Ep. 103: Why No Nut November Is a Nutty Concept

[00:00] Opening Clip: Why No Nut November Makes No Sense

Ep. 103: Why No Nut November Is a Nutty Concept

Host: Dr. Kanwal Bawa | Guests: Tiffany and Mia | Runtime: 25:41 | Published: November 21, 2023

Dr. Bawa: Now, if you are ejaculating 21 or more times a month and you have a lower risk of prostate cancer, on what planet does No Nut November make sense? That's why I say it's a very nutty concept, because it's not helping anybody.

Mia: So do you comment and do some—

Dr. Bawa: No, I don't. That's a good way to get some news out about, you know. I started the Dr. Sex Fairy group on Reddit.

Tiffany: Oh.

Dr. Bawa: But they banned me.

[00:30] Welcome and What Is No Nut November?

Dr. Bawa: Welcome to America's number one sexuality podcast, Dr. Sex Fairy. I am Dr. Kanwal Bawa, America's favorite sex doctor, and I am here to transform your life. The Dr. Sex Fairy Podcast is now both audio and video, so don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel, Dr. Sex Fairy, as well as subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Today we are discussing No Nut November and why it is a nutty concept. Let's first discuss what it is and how it began.

Dr. Bawa: It is an annual event that occurs every November. Men are told that they can't ejaculate for 30 days. Since ejaculation is referred to as busting a nut, this 30-day period of no ejaculation is called No Nut November. The trend began in 2011 on online forums such as Reddit and has since exploded. The basic idea behind this is semen retention, and that idea goes back thousands of years. YouTube videos and other social media outlets talk about this originating with Taoism in China, but it actually goes back further. The Taoist masters consolidated many of those theories and so are linked with the concept most often. They had multiple notions about the importance of semen retention, but the basic idea was that life force could be stored in sexual organs. Even Indian mythology has stories about how men who didn't have sex were physically stronger. The implied assumption was that they didn't masturbate either. Many other cultures had similar concepts. You even see this today with many football or basketball players who avoid sex before a big game.

[01:55] The Rules, Pornography and NoFap

Dr. Bawa: When it comes to the rules of No Nut November, there's a lot of confusion about masturbation. Some say that it isn't allowed, and some say that it is as long as you don't orgasm or ejaculate. Sex isn't allowed even if you don't orgasm or ejaculate. Wet dreams are not a disqualifier because they are involuntary. Again, some say that only one wet dream is allowed. Many think that pornography is banned during this time, but it isn't. The physical acts of orgasm and ejaculation are banned, not pornography. There is utter confusion about No Nut November versus NoFap. The latter calls itself a comprehensive community-based porn recovery website.

[02:45] Claimed Benefits and Semen Quality

Dr. Bawa: Coming back to No Nut November, the perceived benefits of not ejaculating or orgasming include improved semen quality, increased testosterone, increased self-confidence, increased mental clarity and focus, increased energy and physical strength, and increased self-control. But are these really the case? Let's start with semen quality. That's an easy one to debunk. You see, if sperm sits around for a while, you have more volume, but it isn't as good a quality. If the goal is to make a baby, waiting for a long period of time is a bad idea.

Dr. Bawa: A 2005 study titled "Relationship Between the Duration of Sexual Abstinence and Semen Quality: Analysis of 9,489 Semen Samples" looked at both the motility and morphology of sperm and found that they go down by 33.1% and 7%, respectively, at days 11 through 14. Motility is how well the sperm moves. Morphology is the size, shape, and structure of the sperm itself. What this means is that the longer you avoid ejaculating, the poorer the quality of your sperm is overall. A study with 818 participants published in the journal Andrology in 2019 found that waiting more than four days to ejaculate lowers sperm quality.

[03:50] Testosterone Claims and a Prostate Cancer Fact

Dr. Bawa: Now let's discuss whether testosterone levels really go up with abstinence. I'll keep it very simple. The frequently cited studies that show an increase in testosterone levels after abstinence are flawed and have very few participants. Besides, is that increase in testosterone sustained? It doesn't appear to be. And here's a fun fact: men who orgasm 21 or more times a month actually have a lower risk of prostate cancer.

Dr. Bawa: Joining me today to discuss this nutty concept are my friends Tiffany and Mia, hosts of the Crazy Rich Neighbors Podcast. Crazy Rich Neighbors, welcome back, my friends.

Tiffany: Thank you for having us.

Mia: We missed you.

Dr. Bawa: Yes, I have missed you, and now the Dr. Sex Fairy Podcast is back as a video podcast.

Tiffany: Awesome.

Mia: And you're looking fantastic and gorgeous and glowing.

Dr. Bawa: Well, thank you. Right back at you, my friends.

Tiffany: Thank you.

Dr. Bawa: Now people see how beautiful my friends are.

Mia: Aw.

[04:50] Tiffany and Mia React to No Nut November

Dr. Bawa: So thank you, and let's talk about No Nut November.

Tiffany: What?

Dr. Bawa: Yes. Have you ever heard of this madness before?

Tiffany: Never.

Mia: It's a lot of foolishness, but I never heard of this.

Tiffany: PhD of foolishness.

Dr. Bawa: This nonsense apparently started on Reddit most recently. As I mentioned in my introduction, this concept is not new, but this new focus on it is thanks to Reddit. People started talking in these chat groups they have there about how this is going to help men with increased testosterone. It will help them with better quality sperm. It will help them in their sex lives, help them last longer, all kinds of things. Crazy claims, really.

Tiffany: This sounds like it goes against everything that you say, right? Your mantra is use it or lose it.

Dr. Bawa: Use it or lose it, yes.

Mia: Right. So I'm sure it's the same for them, right?

Dr. Bawa: It's the same thing. And this whole concept about how it's somehow magically increasing your testosterone is madness. Yes, there have been some anecdotal studies. There have been some small studies, not very good studies, never a large study about anything like this. So I don't understand how they think that by not having sex, by not ejaculating, not masturbating—it's not even just about porn. In fact, people think No Nut November is about porn. It's not. This is about ejaculation.

[06:10] Ejaculation, Testosterone and Better Alternatives

Tiffany: Right.

Mia: It's about that whole thing. There are some people who will have sex but try not to ejaculate.

Dr. Bawa: So they're trying to force themselves into retrograde ejaculation.

Mia: That should be so unhealthy. Are there not other ways to build testosterone than trying this?

Dr. Bawa: Absolutely. Yes. I mean, there are creams, there are gels, there's exercise that can increase testosterone. Good sleep—I mean, crazy as that sounds. My testosterone booster, Renew. I mean, there's so much that you can do. Why are you depriving yourselves and your partner?

Tiffany: Correct. So, like, what are the ladies supposed to do?

Mia: Viva la vulva and just have a break?

Dr. Bawa: Oh, God. Some women that we know—some women would be very traumatized.

[07:00] A Patient Who Could Not Wait One Week

Dr. Bawa: I had one lady who was getting a CO2 laser of her vagina, and I told her no sex toys and no sex. So she was very traumatized by this, and she said, "So you mean not even, like, an external sex toy?" I said, "No." "Okay, so no sex at all. For how long?" I said, "One week." And she was so—then she comes back and says, "I have one last question." I said, "Give it to me." She said, "He can't even go down on me?" I said, "No, ma'am." Human saliva and CO2—not a good combination.

Tiffany: Oh my.

Mia: Wow.

Dr. Bawa: But there are women out there, sisters.

Tiffany: Wow. You never know these days. You have to live each day to its fullest.

[07:55] Why Athletes Abstain Before Games

Tiffany: But have you heard, like, professional athletes—football players—they have to abstain, or some of them do, from having sex and drinking alcohol, smoking weed or whatever? I can understand the weed and the alcohol, but the sex part makes no sense. Have you heard about that?

Dr. Bawa: Yes, absolutely.

Mia: What do you think the methodology behind that is?

Dr. Bawa: I think it's just a preconceived notion. You know, there's so much shame associated with sex in our culture. It doesn't matter if you're in the U.S. or if you are even in India or if you are in South America. I mean, it really doesn't matter. Our current modern-day culture is still not as sex-positive as it should be, or as positive as we'd like to think it is.

[08:45] Who Made the Rules About Sex?

Dr. Bawa: Everything is like, "Don't have sex; it will affect your performance." You have a big exam: don't have sex. You've only been on so many dates: don't have sex. It's just one of those things where, who made the rules? And I did the research on this. I was just curious about this whole no-sex-before-the-third-date thing, and I went and found that the couples most likely to stay together are the ones that got it on on their first date.

Tiffany: Because the chemistry.

Dr. Bawa: But, you know, there's this thought that if you give it up too soon, then they're not going to respect you. There's a layman's thought, and I get that.

Mia: That is old school.

Dr. Bawa: But it's cultural. It doesn't matter, though. I think you could be the same person, and in one situation you had sex on the first date, and maybe in other situations you waited until the third, fourth, fifth, tenth date. I mean, who makes the rules? You do. You are in charge of this, and I don't think we should let people tell us how it should be. It's like this whole No Nut November thing. There is some pressure on men from men—just men telling themselves to do this.

Tiffany: Sad Nuts November.

Mia: It hurts.

[09:55] What Happens to Sperm During a Month of Abstinence?

Tiffany: What happens to the sperm then when they can't make their journey for a whole month?

Dr. Bawa: Well, your sperm is sitting there and it's becoming worse and worse quality.

Mia: Yes, if you're trying to get somebody pregnant, that's not how to do it.

Mia: Okay.

Tiffany: So it weakens the little guys.

Dr. Bawa: It weakens the little guys. It changes their shape. It changes how they're moving. It changes everything—for the worse. Now, if somebody's trying to get pregnant, then you may tell them, okay, have sex every other day to build up a little more sperm. But when you're looking at past four days, five days, 11 days, 14 days, it's still stagnant.

[10:45] Why Some Men Say They Feel Better

Tiffany: People must be commenting on Reddit that this is making them feel better or having some type of positive effect, right? Otherwise, it would not be going on for years. This is not a new trend, right? So, did you read any of the comments?

Dr. Bawa: I did. Some of the guys talk about increased vitality. They feel like they are now more present in their lives in some way. I don't think sex has anything to do with it. It's like everybody always says porn is the enemy. Now, I promise you, I don't have a secret stash of porn anywhere in my office. I'm just saying, as a neutral third party, porn isn't the issue. If you have an addictive nature, you have an addictive nature. Now, if you're addicted to sex, you're addicted to sex. One month of No Nut November is not changing anything.

Mia: But maybe it's a combination of everything. Maybe they're not going out dating. Maybe they're drinking less, smoking less. Maybe they're getting more sleep. So maybe that's—

Dr. Bawa: Maybe. No Nut November isn't necessarily about not smoking and having healthier habits. But if you're not going out to find a sex partner, or you're not banging into the wee hours, right? I am all for self-control. I am all for, if it makes you feel better, do it. As long as you're not hurting somebody, who cares? But I don't see any logic in this. That's my problem with No Nut November.

Mia: Exactly.

[12:10] The 21-Times-a-Month Point and Reddit

Dr. Bawa: Now, if you are ejaculating 21 or more times a month and you have a lower risk of prostate cancer, on what planet does No Nut November make sense? That's why I say it's a very nutty concept, because it's not helping anybody.

Mia: So do you comment and do some—

Dr. Bawa: No, I don't. That's a good way to get some news out about, you know. I went and I started a Dr. Sex Fairy group on Reddit.

Tiffany: Oh.

Dr. Bawa: But they banned me. I never fought it because it was just a waste of my time.

Mia: So people with no medical experience can talk about trends that can have a negative impact on people’s health, and you, as a medical doctor—

Dr. Bawa: They attacked me completely.

Mia: It's the time we live in now. You're a voice of authority.

Dr. Bawa: But not on Reddit, because I bring reason and logic. And I think I got banned after I mentioned this stuff.

Tiffany: My Lord. That is insanity. It makes the conversation so much richer.

Dr. Bawa: Well, it's educating the public, which, God forbid, people don't like a contrarian view.

Mia: Oh, that's insane.

Dr. Bawa: So that's the problem. They don't like it. I follow the science.

Tiffany: Yeah, exactly. That's not in fashion now.

Dr. Bawa: Now we get our medical advice from Google and Reddit.

Mia: Yeah.

[13:40] Be Nice to Your Nuts November

Dr. Bawa: But it's insanity, if you ask me. It's like, you know, there was this whole thing of No Shave November. Isn't that November when men don't shave? But now it's gone from that, which is completely fine and doesn't hurt anybody and doesn't make any difference—other than maybe being a little scratchy. But, you know, beyond that, who cares?

Mia: I think you should do a counter-movement and call it Be Nice to Your Nuts November.

Dr. Bawa: Yeah, exactly. Yes.

Mia: Then they'll allow you back on Reddit. No Blue Balls November.

Dr. Bawa: Right. Yes.

Mia: Well, I'm glad you're addressing this and educating the people. It's an important time. Just in time.

Dr. Bawa: Just in time. November, here we come. And so I’m sure you have a lot of male and female listeners, but women, talk some sense into your men if they’re doing this.

Mia: Absolutely.

[14:40] Viral Trends, “Sexperts” and Credentials

Dr. Bawa: I think everybody wants to do the right thing. I think men want to do what's good for them, and they are being fed the story about how this is good for them. Because, you know, there's safety in numbers. The assumption is if everybody's doing it, it must be right. But social media creates these trends. They go viral and people jump on it without thought. You know, this whole business of sexperts. Nobody ever goes to find out what their credentials are. Are you a doctor? Some of them are wearing a white coat.

Mia: And even then—I mean, even wearing a white coat—how many accounts on TikTok are impersonating you, right?

Mia: Oh, and TikTok does nothing about that.

Dr. Bawa: I know.

Mia: Have you tried?

Dr. Bawa: Yes. I have an attorney who has approached them, and nothing is being done.

Mia: That's insane. I can't believe it.

[15:25] The Fake Maca Coffee Scam

Dr. Bawa: They were selling a fake maca coffee in my name. And how did I find out? I started getting calls at my office, people saying, "Dr. Bawa, we don't see the maca coffee on your website."

Mia: That's crazy. What maca coffee? Oh my God, that's so scary.

Dr. Bawa: So my staff comes and says to me, "Did you talk about some maca coffee?" I said, "What are you talking about?" I was just as confused as they were.

Tiffany: That shows you the power of your brand, and you can probably sell the hell out of anything.

Dr. Bawa: Yeah, but I have integrity.

Tiffany: Yeah, little thing. But you have great products.

Dr. Bawa: Well, thank you.

Mia: Obviously.

Dr. Bawa: And, you know, my supplements are U.S.-made in small batches.

[16:10] Why Made in the USA Matters

Mia: Good. That's important.

Dr. Bawa: I love when things are made in the USA. I do. When I was pregnant with my boys, I wanted, of course, to be on prenatals, but I just needed to know where that was coming from. And when I would look at the back of every bottle, it said distributed by Walgreens, distributed by CVS, or whichever other company. It never said where it was made.

Mia: Fair.

Dr. Bawa: So I thought that was sketchy.

Mia: And prenatal?

Dr. Bawa: Prenatal, right. And, you know, you have twins and I have twins, and it was a high-risk pregnancy on a good day, at best. So you don't want to do anything to screw that up.

Mia: No. It's scary enough as it is.

Dr. Bawa: And so I paid out of pocket some crazy amount of money for a prenatal that used to come out of England. It was about that big and I choked on it every day, but I took it. At least I knew where it was made.

Mia: You had beautiful, healthy boys.

Dr. Bawa: Yes, ma'am.

[17:20] A Bigger Problem: Looking for a Shortcut

Dr. Bawa: So, you know, I think No Nut November is a sign of a bigger problem in our society, where we're just so desperate to have something to believe in. I think we're desperate to feel good, too, that we'll try even the most insane ideas to get there. Maybe a little bit of sleep might go a long way.

Mia: Yeah. Or maybe a diet. Maybe some better eating, some sunshine, less nicotine.

Dr. Bawa: It's probably easier than everything else.

Mia: Easier to not have sex for a month?

Dr. Bawa: Maybe.

Mia: Wow.

Dr. Bawa: For some, yes—than to exercise or change the diet or change your lifestyle.

[18:00] Erectile Function and Better Ways to Improve It

Dr. Bawa: But, you know, the other thing is, I think part of No Nut November that people aren't really talking about is that the reason men feel this need to do this is for what? Better erectile function? Not the way to do it.

Mia: Well, there are better ways to do it, such as?

Dr. Bawa: Such as, you could do BawaWave. I do shockwave on men and women because blood vessels are blood vessels. We're breaking blockages. I also do radiofrequency in men. I know we've talked about it in women, but I do it for men. And just like shockwave is considered a male treatment, radiofrequency is considered a female treatment. But your bodies are essentially the same underneath.

Mia: Right.

Dr. Bawa: Men may not have a uterus, but blood vessels are blood vessels.

Mia: Correct.

Dr. Bawa: And so when you have good blood flow, when you have more collagen, when your tissue is healthier, when I use platelet-rich fibrin to introduce your growth factors to stimulate your own stem cells, like I do with a BawaShot, that changes things. When I do a CO2 laser and tighten the vagina to a pre-childbirth state, that's changing things.

Mia: Wow.

Dr. Bawa: So there's a lot to be done. I know we're talking about men. I should stay on topic. But I think in today's day and age, No Nut November is so unnecessary. There are better things you can do.

[19:25] Younger Men, Erections and Testosterone

Mia: But you know what? I think we've had conversations before that younger men are having problems with erections for whatever reason. I think we discussed that, and maybe this is an attempt to, like you said, have better sex.

Dr. Bawa: Yes, I really think that's part of it, even though nobody's mentioning it, because what really is testosterone doing? It's the most important male sex hormone. So when you have more testosterone, you're probably going to have a better erection.

Mia: Sure.

Dr. Bawa: And then you're also going to feel more frisky. In fact, one of the things I check for in women with low libido is their testosterone level.

Tiffany: But men too, right?

Dr. Bawa: Yes.

Mia: So what robs men of testosterone, especially young men?

Dr. Bawa: Well, you know, it's hard to say on a general basis what robs them of it, but as you age, your testosterone levels are going to go down.

Tiffany: So men are going through menopause, but we get labels.

Dr. Bawa: Yes, right. Andropause. There’s menopause, and then there’s andropause.

[20:20] BPAs, Chemicals and a Toxic Environment

Mia: What are your thoughts on plastics and all these chemicals that drive up the estrogen levels in men and young women—or young men—and then lower their testosterone?

Dr. Bawa: BPAs are a real problem. BPAs are an absolute crisis situation because they're in so many things. Now, of course, it's starting to shift the other way because people are talking about it. So it's non-BPA or no BPA, or whatever they say in the labeling. Nonstick pans have a lot of that crap in them, not just plastic bottles. So our society on the whole is a very toxic—

Mia: Situation, because we've talked about this in other episodes where there are cereals that are sold in the U.S. to our children that have things that in Europe you're not allowed to put in your food. If it's not okay for them, why is it okay for us?

Dr. Bawa: Exactly. So ED is increasing in younger men. Now, we’ve talked about this as well before, because we’re always talking. Twenty percent of men in their twenties.

Tiffany: That's horrific.

Dr. Bawa: That is horrific. Two out of every 10 men in a lineup in their twenties cannot get it up.

Tiffany: That's so sad. Everything is driven by porn all the time. Could that be part of it?

[21:30] Soy, Plant-Based Diets and Hormones

Mia: Yeah, so like the rise of plant-based diets and soy. I've heard too much soy is not good for men—to eat too many soy-based products.

Dr. Bawa: Yes, and really for anyone. Even for me—I mean, I am a cancer survivor. I do eat edamame. I do eat tofu, but I'm not going to eat a diet that's primarily based on that.

Mia: And what does that increase?

Dr. Bawa: That increases estrogen levels in women, too. And soy baby formulas—yeah, not a good thing. Feminization of men.

Mia: Well, and for women too. I was given soy baby formula and then later in life ended up with a whole host of gynecological issues, and I think it had a lot to do with all the estrogen.

Dr. Bawa: Yeah, I think we need to stick to nature, stick to the basics. I think plant-based meats are another issue.

Mia: Oh, those fake meats. They taste so good, but it’s just processed garbage.

Dr. Bawa: They're terrible. My son did a speech for school recently, and he talked about that, and it was an eye-opener for me. I mean, I knew that it was an issue, but even I didn't realize what a horrible thing that is for the environment and for people.

Mia: Oh, wow.

[22:40] Back to the Basics: Sleep, Exercise and Hydration

Dr. Bawa: Yeah, it's true. So I think that when it comes to these things, the closer you stay to nature, the closer you stay to how we were intended to be, how our lives were intended to be: get sleep, get exercise, get hydration. I mean, that sounds incredibly boring, but simple. It's really that simple sometimes when it comes to these things. I mean, testosterone—you lift weights, you get better testosterone. Now, yes, there is my supplement, which is a high-grade supplement. It's excellent. But my point is, do things in your life that make your testosterone level go up. And it's great to ejaculate. It's great to ejaculate.

Dr. Bawa: You know, for my whole line of merch, you come up with some.

Mia: Hey, this is a marketing machine.

Tiffany: She is a marketing machine, this one.

[23:35] Where to Find Crazy Rich Neighbors

Dr. Bawa: So, ladies, how can our viewers find you two?

Mia: Anywhere podcasts can be found: Crazy Rich Neighbors, or CrazyRichNeighbors.com.

Tiffany: Yep.

Mia: And our Instagram?

Tiffany: Yes, we’re @CrazyRichNeighbors, and also CRN Podcast on Facebook.

Dr. Bawa: Well, ladies, another great discussion down.

Mia: Yes.

Tiffany: Thank you so much.

Dr. Bawa: Thank you so much for coming and discussing my crazy topics with me.

[24:05] What Should Dr. Sex Fairy Fans Be Called?

Dr. Bawa: So, what are your fans called? Do they have a name?

Mia: No, they don't have a name.

Dr. Bawa: See, I need my own Swifties.

Tiffany: Swifties. Yeah. The fairies. The sex fairies.

Mia: The sexies.

Dr. Bawa: My elves.

Mia: Yeah, elves. The sexy elves.

Dr. Bawa: The sexy elves, yes. See, when I become big like Taylor Swift, you know, I’ll have my—

Mia: We need to establish that name now. We have our bougie crew as our community.

Dr. Bawa: Exactly. So we’ll talk about it off camera, and then we’ll introduce your name in the next episode.

Tiffany: There we go.

[24:45] Closing: Sexual Health Is Personal

Dr. Bawa: Sexual health is a personal matter, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Promoting open and honest discussions about health, sexuality, moderation, wellness, and self-care is far more important than adhering to a rigid challenge that may not suit everyone's needs or circumstances. So let's encourage understanding and empathy rather than subscribing to nutty notions like No Nut November that's simply unbacked by science.

Dr. Bawa: As always, thank you for joining me on this episode of the Dr. Sex Fairy Podcast. If you're watching this on YouTube, don't forget to leave questions and comments. I will answer them personally. Make sure you like this video and subscribe to my channel, Dr. Sex Fairy, so that you never miss a video. If you are listening on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or elsewhere, do subscribe to the Dr. Sex Fairy Podcast. We have more great content and guests to come. Check out my superhit TikTok account, Dr. Sex Fairy, and my Instagram, The Real Dr. Sex Fairy. Until next time.