It seems every week a study comes out that’ll change your life (some of them are sh*t). A diet you need to get happier, an exercise that makes sex better, or some advice to tweak your overall worldview. Often those studies are super useful but very rarely does a study come along that effects your well-being, your health, and your sex life.
And then those Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, came along. Those infinitely caring scientists decided to gather more than 200 women and men between the ages of 20 and 50. Amongst the group everyone had a body mass index (B.M.I.) that ranged between 22.0 and 28.0, making them normal weight or slightly-overweight, but not obese.
The point of this study was to limit caloric intake over the span two years to see it’s effects on the individuals. Participants were then split up into two groups for the two-year study: one that would be stuck to a diet that limited calories by 25% of their normal intake, and a other group, or the control, whose participants would eat whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted.
After two years, on top of 16.8 pound average weight loss participants in the calorie restricted camp reported better moods, less stress, increased sex drive and better sleep, compared to the adults who didn’t cut their calories.
As stated, the limitation goal was 25% for the groups caloric intake, but we all know diets are hard. People tried to limit themselves to 25% but in actuality they only achieved and average of 11.9%—as would be expected. This raises an interesting question, would the full 25% enhance the benefits or severally damage them. When cutting calories at too dramatic a rate malnutrition and a deficiency of essential nutrients, becomes a concern.
Over in the control group however, men reported higher levels of arousal then the test subject counterparts. But the quality of sex started to drop, researchers also saw a decline in overall sexual behavior, experience, orgasm, and sex-drive. With those numbers at play, the test subjects scored higher overall.
“The key message from our study is that achieving about a 12% calorie restriction over two years and losing 10% of your body weight resulted in positive effects on mood, quality of life and sexual function,” Said Corby Martin, an author of the study.
So cut those calories, learn some damn portion control, and have better sex. Science says it’ll work.
(Source CNN.com)
