Brasilia, Wednesday, April 28, 2010: Brazilian Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao Monday recommended that Brazilians have sex up to five times a week as a way to prevent chronic health problems such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular trouble.

“Dance, have sex, keep a stable weight, do physical exercise, and above all measure your blood pressure,” Gomes Temporao said in Brasilia, as he launched a hypertension prevention campaign.

According to Brazilian authorities, the problem of high blood pressure is growing among Brazilians. A study by the Health Ministry that conducted telephone interviews of 54,000 people, showed the proportion of Brazilians who say their blood pressure is 140/90 or above rose from 21.5 percent in 2006 to 24.4 percent now.

At a press conference, Gomes Temporao called upon Brazilians to eat more fruit, vegetables and legumes and to get exercise, including sex.

“It’s not a joke, I’m serious. Getting physical exercise regularly also means having sex, obviously protected sex,” the minister said, while safeguarding the ministry’s insistence on safe sex to prevent the spread of HIV.

Ref: IANS