Hello ladies,

Sp€rm already does so much work in terms of being the baby-making catalyst, but there are several other, awesome health perks to sp€rm that you probably didn’t know about. Some of them are quite surprising.

It’s pretty common knowledge that s€x all by itself does wonders for your body, both on the inside and out. It can even help you live longer if you keep it up past 50. But sp€rm is not often talked about as something that’s good for you, you know, beyond the obvious baby assistance those little swimmers offer.

To that end, there have been some recent developments in the realm of sp€rm research, and the findings are pretty exciting, if not somewhat bizarre. Here’s a list of the most interesting health (and otherwise) benefits you could experience with regular sp€rm (and s€men) interaction.

1. Semen is a natural anti-depressant
I know s€x in general can put a smile back on my face, but I never thought it had anything to do with s€men.

According to a study conducted on 293 female college students at the State University of New York in Albany, exposure to s€men can lower symptoms of depression. The study compared female students who were having s€x with condoms versus those who were having s€x without, and found that the latter group overall showed fewer signs of depression.

According to the study’s author, “These data are consistent with the possibility that semen may antagonize depressive symptoms, and evidence which shows that the v.gina absorbs a number of components of semen that can be detected in the bloodstream within a few hours of administration.”

Basically, women absorb s€men quickly, and thus its benefits can be easily detected in the bloodstream.

But don’t go having unprotected s€x because of this. I will state the obvious: There are still such things as STDs and you can still get pregnant despite this health benefit.

2. It helps you sleep better
Yes, sure, you’re usually worn out after s€x, but that may not be why you sleep so well that night. S€men actually contains melatonin which is a chemical that induces sleep and relaxation. Whether you ingest it, or receive it through intercourse, it will enter your bloodstream and help you doze off better than most over-the-counter sleep aids.

3. A multivitamin in each €jaculation
One teaspoon of semen contains over 200 proteins and several helpful vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, calcium, chlorine, citric acid, fructose, lactic acid, magnesium, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, vitamin B12 and zinc. While amounts of each vitamin vary with age and relative health of the obliging male, there is usually a significant amount of zinc present (about 3 percent of US RDA), which is an antioxidant that helps slow down the aging process. So besides exercise, s€x (sans con.dom) gives you a healthy dose of something good.

4. Oral s€x can lower your blood pressure

A recent study suggests that swallowing the baby juice on a regular basis can lower your blood pressure.

Women who swallow their male mate’s sp€rm during oral s€x often have a much lower risk of getting preeclampsia — a complication during pregnancy that results in super-high blood pressure. So s€men is helpful in making and birthing a baby.

5. It lowers the risk of prostate cancer (when expelled)

So this last one’s not so much a health benefit of semen, but rather the act of s€men is released. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that “high ejaculation frequency was related to decreased risk of total prostate cancer.” This means that whether you do it alone or with a friend, if you’re ejaculating regularly, you’re lowering your chances of getting prostate cancer later in life. Suddenly the term “release your demons” takes on new meaning.

6. It could be the next all-natural fire extinguisher

You read that right. Research that’s being conducted at the Polytechnic University of Turin suggests that the DNA in s€men could be used to create flame-retardant materials. Right now, they’re looking specifically at DNA from herring sp€rm cells and finding that it converts to a “ceramic-like material when exposed to extreme heat.”

The science behind it is a little intense, but simply put, the components found in the DNA could be an environmentally friendly way to protect fabric from flame. While this sounds awesome, I wouldn’t go attempting the human fire extinguisher just yet.

By Lailan Ibienebo Williams