Word: functionalities
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...primary chemical in charge of that function is nitric oxide. It's a vascular traffic cop, activating the muscles that control the expansion and contraction of blood vessels. If the mind is in the mood--or when you pop a nitric-oxide-boosting drug such as Viagra or Levitra--the body responds. Men tend to be more focused on genital stimulation than women, so they are more likely to perceive an increased blood flow to the genitals as arousal, while women may be unaware of it. That may be one reason why trials of Viagra on women have been disappointing...
...Ginseng: In the lab, ginseng has been shown to release nitric oxide, but there's no evidence to suggest that it improves erectile function...
Researchers in Sweden are meanwhile exploring how sex affects another immunological function: the healing of wounds. Here again, oxytocin may lead the way. Using injections of oxytocin as a surrogate for arousal, Swedish investigators have found that sores on the backs of lab rats heal twice as fast under the influence of the hormone as without...
...elderly couple recently wrote Tampa, Fla., sex therapist Bonnie Saks from their post-counseling trip. "Had a great time. Thank you very much." Still, these wonder drugs won't do any good if there is no sexual urge in the first place or if other health conditions impair erectile function. As Saks points out, "The medications won't initiate libido. The desire has to be there already in order for them to work...
...actually prolongs life as well. An analysis of eight sleep studies showed that healthy adults age 60 and older who experienced poor sleep--characterized by long stretches of wakefulness during the night--had double the normal risk of early death. Other studies link poor sleep to lower immune-system function as well as an increased risk for certain types of cancer...