Fruit flies that have better, satisfying sex lives are more likely to live longer and stress-free lives than those that are sexually frustrated, a new study finds
Sex in the right quality has always done wonders to boost a person's life-quality. And now, researchers from University of Michigan Health System have found the same applies to fruit flies. Fruit flies that have a better sex life are more likely to live longer, stress-free lives, according to a press release.
In an experiment the researchers observed that male fruit flies, which perceived sexual pheromones of their female counterparts, without the opportunity to mate, experienced rapid decreases in fat stores, resistance to starvation and more stress and a shorter life span. Being sexually active keeps the negative aspects of ageing at bay.
"Our findings give us a better understanding about how sensory perception and physiological state are integrated in the brain to affect long-term health and lifespan," said senior author Scott D. Pletcher, Ph.D, professor in the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the U-M Medical School and research professor at the U-M Geriatrics Center. "The cutting-edge genetics and neurobiology used in this research suggests to us that for fruit flies at least, it may not be a myth that sexual frustration is a health issue. Expecting sex without any sexual reward was detrimental to their health and cut their lives short."
For the study, scientists from the university gave a few common male fruit flies Drosophila melanogaster using sensory manipulations. Drosophila melanogaster gave the flies the perception that they were in a sexually rich environment by exposing them to genetically engineered males that produced female pheromones They were also able to manipulate the specific neurons responsible for pheromone perception as well as parts of the brain linked to sexual reward.
"These data may provide the first direct evidence that aging and physiology are influenced by how the brain processes expectations and rewards," Pletcher said. "In this case, sexual rewards specifically promoted healthy aging."
Scientists have used fruit flies as subjects in many of their ageing studies because these creatures live an average of 60 days. However, discoveries made on these insects have proven to hold true for other longer-living animals too. Up until now, researchers believed that reducing food intake was most effective in slowing the ageing process in various species. In one study, Pletcher found that the mere smell of food rapidly increases this ageing process. This led researchers to rethink how dietary restrictions work. They have also wondered whether recommending a more active sex life can work towards keeping the process of ageing at bay.
