Regardless of your age, orientation, or relationship status, it’s normal for sexual activity to go in waves. There may be times when you’re raring to go, and other periods when you’re just not that interested. Or perhaps days when you’d rather just take care of business yourself rather than bothering with anyone else.

Don’t worry if you’re not getting busy too often these days; it’s completely normal. In fact, whatever amount of sex you desire or feel comfortable with is the perfect amount. You should, however, be aware of some of the ways that a lack of lovemaking can alter your body – both physically and mentally. Here are some of the things that can happen to your body if you stop having sex for a while.

Your vagina changes

A lack of intercourse or stimulation can, unfortunately, cause the vaginal walls to weaken. Blood flow and the rush of estrogen during sexual pleasure helps keep the vagina elastic, so a lack of action can have the opposite effect. This is even more important as women get older and reach menopause, as the vaginal muscles naturally become thinner. Like any muscle, the vaginal and pelvic muscles involved in sex can weaken when they don’t get a regular workout.

Heart health could be affected

If you do not have sex regularly, you could have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. In addition to being a source of exercise, sexual intercourse helps keep your estrogen and progesterone levels in balance, which can lower your risk of heart disease.

Partnered sex appears to have some protective effect on cardiovascular health, especially in women. A 2016 study looked at the potential health benefits of sexual activity with a regular partner. This research found that sexually active women have a lower risk of cardiac events later in life. The researchers also measured blood pressure as one of the markers of heart health and found that older women who expressed satisfaction with their sex lives were less likely to have high blood pressure.

Brain function can decline

Recent research suggests that doing the deed regularly aids in the production of neurons in the brain, and therefore improves brain function. This can make an even bigger difference as you get older, and the production of neurons decreases. Overall, regular sex seems to be linked to improved memory, especially if you’re between the ages of 50 and 89.

Your immune system could take a dive

Regular sex improves the immune system and prepares the body to fight off illness by releasing endorphins. This means that having sex less often might result in more frequent illnesses, like the cold or flu. A study reported that saliva samples of college students who had regular sex were found to have higher concentrations of certain antibodies called immunoglobulin A, which fight the common cold. However, it’s all about striking a balance, as the study found that people who had sex more than twice a week had lower levels of immune cells than those who had no sex.

You might lose fitness

Sex typically burns about five calories a minute – about equal to a brisk walk. The body uses a bit more oxygen, too – about the same as digging in the garden or walking down the stairs. That may not seem like much, but it starts to add up over the long term. Also, because sex can improve your mental health, you might be more likely to engage in other types of exercise, like joining the neighborhood kickball team or going for a hike with your spouse.

Your mood could suffer

Having sex releases mood-enhancing substances like oxytocin and endorphins into the body. These neurochemicals can help manage the effects of anxiety or stress, and even help you sleep better. If you do not have sex regularly, your body may release these hormones less often, which might make it more difficult to cope with everyday stress. A 2006 study found that blood pressure reactivity to stress is better for people who recently had penile-vaginal intercourse than for people who had other or no sexual activity. Getting busy with your partner could help you deal with daily stress more effectively.

Your relationship could change

Sex bathes your brain in a biochemical “afterglow” that lasts about two days and helps to improve the bond between partners. Without it, you could lose some of the satisfaction of your relationship. A healthy, happy sexual relationship can help build trust and understanding between you and your partner.

The problem is, the longer you wait, the worse it gets. Yes, when it comes to your sex drive it seems it’s a case of “use it or lose it.” For some people who refrain from sex, they begin to feel more sluggish, with less vitality and hunger for sex. This results in a cycle of lower libido and less intercourse.

The benefits of a healthy sex life

Sex is not only pleasurable – it’s amazing for your health. The benefits of sex range from slashing stress levels to lowering your risk of illness. How would you like a stronger immune system or better sleep? Action between the sheets can help you get all of this and more. As part of a healthy relationship with yourself and your partner, aim to do more of whatever bedtime fun you enjoy.

-Liivi Hess

Most people brush their teeth every day without giving their toothpaste a second thought.

After all, if it foams, tastes minty, and leaves your mouth feeling fresh, it must be doing its job… right?

Not necessarily.

Dental experts say some toothpaste ingredients may do more than clean your teeth. In certain people, they may contribute to gum irritation, mouth sensitivity, and other oral health concerns.

If you’ve noticed bleeding gums, tenderness, or a burning sensation after brushing, your toothpaste may be worth a closer look.

The Ingredient Some People Choose to Avoid

One ingredient that often gets attention is sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS).

SLS is a foaming agent found in many popular toothpastes. It’s responsible for the rich lather many people associate with a “deep clean.”

While SLS is considered safe for most people, some research suggests it may irritate sensitive tissues inside the mouth.

People prone to canker sores, mouth irritation, or gum sensitivity sometimes report improvement after switching to SLS-free toothpaste.

Your Gums Matter More Than You Think

Healthy gums do more than hold your teeth in place.

They help protect the tissues and bone structures that support your entire smile.

That’s why dentists often encourage people to pay attention to warning signs such as:

• Bleeding while brushing
• Swollen or tender gums
• Persistent bad breath
• Gum recession
• Increased tooth sensitivity

While occasional irritation isn’t always cause for concern, symptoms that persist should be discussed with a dental professional.

Other Toothpaste Ingredients Worth Knowing About

SLS isn’t the only ingredient people look for.

Some consumers also choose products without:

• Artificial dyes
• Excessively abrasive whitening agents
• Certain artificial sweeteners
• Alcohol-containing mouth rinses used alongside brushing

The goal isn’t necessarily to eliminate every ingredient.

It’s to find products that work well for your specific needs.

Brushing Technique Matters Too

Sometimes the problem isn’t the toothpaste at all.

Many people brush too aggressively.

Brushing harder doesn’t clean better.

In fact, overbrushing may contribute to:

• Gum irritation
• Gum recession
• Enamel wear
• Tooth sensitivity

Experts generally recommend using a soft-bristled toothbrush and gentle circular motions.

A Simple Check You Can Do Tonight

Take a look at the toothpaste sitting on your bathroom counter.

Do you know what’s in it?

If you’ve been dealing with bleeding gums, sensitivity, or mouth irritation, it may be worth reviewing the ingredient list and discussing alternatives with your dentist.

Sometimes a small change in your oral care routine can make a surprisingly big difference.

Brushing remains one of the most important habits for maintaining oral health.

But what you brush with—and how you brush—may matter more than many people realize.

Constipation can have many causes, so it can be hard to pinpoint and resolve. The average American today has a 96-hour transit time from the mouth to the other end, meaning they carry four days worth of waste in their colon. This can lead to major discomfort and reabsorption of the toxins that are sitting in the bowels.

Ideally, a healthy colon produces 2-3 bowel movements per day. Getting to this point can be a long process of trial and error to find a good balance of nutrition, movement, hydration and stress relief. Before you get frustrated and reach for over-the-counter drugs, which can have unsavoury side effects, try these helpful herbal teas instead.

Peppermint

Peppermint has long been a traditional remedy for stomach upsets, nausea and vomiting. The main beneficial constituent is menthol, which supports the intestinal muscles to function smoothly and helps dispel gas.

Fennel

Fennel is antispasmodic, meaning it helps relax the muscles of the intestines and colon to keep things moving through. Fennel is commonly used for constipation, colic and gas pains. Just crush 1–2 teaspoons of fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle, add to 2 cups of boiled water and allow to steep, covered, for 5–10 minutes.

Chamomile

Chamomile contains tryptophan, which is an effective relaxant. This calms the digestive system and can act as a mild laxative. It’s interesting to note that constipation is often a physiological response to a heightened emotional state. In this way, chamomile’s relaxing properties also have a good chance of remedying constipation indirectly by alleviating stress and anxiety.

Dandelion Root

Dandelion and burdock both stimulate bile release from the liver and gallbladder. This helps carry digestive enzymes into the digestive tract, stimulates peristalsis and promotes the breakdown of fats and oils.

Dandelion is considered more helpful for “flaccid” or “lazy” constipation, which results from weak peristaltic action of the intestinal muscles and colon. These are the muscles that should provide a smooth, rolling squeeze to help waste move along. If this action is weak, dandelion root can be helpful.

On the contrary, if constipation is the “spastic” type resulting from tension and stress, this means the muscles need to be relaxed. Herbs like chamomile and peppermint are more helpful for this condition.

Burdock

Burdock root contains lignans, bitter principles, inulin (resistant starch), mucilage, sulphur and organic acids. This potent mixture helps increase bile secretion from the gallbladder. With this support, the body is better able to digest fatty and oily foods and use them effectively for various biological functions.

If stools are dry and difficult to pass, burdock is a good choice, since breaking down fats will help bring moisture into the stool.

It’s fair to say that all of us want younger looking skin. As we age, the supple skin of our youth begins to lose its elasticity, with the resultant wrinkles a testament to our advancing years.

Because no one is immune to wrinkles, it’s a multi-billion dollar industry. Cosmetic companies continue to cash in big time on this lucrative sector of the beauty world, with millions of people across the world continuing to buy anti-wrinkle cream after anti-wrinkle cream, despite their apparent ineffectiveness.

Personally, I’ve never bought an anti-wrinkle product in my life, and have no intention of ever doing so. The TV ads alone are enough to send me into fits of laughter: exfoliating microbeads? Deep-penetrating nanoparticles? Hydrating serum? It’s all just marketing mumbo jumbo, designed to sound cutting-edge and ridiculously effective, but it’s almost always just a heady concoction of chemicals. Need to hydrate your skin? Here’s an idea: get it wet, then apply coconut oil. No microbeads or serum required!

Most of these commercial anti-wrinkle products do far more harm than good. In their feeble attempts to make their cream a top contender for the anti-wrinkle awards, they pump their products full of harsh chemicals and preservatives that not only absorb through the layers of the skin into your bloodstream, but can also speed the progress of skin aging in the first place! It’s all a bit ironic, really.

The Surprising Nutrient Deficiency That Can Mimic Memory Loss

You walk into a room and forget why you’re there.

You struggle to find the right words during a conversation.

You misplace your keys for the third time this week.

For many older adults, these experiences can spark a frightening thought: “Am I developing dementia?”

But what if the problem isn’t dementia at all?

In some cases, symptoms that resemble dementia may actually be caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency—a common but often overlooked condition that affects millions of older adults.

Why Vitamin B12 Matters

Vitamin B12 plays a crucial role in brain health, nerve function, and the production of healthy red blood cells. Without enough of this essential vitamin, the nervous system can begin to suffer.

Over time, low B12 levels may contribute to symptoms such as:

• Memory problems
• Confusion
• Difficulty concentrating
• Mood changes
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Tingling or numbness in the hands and feet
• Balance problems

Because these symptoms can overlap with those seen in dementia, B12 deficiency is sometimes missed or mistaken for age-related cognitive decline.

Why Older Adults Are at Greater Risk

Even people who eat foods rich in B12 can develop a deficiency as they age.

That’s because absorbing vitamin B12 requires adequate stomach acid and a healthy digestive system. Unfortunately, both can become less efficient with age.

Risk factors include:

• Being over age 60
• Taking acid-reducing medications
• Long-term use of metformin for diabetes
• Digestive disorders such as Crohn’s disease or celiac disease
• A history of stomach surgery
• Following a strict vegetarian or vegan diet

Experts estimate that a significant percentage of older adults have low or borderline B12 levels.

When Low B12 Looks Like Dementia

Researchers have documented cases in which people experiencing memory loss, confusion, personality changes, and cognitive decline improved after treatment for vitamin B12 deficiency.

This doesn’t mean that all dementia can be reversed. Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia involve complex changes in the brain that cannot be cured with vitamin supplements.

However, identifying and correcting a B12 deficiency may improve symptoms in people whose cognitive issues are related to low levels of the vitamin.

The key is early detection.

The longer a severe deficiency goes untreated, the greater the risk of permanent nerve damage.

Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

Talk with your healthcare provider if you experience:

• New or worsening memory problems
• Unexplained fatigue
• Frequent dizziness
• Numbness or tingling sensations
• Difficulty walking or maintaining balance
• Mood changes or depression
• Brain fog or confusion

A simple blood test can often help determine whether B12 levels are low.

Best Food Sources of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is naturally found in animal-based foods, including:

• Beef and liver
• Fish such as salmon and trout
• Eggs
• Milk and yogurt
• Cheese
• Poultry

Some cereals and plant-based products are also fortified with B12.

Should You Take a Supplement?

For some older adults, diet alone may not be enough.

Depending on the cause of the deficiency, a healthcare provider may recommend:

• Oral B12 supplements
• Sublingual (under-the-tongue) B12
• Prescription-strength supplements
• Vitamin B12 injections

The right approach depends on how well your body absorbs the vitamin.

The Bottom Line

Memory loss is never something to ignore—but it isn’t always dementia.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is one of the few potentially reversible causes of cognitive decline, especially in older adults. Because the symptoms can closely resemble dementia, getting tested may provide valuable answers.

If you or a loved one are experiencing memory problems, consider discussing vitamin B12 testing with your healthcare provider. A simple test could uncover a treatable cause and help protect both brain health and quality of life.

Remember

Not every memory lapse signals dementia, and not every case of cognitive decline is permanent. Sometimes, the body is simply asking for a nutrient it desperately needs.

Most people picture a heart attack the same way: sudden, dramatic, and unmistakable. Someone clutches their chest, struggles to breathe, and immediately knows something is wrong.

While that image isn’t entirely inaccurate, it’s incomplete. The classic heart attack symptoms people often recognize were largely based on how heart attacks present in men. For many women, the experience can look very different.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the United States, claiming more lives each year than all forms of cancer combined. Yet women are more likely than men to have a heart attack go unrecognized, both by themselves and sometimes by healthcare providers.

One reason is that the warning signs in women are often less obvious and easier to dismiss. Understanding these symptoms can help women recognize when something may be wrong.

1. Unusual or Extreme Fatigue

One of the most commonly reported symptoms among women is sudden, overwhelming fatigue in the days or weeks leading up to a heart attack.

This isn’t typical tiredness from a busy schedule. Many women describe it as exhaustion that feels disproportionate to their activity level, sometimes making routine tasks feel unusually difficult.

2. Nausea or Digestive Upset

Some women experience nausea, indigestion, or stomach discomfort during a heart attack. Because these symptoms resemble common digestive issues like heartburn or food poisoning, they are often dismissed.

In some cases, this stomach discomfort can occur without any noticeable chest pain, making the connection to heart problems even less obvious.

3. Pain in the Jaw, Neck, or Upper Back

Heart attack pain in women may appear in unexpected parts of the body, particularly the jaw, neck, shoulders, or upper back.

This discomfort may feel like pressure, tightness, or aching rather than the intense chest pain people often associate with heart attacks.

4. Shortness of Breath

Sudden shortness of breath, especially when it occurs without exertion, can be another warning sign.

Some women notice they feel winded during simple activities or even while resting. This symptom may appear on its own or alongside other warning signs.

5. Lightheadedness or Dizziness

Feeling dizzy, faint, or unusually lightheaded can also occur during a heart attack. This may be accompanied by a general feeling that something isn’t right, even if the cause isn’t immediately clear.

Because dizziness can be linked to many everyday conditions, it’s easy to overlook as a potential cardiac symptom.

6. Pressure or Discomfort in the Chest

While chest pain is often considered the hallmark symptom of a heart attack, women sometimes experience it differently.

Instead of sharp pain, the sensation may feel more like pressure, tightness, squeezing, or fullness in the chest. In some cases, the discomfort may be mild or intermittent.

7. A General Sense of Feeling Unwell

Some women report a vague but persistent feeling that something is wrong, sometimes described as a sense of unease, weakness, or flu-like symptoms.

Because this feeling is difficult to describe and may not include severe pain, it can be easy to ignore.

Why Heart Attacks in Women Are Often Missed

These symptoms are sometimes described as “atypical,” but they are actually quite common in women. The challenge is that many of them resemble everyday health issues such as stress, fatigue, or digestive problems.

As a result, women are more likely to delay seeking medical care, often hoping the symptoms will pass or assuming they are unrelated to the heart.

Research has also found that women who arrive at emergency rooms with cardiac symptoms may experience longer delays before receiving certain tests, such as an electrocardiogram (EKG), compared with men reporting similar symptoms.

Younger women may face an additional challenge, as heart disease is still widely perceived as primarily affecting older men.

We fuss endlessly over our teeth — whitening them, straightening them, brushing them twice a day — and almost completely ignore the soft pink tissue that holds them all in place. That’s a mistake, and a bigger one than most people realize.

Your gums are a window into your whole body

Gum health isn’t just about avoiding a scolding at your next cleaning. Over and over, researchers have found that the chronic inflammation of gum disease tends to travel in the company of other serious conditions — most notably heart disease and poorly controlled blood sugar.

The exact relationships are still being studied, and no one is claiming your gums cause a heart attack. But the pattern is consistent enough that dentists and physicians now treat the mouth as a meaningful clue to what’s happening in the rest of the body. Inflamed, bleeding, receding gums are worth taking seriously — not just cosmetically, but as a signal.

So what should you actually rub on them?

The honest answer is gentler and cheaper than the miracle cures floating around the internet: your own clean fingertip, in a slow, circular massage.

After you brush at night, spend about 30 seconds gently massaging your gumline with a clean finger. This does two genuinely useful things. It encourages circulation to the gum tissue, and — just as importantly — it puts you in direct contact with your own gums every single day, so you’ll be the first to notice tenderness, swelling, or bleeding that wasn’t there last week. That early awareness is worth more than any product, because gum problems caught early are far easier to reverse. Here are some of the benefits of oil pulling:

• May freshen breath. Swishing oil can reduce some of the bacteria that cause bad breath, so people often report a cleaner-feeling mouth — though plain brushing and tongue-cleaning do much the same thing.
• Might modestly reduce mouth bacteria and plaque. A handful of small studies suggest oil pulling can lower bacterial counts and plaque somewhat, but the research is limited and lower-quality, and it hasn’t been shown to beat a toothbrush and floss.
• Gentle on the mouth. It’s non-abrasive and alcohol-free, so for people who find some mouthwashes harsh, it’s a mild alternative for that fresh feeling.
• A calming ritual. The few minutes of slow swishing is something some people simply enjoy as part of a wind-down routine — and there’s no harm in that.

A straight word about “oil pulling”

You’ve probably seen the trend of swishing a spoonful of coconut oil around your mouth before bed, often sold as an ancient secret for everything from whiter teeth to “detoxing” your whole body. Here’s the straight talk: oil pulling is harmless, and some people genuinely enjoy how clean it leaves their mouth feeling. But the evidence that it does anything beyond what ordinary brushing and flossing already accomplish is thin. Enjoy it as a pleasant ritual if you like it — just don’t let it replace the basics, and be wary of anyone promising it cures disease.

What genuinely protects your gums

It’s unglamorous, and it works:

• Brush gently twice a day — hard scrubbing actually damages gums and wears them back.
• Clean between your teeth once a day, with floss or the little interdental brushes many people find easier.
• Don’t skip the dental checkup, especially after 60, when gum recession tends to quietly speed up. A professional cleaning reaches what your toothbrush can’t.

Before bed tonight, give your gums 30 seconds of attention. They’ve been doing a big, silent job for decades. It’s about time they got noticed.

If your knees groan when you stand up from a chair, you’ve probably blamed the usual suspects — your age, the weather, “just wear and tear.” But one of the biggest culprits has nothing to do with how you move. It’s how you sit.

The position that does the damage

The worst thing for an aging knee isn’t a particular exotic pose. It’s the most ordinary one of all: staying put, unmoving, for hours at a stretch.

Here’s why prolonged stillness is so hard on the joint. Your knee cartilage has no direct blood supply. It stays healthy by absorbing fluid every time you bend and straighten the joint, almost like a sponge soaking and squeezing. Sit motionless for hours and that gentle pumping stops. Fluid pools, the cartilage gets less of what it needs, the muscles that brace the knee go quiet and weaken, and stiffness quietly sets in. By the time you finally rise, that first step feels like the hinge has rusted.

The specific habits that make it worse

A few common sitting habits pile extra strain on top of all that, and they hit harder after 60:

• Sitting cross-legged on the floor or dropping into a deep squat loads the knee in a deeply bent position — fine for a young joint with plenty of cushioning, far less comfortable for one that’s lost some.
• Sinking into a low, soft couch means every time you get up, you have to heave your full weight through the knee to escape it. Repeat that a dozen times a day and it adds up.
• Letting your feet dangle with no support leaves the knee hanging under tension for long stretches, which it doesn’t love.
• Locking out a chair-bound routine — the long morning at the desk, the long afternoon in the recliner, the long evening in front of the TV — without ever breaking it up.

The fix is free (and almost insultingly simple)

You don’t need a gadget or a supplement to protect your knees from this. You need movement, and not much of it.

Break up the stillness. Set a quiet reminder to stand and move for a minute or two every half hour — a lap to the kitchen and back is plenty. The point is to pump that joint fluid and wake the muscles, not to exercise.

Choose chairs you can stand from cleanly, without having to push off your knees with your hands. Firmer, higher seats are kinder to the joint than the deep, soft ones.

Strengthen what supports the knee. Gentle work on the muscles around the joint — the quadriceps in front and the muscles of the hip and thigh — does more to protect your knees than any cushion ever will. A physical therapist can build you a simple routine, and there are good guided programs for older adults if you’d rather start at home.

Your knees aren’t asking you to use them less. They’re asking you to stop holding them still for so long. Give them a little motion through the day, and that dreaded first step out of the chair gets a whole lot easier.