霸王阴功:为什么性让女人陷入爱河，却只让男人不断猎艳

Immediately before they reached the peak, other areas of the brain became affected such as the sensory cortex, which receives ‘touch’ messages from parts of the body. 

在他们到达快感顶峰的瞬间，大脑中其他的比如用来接收身体各部分触觉信息的知觉脑皮层都会收到影响

The final part of the brain to be activated is the hypothalamus, the ‘control’ part which regulates temperature, hunger, thirst and tiredness. 

大脑中最后被激活的区域是下丘脑，它是用来调控温度、饥饿感、干渴感和疲惫感的‘控制’区域.

Meg Ryan showed how women fake orgasms in When Harry Met Sally, but when they're not faking them, they are more likely to fall in love with a man after sex

Meg Ryan 讲解了在电影《当哈利遇见萨利》中女人是怎么假装高潮的，但是，当她们不假装的时候，通常情况下她们会在做爱之后与这个男人陷入爱河。

The scientists also discovered that sexual arousal numbs the female nervous system to such an extent that a woman doesn’t feel as much pain — only pleasure. The team now hopes to map what happens in a man’s brain during orgasm. 

科学家还发现高潮时的性兴奋感会使女性的神经系统麻木，让她们感觉不到任何痛苦，只有愉悦。这个科研小组最近正致力于描绘男性高潮时的大脑图像。

But what else is happening inside our heads when we slip between the sheets? Here we ask the experts to reveal how sex alters our brain.

但是，我们滚床单时，我们脑子里还发生了些什么呢？我们在这里采访了一些专家来揭露性是如何改变我们的大脑的。

WHY LOVE HURTS 

为什么爱情会让人受伤

A key hormone released during sex is oxytocin, also known as the ‘cuddle hormone’. This lowers our defences and makes us trust people more, says Dr Arun Ghosh, a GP specialising in sexual health at the Spire Liverpool Hospital.

Spire Liverpool 医院专攻性健康的全科医生Arun Ghosh 博士表明，性行为中产生的最重要的荷尔蒙是缩宫素，同时也叫‘拥抱荷尔蒙’。这种荷尔蒙降低了我们的防备心同时让我们更相信他人。

It’s also the key to bonding, as it increases levels of empathy. Women produce more of this hormone, although it’s not clear why, and this means they are more likely to let their guard down and fall in love with a man after sex.  

它同时也是产生情感联系的关键，因为它能增加对他人的认同感。女性会更多地产生这种荷尔蒙，虽然人们还不甚原因，但是这意味着女性更倾向于放下自己的方位，在发生性关系后爱上这个男人。

However, the problem is that the body can’t distinguish whether the person we’re with is a casual fling or marriage material — oxytocin is released either way. So while it might help you bond with the love of your life, it’s also the reason you may feel so miserable when a short-term relationship ends. 

但是，问题在于身体无法区分一个人是浪荡的公子哥还是适合结婚的金龟婿，两种情况下都会释放出缩宫素。所以它可能会帮助你和你生命中的爱人建立情感联系，也可能成为你短暂恋情倍感凄凉的诱因

Men, on the other hand, instead of getting a surge of bonding hormone receive a surge of simple pleasure. 

男人，正相反，他们仅仅会接收到单纯的欢愉的信号，而不会产生情感联系的荷尔蒙。

‘The problem is that when a man has an orgasm, the main hormone released is dopamine — the pleasure hormone. And this surge can be addictive,’ says Dr Ghosh. 

Ghosh博士说‘问题在于当男人高潮时，释放的主要荷尔蒙是多巴胺---愉悦荷尔蒙，这种冲击是上瘾的。’

That’s why so many more men tend to suffer from sex addiction.

这就是为什么多得多的男人会患性瘾。

For women especially - the mind plays a key role in achieving orgasm. The key to female arousal seems to be deep relaxation and a lack of anxiety

仅仅对于女性来说，达到高潮最重要的因素是大脑。而男性兴奋则更取决于深度的休息和不焦虑的状态。

STARVING OFF DEMENTIA 

饿死痴呆

Many of us are all too aware that our brain cells decline with age. In fact, it’s said we lose 7,000 brain cells a day by the time we’re 35, which makes rather depressing reading. 

很多人都很关注随着年龄的增长脑细胞会消亡这件事情。事实上，在我们25岁时，我们会每天损失7000个脑细胞，这简直是太让人沮丧了。

The good news, however, is that having regular sex may help us grow new brain cells, according to scientists from Princeton University in the United States. 

可是，好消息是，有规律的性行为可能会帮助我们生长出新的脑细胞， 美国普林斯顿的科学家如是说。

And the more sex you have, the more cells you can grow, it seems. Animal studies, published in the journal PLoS ONE, suggest that sex stimulates the growth of brain cells in the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning.

看起来是你做的爱越多，新生的细胞就越多。公共科学图书馆·综合杂志发表的动物研究中表明性刺激会促进海马体细胞的生长，这部分大脑区域是负责记忆和学习的。

Factors such as stress and depression have been shown to shrink the hippocampus, yet exercise and sex counteract this effect.、

一些压力和抑郁因素显示会导致海马体的萎缩，但是运动和性交都会抵消这个现象。

Furthermore, sex could actually be protecting our brain cells against decline. 

此外，性会实质上保护我们的脑细胞，不让他们减少。

‘There is some evidence that older people who are sexually active are less likely to have dementia and this could be for a variety of complex reasons,’ says Dr Ghosh.

Ghosh博士说，‘有证据表明，基于很多复杂的原因，一些性生活活跃的年纪大的人不那么容易得老年痴呆症’

Sex causes increased blood flow to the brain, which improves oxygen levels. 

性生活会增加大脑供血，进而增加大脑的氧含量

‘MRI scans have shown that during orgasm the neurons in the brain are more active and use more oxygen,’ explains Barry Komisaruk, professor of psychology at Rutgers University and a leading authority on sex and neuroscience. 

鲁格斯大学的心里教授，同时是性和神经科学方面的权威领头人的 Barry Komisaruk 教授解释说：‘磁共振扫描表明在高潮期间大脑神经原更加活跃，也会用到更多的氧气。’

‘It appears that the more active the neurons, the more oxygen they withdraw from the blood — so more oxygenated blood is supplied to the region, delivering a fresh supply of nutrients.’
‘磁共振扫描表明神经原越活跃，他们就需要血液提供更多的氧分，因此更多含氧量高的血液就会向那个区域供应，传输新鲜的营养。’

But as well as boosting brain cells, sex could also sharpen a woman’s mind, says Dr Ghosh. That’s due to a surge in sex hormones, particularly testosterone, which can help improve concentration and reaction times. 

Ghosh博士说，在增加脑细胞的同时，性也可以使女人的大脑更加敏锐。这是因为性荷尔蒙的刺激，特别是睾酮，能促进人们的集中力和缩短反应时间。

SMOOCHING MEANS BETTER SEX

接吻会让性生活更棒

The lips are packed with nerve endings — 100 times more than the fingertips.

嘴唇上布满神经端，比指尖多100倍

As a result, kissing kick-starts multiple mechanisms in the brain, releasing chemicals that lower stress and boost mood, says Dr Ghosh. 

Ghosh博士说，接吻会开启你大脑里的机器，释放出减轻压力舒缓情绪的化学物质

‘You’ll have much better sex if you kiss before intercourse,’ says Dr Ghosh. 

Ghosh博士说，如果性交前接吻的话，你会有更好的体验。

It increases levels of the pleasure hormones and will make you a lot more receptive to what happens later. 

接吻会增加你愉悦荷尔蒙的指数，并让你对于接下来要发生的事情更加能接受。

‘That’s why loving sex can be more satisfying than a quickie — and that endorphin hit from dopamine is especially important for women.’ 

这就是为什么有爱的性会比快速的性行为更有满足感， 多巴胺产生的脑内啡对于女性来说特别重要。

A NATURAL PAINKILLER

自然的止痛剂

Orgasm (rather than sex) can block pain signals, says Professor Komisaruk. Research using laboratory animals and humans has found that orgasm can inhibit the release of pain transmitters from the spinal cord so they can’t reach the neurons in the brain that respond to pain. 

Komisaruk 教授指出，高潮（不仅仅指由性交引起的）可以阻隔痛苦的信号。实验室动物和人类的研究都表明了高潮可以抑制从脊髓传播的疼痛信号，他们就无法达到大脑中负责对疼痛反应的区域。

In fact, he says, it can raise the pain threshold so much that the equivalent effect in morphine is three times the usual pain-relieving dose.

事实上，他说，性交最多可释放出的平常的止痛药中同样计量吗啡的三倍的效果。

MIND POWER

心智力量

A lot of sexual health research focuses on what’s happening physically. 

很多性健康研究都关注当下的肢体行为。

But experts say that for many people — especially women — the mind plays a key role in achieving orgasm.

但是专家指出很多人，特别是女性，大脑才是达到高潮的决定性角色。

While male brains tend to focus on the physical stimulation involved in sexual contact, the key to female arousal seems to be deep relaxation and a lack of anxiety. 在性交中男性的大脑主要注意在肢体的刺激，唤起女性性兴奋的重点是深度的放松和无焦虑的状态。

The scans show that, during sex, the parts of the female brain responsible for processing fear, anxiety and emotion start to relax more and more, reaching a peak at orgasm, when the female brain’s anxiety and emotion are effectively closed down.

扫描显示，在性交中，女性大脑中负责处理恐惧和焦虑的部分会越来越放松，达到高潮的时候，女性大脑中的焦虑和情绪化基本上关闭了。

THE ULTIMATE HAPPY PILL 

无限的快乐药丸

‘There is a known circuit in the brain that’s involved in feeling happy,’ explains Paul Thompson, professor of neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and an expert in brain imaging.

洛杉矶加州大学神经学的教授，同时也是大脑图像专家的 Paul Thompson教授解释说‘大脑有一已知的回路是来感知快乐的。’ 

‘This is called the limbic region, which is deep in the brain, and it’s more active when we’re rewarded. The same system is activated by sex, drugs, gambling — basically anything we enjoy. 

‘这部分被叫做边缘区域，在大脑的深处，当我们得到奖励的时候，这部分会十分活跃。性、药物和赌博，或者基本上我们享受的每一件事情都会激活相同的系统。’

‘There’s more blood flow to the head, more neurons firing, more brain activity.

头部会有更多供血，点燃更多的神经原，激活更多大脑区域。

‘Much of this deep brain circuit runs on the hormone dopamine. Anything pleasurable tends to cause these brain cells to exude more of it and this makes them fire faster.’

大脑深处的这个回路大部分是依靠荷尔蒙多巴胺的。任何让这些脑细胞膨胀的快乐都让他们点燃得更快。

‘Without doubt, sex has not only physical but psychological and social benefits, too,’ says Dr Ghosh. 

Ghosh博士说‘毫无疑问的，性不仅仅有生理上的好处，也有心理和社会性的好处。’

‘The endorphins released during sex can really help treat depression and clear the mind. 

‘性交期间释放的睾酮真的会帮助治疗抑郁，同时清空你的思绪。’

‘One is serotonin, also called the happy hormone, which creates a sense of bliss. People often say that sex is the last thing they feel like doing when they’re depressed, but do try it if you can. 

一个是血清素，也叫做快乐荷尔蒙，它能制造一种被狂喜的感觉。人们经常说郁闷时根本不想做爱，可是，能的话就试试吧。

‘And don’t worry if you get emotional afterwards — it’s very common to end up crying after sex. This is caused by a combination of endorphins being released and heightened emotions.’

‘你有情绪上的行为的话别担心，性交后痛苦是很正常的。这是因为脑内啡释放了和情绪提高的综合产物。’

BETTER SLEEP 

睡得更好
 

If you’re struggling to nod off, it’s better to have sex than take a sleeping pill, says Dr Ghosh
Ghosh博士说，‘如果你还在挣扎要不要打盹，最好的方法是做个爱，而不是吃安眠药。’

‘In fact, it’s more beneficial to have sex in the evening rather than the morning because the body wants to be relaxed afterwards, not get up and go to work.

事实上，在傍晚做爱比在清晨做爱更好，因为你的身体在那之后需要休息，不起床，也不工作。

‘By having sex at the end of the day you’ll reap more of the stress-relieving benefits. For a man, a powerful orgasm is the equivalent of having on average a 2-3mg shot of diazepam (or Valium).

‘在一天的最后做爱的话，你会更多地尝到释放压力的甜头。对一个男人来说，强有力的高潮和2-3毫克的安定有相同的作用。’

‘That’s why so many men nod off afterwards — there really is a biological reason for this.’
‘这就是为什么男人在做完爱后会昏昏欲睡，这是有生物依据的。’