Hi Alice,
Today a girlfriend and I were discussing the nutritional value of sperm. While performing oral sex, if you swallow, I was told that it is very high in protein. However, I was also informed that it is very high in calories. This may seem like a weird question, but I would like to know what nutritional benefits are involved when "swallowing" and how many approximate calories are in a man's ejaculation? Thank you for your help in this matter.
P
Dear P,
A typical ejaculation fills up about one teaspoon; the actual amount is
determined by a man's age (younger men usually make more semen), when he
last ejaculated, and how long he's aroused before ejaculating, among
other factors. Contrary to what you've heard, semen is not loaded with
calories. Each teaspoon of ejaculate has about 5 - 7 calories and some
200 - 500 million sperm. Since sperm make up only about 1 percent of
semen, what accounts for the other 99 percent? Well, its other
ingredients include:
- Fructose sugar
- Water
- Ascorbic acid (a.k.a., vitamin C)
- Citric acid
- Enzymes
- Protein
- Phosphate and bicarbonate buffers (bases)
- Zinc
Can swallowing semen enrich a poor diet? Unless you're gulping gallons of it each day, it's no substitute for real nutritious cuisine.
- Alice
Related Q&As
- My boyfriend's semen is chunky — Is this normal?
- What happens if you eat your own sperm?
- Will sex-ercise shed those extra pounds?
- Sharing drugs... through semen?
- The stuff that women's sexual secretions are made of
Go Ask Alice! is not an emergency or instant response service. If you are in an urgent situation, please click here to view a list of 24 hour support services and hotlines.
Nutritional value in a serving of semen
