A side benefit of frequent ejaculation may be a lower risk of prostate cancer, a study of more than 31,000 men shows.
The men were asked to report the average number of times they ejaculated per month during 3 periods: age 20 to 29 years, age 40 to 49 years, and the year before the questionnaire distribution.
The relative risk for prostate cancer was about 20% lower in men who ejaculated at least 21 times a month, compared with those who ejaculated 4 to 7 times a month.
The US authors say their research provides the strongest evidence to date of the role of ejaculation in cancer prevention.The reduction in prostate cancer risk for high-frequency ejaculators was seen across all 3 time periods.
However, there was no association between ejaculation frequency and high-grade, advanced, or lethal disease.
“In a large prospective study with long-term follow-up, men who reported more frequent ejaculation in adulthood had a lower risk of total incidence of prostate cancer”, the Boston-based researchers write in the journal European Urology.
“Ejaculation frequency represents a potentially modifiable risk factor for prostate cancer.”
During the 18-year follow-up, 3839 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 384 of those cases were lethal.
21 April 2016
