The many benefits of semen
[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/may/08/lazar-greenfield-semen-antidepressant-women]The uses of semen? One: reproduction. Two: best not mentioned, really? | Life and style | The Observer[/url]
In his Valentine's Day-themed editorial in Surgery News, "Gut Feelings", Lazar cited a study that reported the mood-boosting effects of semen on women, concluding: "So there's a deeper bond between men and women than St Valentine would have suspected, and now we know there's a better gift for that day than chocolate."
"I thought [these were] fascinating new findings related to semen, and the way in which nature is trying to promote a stronger bond between men and women. It impressed me. It seemed as though it was a gift from nature. And so that was the reason for my lighthearted comments."
His team found that women whose partners didn't use condoms were less depressed. They also found that depressive symptoms and suicide attempts were higher among women who used condoms regularly compared to those who didn't. Moreover, the women who didn't use condoms became more depressed the longer they went without having sex. Gallup suggested this was because semen contains oestrogen and prostaglandins which have been linked to lower levels of depression, and oxytocin which promotes social bonding.
Last week, his research back in the news, Gallup elaborated to Popular Science: "Seminal plasma evolved to control and manipulate the female reproductive system so as to work toward the best interests of the donor – the male." He suggested that the possible antidepressant properties of semen may promote bonding between the sexual partners, and that was to the male's reproductive advantage.
