Masturbating is good for you. Here's 9 reasons why.

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I’ve heard a lot of bad things said about health fads, but I’ve never heard a bad word said about an orgasm.

An orgasm has never been too tiring to do, too slow to show results, too restrictive, too boring, too unpleasant, too… er, green. An orgasm doesn’t discriminate by age, weight or economic means. An orgasm is judgement-free, and actually free. An orgasm won’t ever need a selfie and a hashtag to make it feel special.

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But when was the last time you set aside ten minutes and hung out together? If you can’t remember, here’s science with a reminder of why you need a FOMO approach to masturbation:

1. Orgasms help prevent UTIs

It’s thanks to part of the arousal process (rather unsexily) called ‘tenting’, where your cervix stretches and expands, and therefore enables any fluids containing bacteria to be flushed out. This could prevent cervical and urinary tract infections, according to Anthony Santella and Spring Chenoa Cooper, two University of Sydney sexual health lecturers.

2. Orgasms ease depression

Masturbation releases the feel-good chemical oxytocin, which then treats your bloodstream to a cheerleading squad of endorphins – happy pom-pom wavers shown to help uplift depression symptoms.

3. Orgasms supercharge your immune system

Sorry Kale, but a study by Wilkes University in the US found that people who had one or two orgasms a week had 30% higher levels of the antibody Immunoglobulin A – known to bolster your immune system against colds.

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Further research at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine found orgasms boost levels of white blood cells (which produce infection-fighting antibodies) by as much as 20%. We like those numbers.

On the topic of orgasms and masturbation, here are some of the most memorable depictions of both from pop culture:

4. Orgasms do paracetamol’s job

And without any potentially irritating side effects (apart from having to wait to go again). Sexologist Beverly Whipple found that when women masturbated to orgasm, their pain tolerance improved by 74.6%. Our old friends oxytocin and endorphins get the credit again.

5. Orgasms regulate your menstrual cycle

A study by Columbia and Stanford Universities found that women who enjoyed weekly orgasms were more likely to have regular periods than those who orgasmed less often.

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6. Orgasms help migraines

Researchers at the University of Munster in Germany studied 400 people who suffered from headaches, including cluster headaches and migraines. Following an orgasm, more than half of the subjects reported a decrease in painful symptoms – one in five actually found their pain had gone completely.

7. Orgasms show anxiety who’s boss

Scientists at Groningen University in the Netherlands discovered that our amygdala – the part of our brains associated with fear and anxiety – essentially takes a snooze while we orgasm. It showed little or no activity at all during this time.

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8. Orgasms feed your brain

Ok, you might not feel at your most alert during the act. But in lab tests, Rutgers University researchers found that an orgasm increased blood flow to the brain – taking valuable nutrients and oxygenation with it.

9. Orgasms make you REALLY happy

In a new study in the Journal of Sex Research, scientists from Arizona State University interviewed 20 women about their solo sex habits. Sure, the sample size was pretty small – but the results were pretty important. Many women credited masturbation with how they eliminated daily tensions: one calling it as essential as brushing her teeth, another using her morning shower for some one-on-one fun.

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But, better still, the women reported that regular masturbation helped them get in tune with their bodies – accepting their bodies more, feeling happierand having more fun.

Which sounds like a far better deal than any juice cleanse I’ve ever heard of.

So, over to you - how often do you go there?