The best is yet to come — at least, that’s the logic behind No Nut November.
Each year, the viral internet challenge dares participants, primarily men, to abstain from masturbation, sex and ejaculation for the entire month. A quick search on TikTok reveals a flood of videos touting the alleged perks of “seed retention.”
According to creators, when unused sperm naturally breaks down and reabsorbs into the body, it recycles a host of physical and cognitive benefits — from a permanent testosterone boost and boundless energy to razor-sharp mental clarity and iron-clad self-discipline.
But how much of it is backed by science, and how much is just jerking us around?
First, a month without ejaculation is generally safe, Dr. Akash Kapadia, a urologist at Georgia Urology, told The Post.
“There’s no evidence I know of that says a month of voluntary abstinence causes illness or reproductive harm in otherwise healthy men,” he assured.
The male reproductive system doesn’t just shut down when a man stops ejaculating. It continues functioning normally, with no dangerous accumulation of sperm, semen or pressure.
In fact, research suggests that longer periods of abstinence may increase semen volume and sperm count. But bigger numbers don’t necessarily translate to better swimmers.
“The idea that doing this can somehow improve sperm quality is not true,” Kapadia insisted.
And men looking to give their prostate a little extra protection may want to think twice before making abstinence a habit. Research has shown an association between more frequent ejaculation and a lower risk of prostate cancer.
A major long-term study published in European Urology found that adult American men reporting 21 or more ejaculations per month (from any source, including sex and masturbation) had a roughly 20% to 22% lower relative risk of developing prostate cancer compared to men reporting four to seven ejaculations per month.
Follow-up research found that frequent ejaculation was associated with changes in the expression of hundreds of genes. The findings support the theory that regular fluid release may help prevent the stagnation of potentially harmful or carcinogenic substances in the prostate gland.
Still, there’s an important caveat, Kapadia stressed. These findings don’t prove that ejaculating more often directly prevents cancer — just that there’s an association.
And the idea that the body recycles unused sperm into some kind of biological superpower? That part is actually true — partly.
The body has an efficient system for breaking down and absorbing biological material, including sperm cells that aren’t ejaculated. Their components are eventually recycled through normal cellular processes.
This is routine, not a performance-enhancing hack, as cell turnover happens naturally, and healthy men don’t need a physical cleanse, supplement or special intervention to clear out unused sperm.
“Semen or sperm retention has not been shown to offer a benefit in vitality, sustained testosterone levels, or potency,” said Kapadia.
And for men hoping to improve their odds of conceiving, saving their seed isn’t a winning strategy, either. In fact, intercourse every other day during the fertile window seems to be ideal for conceiving, noted Kapadia.
Of course there’s a difference between voluntarily choosing not to ejaculate and being unable to do so.
Men experiencing difficulty ejaculating should see a urologist specializing in men’s health to investigate potential underlying issues.
