The average fertile man is said to produce 1500 sperm cells a second.
Beyond what we already known about its biological function, are there other aspects of sperm worth knowing about?
Here are six fun facts we dug up.
1. It can help prevent depression in women
Research has shown women who have unprotected sex or oral sex are less likely to have depression. A study says sperm helps increase oxytocin, prostaglandins and serotonin in women, and suggests this may lead to healthier moods and immune system.
2. It can increase your fertility
Semen plays more than one role other than carrying a man’s swimmers to wherever it is they’re going. According to recent studies , it is also crucial in triggering ovulation. Scientists have discovered the protein in the sexual fluid acts as a hormonal signal to the female brain. This triggers the release of other hormones that signal the ovaries to release an egg.
3. It does not last for days
Time to debunk one of the most enduring myths about sperm. On ejaculation inside a woman, a man will release between 300-500million sperm which set off on their way, and most of them will die within the hour. Five to 10 of these will survive and manage to reach the tubes, but more than half won’t survive to stick around.
And for the rest? It’s unlikely even these will be able to hang on in there long enough as they are killed by acids, killed by the woman’s immune system or get lost in the uterus. In theory they can last for up to five days, but the odds are stacked against them.
4. You can cook with it.
Yup! There’s now an entire cookbook dedicated to recipes using semen.
Entitled, Natural Harvest – A Collection of Semen-Based Recipes , cooking and sperm enthusiast Paul ‘Fotie’ Photenhauer has kindly put together his culinary suggestions.
He says, “Semen is not only nutritious, but it also has a wonderful texture and amazing cooking properties. Like fine wine and cheeses, the taste of semen is complex and dynamic. “
5. It’s good for your skin
Containing zinc, vitamin C, prostaglandins, collagen, vitamins, amino acids sperm is apparently the closest thing we have to an elixir of youth.
So much so, a Norwegian company, Bioforskning, has synthesized the compounds into a facial cream, the aptly named Spermine. According to Bioforskning, Spermine can delay the ageing process by up to 20 per cent.
6. The first sperm cell under the microscope…
In 1677 to be precise, when Antonie van Leeuwenhoek grabbed his microscope just moments after having sex with his wife.
Source: Pulse.ng