Men who ejaculate at least 21 times a month have a lower risk of prostate cancer compared to men who only ejaculate four to seven times a month, according to a study that followed a large group of men for nearly two decades.

This link was founded from the lower risk versions of the disease as published in the European Urology journal. Researchers didn’t find impact from ejaculation frequency on a diagnosis of high-risk prostate cancer. Participants of over 31K were part of a follow-up study where they reported how often they ejaculated in a 1992 questionnaire.

The report was based on follow-up through the year of 2010 where researchers noted prostate cancer diagnoses and outcomes.

In men between the ages 20-29 or 40-49 the impact of ejaculation assessed. Researchers before the results were in had hypothesized that more frequent ejaculations might protect men from prostate cancer and this was indeed what they found. The risk was 20% lower for men who ejaculated 21 times or more during an average month compared to those who ejaculated 4-7 times.

When they evaluated different forms of prostate cancer, the team found that ejaculating 13 times or more on average lowered the probability of low or intermediate-risk prostate cancer 25-28% in both age groups. But a link was not found of when it came to high risk prostate cancer.

There are earlier studies that showed ejaculation impacts the levels of trace elements citrate and zinc. The levels of metabolism of these factors in the prostate might contribute to cancer development.

Higher sexual activity generally is regarded as an indicator of good health and can influence the level of cancer risk. Researchers also found that higher ejaculation frequency was linked to some factors considered far from optimal from the view of health. Men 40-49 years old, frequency ejaculation was associated with a higher BMI, more STD, higher consumption of calories and alcohol as well as even divorce.