Better Sex Life, Pleasant Moods & Satisfying Sleep Linked to Calorie-Restricted Diet

It turns out your food intake is correlated with your physical and psychological well-being. A new study found that restricting your calorie intake will tremendously improve your sex drive, help you have better sleep and give you pleasant moods.

The two-year research from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center examined more than 200 men and women with ages 20 to 50 and in good physical shape. The participants all have a body mass index, or BMI, between 22.0 and 28.0 that falls either in the normal weight or overweight, CNN reported.

Adults who restricted their calorie intake claimed they have better sex life, reduced stress, pleasant moods and better sleep. Those who practiced a calorie-restricted diet also reported losing an average of 16.8 pounds.

Better Sexual Performance

In the study, the men who restricted their calorie intake said their sexual arousal reached higher levels than their counterparts who didn't have a calorie-restricted diet. Other factors the researchers took into account are sexual cognition and fantasy, sexual performance and experience, orgasm, relationships and sex drive, CNN listed.

Lauri Wright, an assistant professor at the University of South Florida's College of Public Health, said it's possible that calorie restriction didn't give these physical and physiological improvements among the participants. Lauri said it was weight loss -- not calorie restriction -- that made respondents feel more confident, happier, sexier and pleased with themselves, Health reported.

Dr. Scott Kahan, the director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness in Washington, D.C., said low-calorie intake doesn't apply to everyone. Some people respond better with the more traditional low-fat diet.

Downsides Of Calorie Restriction

Despite the weight loss associated with a calorie-restricted diet, some people believe that lower calorie intake can lead to malnourishment or nutrition-deficiency of the body. A study that began in 1987 found that restricting calories is tied to slower healing of the wound and increased chances of acquiring infectious diseases due to a weaker immune system, Time reported. Lower calorie intake could also reduce fertility in women.

New Proposal Urges Food Labels To Display How Much Exercise You Need To Burn Calories

In April, British researchers proposed that food labels should display how much exercise is required to burn off calories, according to a report from Today. For example, you need to walk for 42 minutes or run for 22 minutes to burn off a chocolate bar. Calories from a can of soda take 26 minutes of walking or 13 minutes of running to be burned off.