Participants claim that preserving semen helps ▲muscle development ▲improvement of concentration ▲enhancement of sexual desire and erectile power. Some see it as a type of play that tests self-control and will. Is not actually ejaculating good for your health?
“The more frequently you ejaculate, the lower your risk of prostate cancer.”
Multiple studies have shown that regular ejaculation reduces the risk of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and the fastest growing cancer in Korea. According to national cancer registration statistics, the number of cases in 2022 increased by about 58% compared to 2017. Most prostate cancer risk factors, such as age over 50, obesity, and family history, are difficult to change, so academics have focused on a controllable factor called ‘frequency of sexual activity.’
In 2016, a Boston University research team tracked about 32,000 men for 18 years and found that men who ejaculated more than 21 times a month between the ages of 20 and 29 had a 33% lower risk of prostate cancer than men who ejaculated 4 to 7 times a month, and a 32% decrease among men between the ages of 40 and 49. Dr. Jennifer Ryder, who led the study, said, “Men who ejaculated more frequently throughout adulthood had a lower risk of prostate cancer.”
The same conclusion was reached in a meta-analysis by a joint team of researchers from Nigeria, Russia, and the United States published in ‘Clinical Urologic Cancer’ last year. A synthesis of 11 existing studies found that men who ejaculated frequently had an average of 30% lower risk of prostate cancer. The most well-known study, a Harvard University study, reported that men who ejaculate more than 21 times a month had a 31% lower risk of developing the disease than men who ejaculated 4 to 7 times a month. A Spanish study published in the ‘World Journal of Men’s Health’ in 2023 also found that men who ejaculated at least four times a month had a lower risk of prostate cancer than men who did not. However, there is a limitation that most studies rely on participant self-reporting, which reduces objectivity.
It is not fully clear why frequent ejaculation helps prevent prostate cancer. However, one cause is considered to be the increased supply of oxygen and nutrients due to increased blood flow to the prostate during ejaculation. Some believe that this is because waste products and carcinogens in the semen are released during ejaculation. There is also research that estimates that frequent ejaculation may cause prostate cells to produce more of a substance called ‘citrate’, which may inhibit the growth of cancer cells. The interpretation is that the process of the prostate being periodically emptied and circulated has a positive effect on health.
When you ejaculate, you lose muscle mass and decrease male hormones.
The claim that ejaculation causes muscle loss or male hormones to drop is not scientifically true. The average amount of semen discharged through ejaculation is 2 to 4 cc, of which 90% is water and only about 5% is protein. Converted into protein loss, it is approximately 150 mg. Director Lee Young-jin of Daegu Cornell Urology Department said, “Given that Koreans consume an average of 70 to 80 g of protein, it is close to impossible to masturbate to the point of muscle loss. Unless you masturbate dozens of times a day, there is no major problem.”
If you force yourself to hold back the moment you need to ejaculate or continue abstinence for a long period of time, prostate pain, inflammation, and decreased blood flow may occur. Conversely, healthy ejaculation at a certain frequency helps maintain hormonal balance, relieve stress, and improve sleep quality. Director Lee Young-jin said, “Ejaculation is a male physiological function, and if circulation is not achieved, oxidative stress accumulates in the testes and prostate, and can have a negative impact on hormonal balance. It is not good to do it too often or to endure it too much.” He continued, “The most important thing is to live a balanced life that suits your body’s rhythm and condition.”