity in the amygdala has been tied to the development of anxiety disorders.

An older study from the same university, looked at which brain regions were activated at the climax - the time of ejaculation.

They found that blood flow to the cerebellum, a part of the brain also tied to emotions, surged.

This rush of blood flow leads to a pleasure rush.

A rush to the same reward system that lights up from anything that brings us joy.

The Female Orgasm Effects on the Brain

A 2017 study from scientists at Rutgers University wanted to see what happens in a woman’s brain during orgasm.

They watched the brain activity of ten women as they reached orgasm, either through self-stimulation or with help from a partner.

What did they find happened in the women’s brains?

Some of the same parts of the brain as men lit up, like the insula and the cerebellum.

Others like the prefrontal cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex and the cingulate gyrus all showed increases in blood flow as well.

All of these areas handle emotions, pain, body processing and even decision making.

And…it gets more interesting.

Another study covered on Medical News Today found that orgasm creates a kind of trance in the brain, similar to the feeling we get from dancing or listening to music.

Adam Safron, the study author, says that few things can put the brain into this deep, rhythm-driven state like an orgasm. 

Music, dance—they’re powerful, but sexual pleasure? It might just take the lead.

Sex on Mood and Hormonal Activity

Sex can lift our mood and bring on a sense of calm, both mentally and physically. 

Afterward, we may feel less stressed, thanks to a hormone called oxytocin, which is released from the hypothalamus.

What does oxytocin do?

 It helps us relax, countering the effects of cortisol—the stress hormone. 

Oxytocin can even ease pain.

In 2013, researchers found that endorphins released during sex can relieve the pain associated with cluster headaches.

Endorphins are like natural painkillers, giving us relief and pleasure at the same time.

Then there is also a dopamine release.

Dopamine is the “feel-good” hormone, giving us a rush after something exciting.

It makes us want to repeat behaviors that made us feel great.

Sex is one of the strongest generators of dopamine reward. 

But dopamine doesn’t care whether the behavior is good or bad, it just loves the thrill.

Can Sex Make Us Feel Sad?

Unfortunately, yes.

A 2010 study asked 222 female university students about their feelings after sex. 

About 33% said they had felt down afterward. 

This condition is known as “postcoital dysphoria” and its causes remain largely unknown.

Researchers think it could be linked to past traumatic experiences. 

But here’s the strange part: the sadness only shows up after sex, and people often can’t explain why they feel this way. 

It’s a fleeting, unexplainable melancholy, lingering just after intimacy.

Sex May Improve Sleep

Studies suggest that sex can improve our sleep quality. 

After an orgasm, the body releases prolactin, a hormone that helps us relax and drift off. 

Researchers from Australia’s Central Queensland University believe that the oxytocin released during sex acts like a natural sedative, setting us up for a good night’s rest.

But the benefits don’t stop there. 

Sex might even protect our brain as we age. 

Studies show that older men who stay sexually active have better overall cognitive function. 

For women, sex seems to support memory recall. 

These effects could be thanks to hormones like testosterone and oxytocin, which get a boost from intimate moments.

The Effect of Porn on the Brain

Studies show that the more people watch pornography, the more likely they are to feel depressed, anxious, and stressed. 

Even moderate use has been linked to smaller gray matter in parts of the brain responsible for thinking and decision-making.

Porn can leave a lasting mark on young minds—and on older ones, too. 

It can become addictive.

Porn can often be graphic, sometimes aggressive, showing things like violence or even extreme scenarios. 

This can lead some men to act more aggressively toward women, even believing they’re entitled to sex.

The impact is real, on mental health, on the brain, and on behavior. 

That’s why it’s important to watch carefully and responsibly.

The Lasting Impact of Sexual Experiences

Sexual activity can have a big impact on our well-being. 

It can lift our mood, ease our stress and help us sleep better.

These experiences are powerful and the memories are long-lasting.

Knowing how sex affects the brain gives us the power to make smart choices about our sexual health. 

It’s all part of taking care of ourselves.

And as research goes on, we’ll keep learning more about this amazing link between mind and body.

---

🎥 Content of the Week

Uglies - watch it on Netflix

Rating: ★★★☆☆

In a future dystopian world, everyone is considered an "Ugly." 

But, they are then turned "Pretty" by extreme cosmetic surgery when they reach the age of 16. 

The film Uglies tells the story of teenager, Tally Youngblood, who as she approaches this milestone, begins to question the system’s underlying motives.

Rotten tomatoes gives it a 15%, and I have to say I give it more credit than that.

It was fast paced and it kept me entertained. Although it could have more depth in exploring the themes of societal beauty standards.

This was a recommendation by Polina. Thanks Polina! 

---

⚡️ Check This Out

Source: Why It Was Almost Impossible to Make the Blue LED on Youtube

Did you know that light-emitting diodes (LEDs) don’t get their color from their plastic cover? 

Neither did I.

When LEDs were first invented, red and green were the only colors we could make.

But the blue LED was necessary in order to make a white LED to create a full color spectrum.

In the 70s and 80s, it was nearly impossible to make a blue LED. 

The blue LED was the ultimate goal.

Although at that time, we lacked the science, the materials and the machinery to manufacture a blue LED with a true 450nm wavelength and an output of at least 1000 microwatts needed to make it commercially viable.

It took 30 years, but eventually the work on one scientist changed the future of lighting forever.

This ~30min documentary tells the story of Shuji Nakamura and his fierce dedication to creating the first blue LED.

Nakamura never received compensation for his invention that now fuels a $50 billion industry.

However on 7th October 2014, Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention of an efficient blue LED.

This was a recommendation by Sammy. Thanks Sammy for telling me to check this out! 

---

---

Edited by Wright Time Publishing