Sperm: The latest superfood?
Every month ushers in a new group of in-season superfoods. May saw strawberries, peas and apricots reach peak season. June superfoods include cherries, cucumbers, papaya, and now… sperm?
Every month ushers in a new group of in-season superfoods. May saw strawberries, peas and apricots reach peak season. June superfoods include cherries, cucumbers, papaya, and now… sperm? Yes, you read that right. Just like papaya is a good source of Vitamin A, fiber and potassium – sperm apparently is the next big source of Vitamin C, protein and zinc.
Columbia Health found that male ejaculate reads like the ingredients list of a protein-infused sports drink: fructose sugar, water, Vitamin C, citric acid, enzymes, protein, zinc and more. And now, according to new research reported by Discovery News, certain females are consuming male ejaculate and sperm as if it were food, using the nutrients to fuel their own bodies as well as their fertile eggs.
Now we should probably preface that "females" in this sense, includes those in the animal kingdom as well — but lead author Benjamin Wegener said that ejaculate consumption is also well documented among humans even though the behavior is not a standard part of our reproductive process.
The focus of the study, published in the journal Biology Letters, was female squid, which appear to partake in this practice often. Wegener and his team of researchers at Monash University's School of Biological Sciences discovered the behavior and tracked how the sperm were utilized after consumption. This behavior is also common in carrion flies, picture wing flies, a type of leech and a number of other species.
This behavior, however, can put added pressure on the male species. Tom Tregenza, a professor of evolutionary ecology at the University of Exeter and director of research for CLES Cornwall, told Discovery News that "males have to balance providing enough sperm for fertilization, but perhaps not so much that females start to rely upon it as a regular 'tempting meal.'"
For the full article, check out DiscoveryNews.com.
