Sex link to older people's brain power, says study

"Sex is the key to staying sharp in old age," reports the Mail Online after researchers found older people who have regular sex scored better on two of five brain tests.

Participants who had sex at least once a week scored higher on tests that measured their verbal fluency and spatial awareness compared with those who had no sex at all.

These tests are part of the Addenbrookes Cognitive Examination III (ACE-III) test, a standard test to measure brain function.

The study involved 73 people aged between 50 and 83, and was conducted by researchers at the universities of Coventry and Oxford.

Previous studies have shown that older people who have active social lives and keep physically active are likely to have better cognitive function.

Researchers speculated it could also be caused by the release of dopamine, a chemical that transmits information in the brain during activities like sex.