Masturbating can reduce the risk of prostate cancer, expert claims (and more is better!)

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By Emily Stearn, health reporter for Mailonline

1:25 PM April 24, 2024, updated 2:14 PM April 24, 2024



When it comes to ways to reduce your risk of prostate cancer, you might immediately think of eating more vegetables or hitting the gym.

But according to an expert, there is something else that can help: masturbation.

Dr. Daniel Kelly of Sheffield Hallam University, who has conducted numerous studies on prostate, said there is ‘evidence’ to support the theory.

A Harvard University study found that men who ejaculated 21 times a month were up to a third less likely to be affected by the disease, compared to men who did so only four to seven times a month.

The 2016 findings held true regardless of whether a man achieved orgasm through masturbation or sex.

Frequent ejaculation, wrote Dr. Kelly in an article for The Conversation, “will do no harm” and “should therefore be part of a man’s healthy lifestyle.”

Researchers don’t know exactly why ejaculating can help protect against prostate cancer.

Dr. Kelly wrote: ‘Although the mechanisms are not yet fully understood, these studies fit the idea that ejaculation can reduce prostate cancer by reducing the concentration of toxins and crystal-like structures that can build up in the prostate and potentially cause tumors.

‘Similarly, ejaculation can alter the immune response in the prostate, reducing inflammation – a known risk factor for the development of cancer – or by increasing immune defenses against tumor cells.

READ MORE: Warning about unfolding cancer disaster as NHS life-saving aim to diagnose disease earlier ‘seriously off target’

‘Alternatively, by reducing psychological tension, ejaculation may lower nervous system activity, preventing certain prostate cells from dividing too quickly and increasing the chance of them becoming cancerous.’

One in eight men will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives, charities say. More than 52,000 men are diagnosed in Britain every year.

But thousands are diagnosed once the disease has already spread, making it the most common cause of cancer death in men after lung cancer.

Experts agree that early detection is key to increasing survival rates.

However, in the absence of a national screening program, progress in reducing numbers has been slow.

In January, an analysis of 11 studies published over the past three decades found that seven reported a beneficial effect of ejaculation on prostate cancer risk.

Scientists wrote in the journal Clinical Genitourinary Cancer: ‘The emerging link between ejaculation frequency and prostate health underlines the importance of incorporating sexual behavior into patient management and healthcare strategies.’

Contrary to years of research, experts now believe that men with low testosterone levels have an increased risk of prostate cancer and worse outcomes.

And because testosterone is known to increase sex drive, a man with low testosterone levels may not have the same desire for sexual activity.

Dr. Kelly wrote: ‘It may therefore be that testosterone reduces the risk of prostate cancer in men and also increases their motivation for sexual activity.’

He added: ‘There are benefits of sexual activity and ejaculation that go beyond the prostate, including positive effects on the heart, brain, immune system, sleep and mood.

‘So while the link between ejaculation frequency and prostate cancer is not yet fully understood and there is a real need for more research, frequent ejaculation (within reason) certainly won’t do any harm, is probably good and is therefore part of the healthy lifestyle of a man. .’

On average, more than 52,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in the UK, making it the most common form of cancer in men. About 12,000 men die from the disease every year – the equivalent of one man every 45 minutes

The risk of prostate cancer increases as you get older, with most cases developing in men aged 50 or over, the NHS says.

Symptoms may include needing to urinate more often, having to wait longer before urinating, erectile dysfunction, blood in the urine, weight loss, or new and unexplained lower back pain.

Celebrities who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer include Stephen Fry, who said he was ‘stunned’ when he discovered he had the disease in 2018.

In 2022, musician Jools Holland revealed that he had been successfully treated for prostate cancer after a diagnosis in 2014.

In August, Prostate Cancer UK also announced that referrals for the disease have reached a record high in the past year – up 17 percent – thanks to the ‘Bill Turnbull’ effect.

They said they believe the death of the ambassador and presenter encouraged men to get tested.

WHAT IS PROSTATE CANCER?



How many people does it kill?

More than 11,800 men in Britain – or one every 45 minutes – die from the disease every year, compared to around 11,400 women who die from breast cancer.

It means prostate cancer is behind only the lungs and bowels in the number of people it kills in Britain.

In the US, the disease kills 26,000 men every year.

Despite this, it receives less than half of breast cancer research funding and treatments for the disease are at least a decade behind schedule.

How many men are diagnosed annually?

More than 52,300 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK every year – more than 140 every day.

How quickly does it develop?

Prostate cancer usually develops slowly, so there may be no signs that someone has it for years, according to the NHS.

If the cancer is in its early stages and is not causing symptoms, a policy of ‘watchful waiting’ or ‘active surveillance’ may be implemented.

Some patients can be cured if the disease is treated at an early stage.

But if the diagnosis is made at a later stage, when the disease has spread, the disease becomes terminal and treatment revolves around relieving the symptoms.

Thousands of men are deterred from seeking a diagnosis because of the treatment’s known side effects, including erectile dysfunction.

Testing and treatment

Tests for prostate cancer are haphazard and accurate instruments are only just beginning to appear.

There is no national prostate screening program because the tests have been too inaccurate for years.

Doctors have difficulty distinguishing between aggressive and less serious tumors, making it difficult to decide on treatment.

Men over 50 are eligible for a ‘PSA’ blood test, which gives doctors a rough idea of ​​a patient’s risk.

But it is unreliable. Patients who receive a positive result usually receive a biopsy, which is also not foolproof.

Scientists aren’t sure what causes prostate cancer, but age, obesity and lack of exercise are known risks.

Anyone with concerns can speak to the specialist nurses at Prostate Cancer UK on 0800 074 8383 or visit prostatecanceruk.org

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