There's a lot of triviality about sex and love

From burning calories to reducing stress and helping you sleep, sex offers a host of health benefits in addition to pleasure. Besides, there are many interesting and unexpected things about sex and love. Recently, the website of the US Journal of Health summarized the "cold knowledge" of sex.

Your partner's DNA is similar to yours. Birds of a feather flock together. It seems that people prefer to spend time with people who are similar to them, with people of similar age, race, income and upbringing more likely to be partners. Research from the University of Colorado Boulder in the US also found that we may share similar DNA with the people we marry. The researchers looked at 825 white American couples and found that the DNA differences between married people were smaller than those between random individuals.

Watching romantic comedies can enhance relationships. Family and marriage scientists at the State University of New York at Binghamton have found that watching romantic comedies can help couples bond. Couples were asked to attend counseling sessions or watch a comedy film about marriage together and complete the discussion. The results showed that both strategies worked, and the divorce rate among these couples was cut in half after three years.

Some people are hardwired to want more sex. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the US, took brain scans of participants while they viewed images, some of which were sexually suggestive, and asked them about their sexual activity over the past year. The results showed that people whose brains were active while viewing sexual images tended to have more sexual partners.

Lowering cholesterol improves performance in bed. In addition to damaging arteries and taxing the heart, high cholesterol can also lead to sexual dysfunction in men. A study by Rutgers University School of Medicine in the US found that men who took drugs to lower their cholesterol had improved sexual function.

Low blood sugar may cause marital disharmony. A study by Ohio State University in the US found that arguments and aggression between couples can sometimes be the result of low blood sugar. The researchers asked 107 couples to measure their blood sugar every morning and night and stick pins into dolls (representing spouses) according to their anger levels. Results showed that the lower the blood sugar, the more pins were used. One possible reason is that low blood sugar can cause people to feel hungry, which can lead to grumpiness.

Modesty helps in love. A study by Georgia State University in the US found that modest people are more likely to be successful in dating. When participants were asked to read made-up dating profiles and rate their dates based on personality traits, modesty scored higher. Psychologists found that participants who thought their partners were modest were more likely to forgive their spouses for their offenses. This suggests that maintaining a modest attitude can help repair marital cracks.

Road trip to repair the rift. While road trips may be hard work, they allow you to talk about important issues with your partner. Many couples find that a long drive is a great opportunity to get to know their partner, resolve conflict, repair rifts and discuss the future.

Women can make their voices sexier, men can't. Psychologists at New York University in the US found that women are able to manipulate their voices to make them sound more attractive. When women deliberately lower their voices to sound sexier, they are sending signals to interested potential partners. However, when men tried to do this, their voices got worse.

The menstrual cycle affects women's preferences. Women tend to seek out the most masculine men during the most fertile part of their menstrual cycle. Some German women were asked to assess soldiers returning from war. The results showed that the women who were most fertile during the menstrual cycle were more likely to see soldiers affected by trauma as potential short-term partners than long-term ones.

Faking an orgasm isn't always a bad thing. People often think that faking an orgasm is because they are not enjoying the sex, or just want it to be over. However, acting is also part of the enjoyment. Even if it's a fake orgasm, it's fun for both parties once they're in the zone.

Hugging after sex increases satisfaction. A study by the University of Toronto in Canada found that kissing, touching and affectionate conversations are as important to marital satisfaction as sex. When researchers asked couples to spend more time cuddling after sex, their overall relationship satisfaction was higher, especially for those with children. This is linked to the release of oxytocin, a hormone that is released during prolonged skin-to-skin contact and increases a person's ability to perceive warmth and affection.

Some people fall in love easily. Mri scans have shown that falling in love sends blood rushing to the pleasure centre of the brain, the same area that causes obsessive-compulsive behaviour. Falling in love also lowers serotonin levels, similar to people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. This helps explain why some people tend to idealize new partners and turn a blind eye to their mistakes.

Love is good for bone health. A study by the University of California, Los Angeles, found that marriage increases bone strength in men, especially after the age of 25. Other studies have shown that married people live longer, are more likely to survive cancer and have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Some couples subconsciously know that their marriage is failing. You probably already know if your partner is ideal. Psychologists at the University of Tennessee in the US asked a group of couples to look at negative or positive words paired with pictures of their spouses and recorded their reaction times. Four years later, those who quickly identified negative words were less satisfied with their marriage, suggesting that they had subconsciously held negative thoughts about their spouse.

Sex can cause rashes. Don't panic if your skin turns red during sex, it could be the body's natural response to increased blood flow and skin temperature. This so-called sexual flush can appear on the cheeks, chest, genital area or all over the body.

Old people need sex. Sexual interest and function decline with age, but that doesn't mean older people lose interest in sex. Many healthy older adults remain sexually active into old age.