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Topics: News, Health, Sex and Relationships, Science
Lucy Devine
Topics: News, Health, Sex and Relationships, Science
A doctor has revealed what actually happens to your body during 'No Nut November'.
With Halloween just around the corner, people around the world will soon be getting ready to let off fireworks, attend bonfires and grow a moustache - also known as Movember.
But, there's another tradition that autumn brings: No Nut November, an infamous month-long abstinence challenge which prohibits sex or masturbation for an entire 30 days.
It's not entirely clear where No Nut November came from, but it seemed to gain traction online in 2017.
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Oxford Online Pharmacy explains that some of the perceived benefits include muscle growth, increased stamina, thicker hair and improved sperm quality.
However, one doctor has now weighed in on exactly what happens during those 30 days, revealing some of the worrying side effects associated with the trend.
Erectile dysfunction expert Dr Alexis Missick, from UK Meds, told The Daily Star that there are many benefits to masturbation.
"Masturbation actually has beneficial effects on testosterone levels and libido, almost like a positive advocate loop," she said.
"By masturbating, it can delay the time to ejaculation, almost like building stamina and routine.
"It can also reduce some of the psychological issues, such as low self-esteem and performance anxiety, that would increase the chance of erectile dysfunction.
"The reverse is true - refraining from masturbating could worsen premature ejaculation and indirectly erectile dysfunction."
Meanwhile, urologist and sexual health expert, Dr Rena Malik took to her YouTube channel to explain should you choose to take part in No Nut November, you’ll miss out on all the important benefits masturbation has to offer.
She said: "There's a number of benefits to masturbation including better sleep, decreased heart rate, decreased stress and a lot of increase in feel good hormones.
"People can get a lot of pain and discomfort in their pelvic floor, or their testicles. A lot of you guys have heard of 'blue balls'."
Last year, Dr Karan Rajan also took to social media to explain why masturbation is important, saying on TikTok: “Wet dreams or nocturnal emissions aren't always about sexual arousal. Nocturnal emissions are a way for the body to clear out sperm.
"Your sperm has an expiration date, so if you haven't fired your gooey cannon in a while, your body gets rid of the old stuff while you sleep."
Rajan added: "If your body didn't reabsorb sperm your dingleberries would swell up."
As with so many health trends, there's currently not enough reliable evidence to support the supposed benefits of No Nut November.