An apple a day keeps the doctor away, or so I hear. Though, personally, apples never kept away or cured any health-related issues I’ve had. If you’re interested in actually keeping the doctor away, positive sexual experiences might be a better option.

The first thing a healthy sex life could do for you is boost your immune system. According to a study at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania, college students that had sex once or twice a week had a 30 percent higher level of the antibody that fights against the common cold, Immunoglobin A, than students engaging in sex more or less frequently. Yvonne K. Fullbright, professional sexologist and author, also reported that sexually active people have fewer sick days.

Multiple studies also suggest a link between sex and cardiovascular health. Articles published in both the Journal of Sexual Medicine and Biological Psychology support the idea that sex lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart attack. If you’re thinking you can find those same benefits through masturbation, both published studies knock that notion down as unreliable.

If physical appearance is your concern, sex can even help in that area as well. While I’m sure this isn’t a shocker to some of you, sex most definitely counts as exercise, which is also another reason it is good for your immune system. Having sex can burn up to 144 calories per 30 minutes, depending on a few variables of course. It has also been suggested that achieving orgasm during sex adds an extra calorie burn. Losing weight or remaining lean definitely doesn’t have to be a chore.

Sex can even provide a replacement for over-the-counter sleep aids. Sex boosts the release of the hormone oxytocin, which helps you bond to your partner, and it decreases the release of the hormone cortisol, which induces stress. These hormonal changes can help you relax and fall asleep easier. Additionally, the increased estrogen levels in women can lead to a deeper sleep, according to the Journal of Women’s Health.

Diving further into the world of hormones, more benefits can be found. Oxytocin and endorphins, “feel good” hormones, released in a woman’s body during sex act as pain relievers, able to provide relief from things like headaches and arthritis. The estrogen released can also reduces symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

For women that are especially daring, though I personally don’t recommend this, having unprotected sex with men can serve as an antidepressant. The evidence behind this is somewhat outdated, from a study published in Psychology Today in 2002, but it was shown that in 293 college women, those who had unprotected sex, where the male achieved orgasm, had lower levels of depression than women who used condoms. The results were attributed to the hormones found in semen. I feel like you’re probably better off visiting a therapist or psychiatrist than risking unprotected sex, but to each their own.

For men, the additional gender-specific benefits of sex are much more narrow. The release of testosterone can lead to stronger bones and muscles, and frequent (at least 21 times a month) ejaculation can decrease the chance of prostate cancer. However, masturbatory ejaculation can do the job in reducing the cancer risk just as well.

Despite all of these good things sex can do for your health, it probably isn’t worth engaging in sex specifically for these benefits. Sex also comes with a lot of risks, such as unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and psychological stress, which should be kept in mind. Still, it is definitely interesting and possibly useful to know how sex can be a natural remedy and preventative measure to so many ailments.