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Low stomach acid links to ejaculation (Zinc?)

sb4

Senior Member
Messages
1,654
Location
United Kingdom
I have noticed a bit of a pattern. Last month I didn't ejaculate for 5 weeks. Starting on the 4th week I noticed my stomach had started to growl a little between meals. This is massive for me as thanks to my gastroparesis and possibly low stomach acid, my stomach hasn't growled in years and I have to force food down me. My appetite significantly increased in this time. Then once I ejaculated a week later my stomach growling instantly disappeared and my appetite decreased (although it was still more than I'm used to).

Tuesday I ejaculated after 4 days abstinence, in those 4 days my appetite was good, the day post ejaculation it was poor, and that night I was awoken by gastroparesis sickness feeling, of which I haven't had in months.

It seems that abstaining from ejaculation is positively correlated with increased appetite/stomach growling. This makes me think that a nutrient/hormone used up in making sperm and used in making stomach acid is deficient in me.

The obvious choice would be Zinc. It is used in great quantities in semen, and is also a cofactor for carbonic anhydrase which is used in the process of create stomach acid. 2 Slight doubts I have with this though is that I have taken zinc before (not for very long) and noticed no benefit, although it appears the benefit is soubtle / takes a while to build up. The other doubt is that I had a hair mineral analysis done years ago that had normal zinc whereas most other minerals where right on the deficient borderline (including copper).

I can see this deficiency occurring through dysautonomia -> gastroparesis -> poor absorption -> low zinc -> low stomach acid -> low zinc absorption, vicious circle. I have started today taking a 3 year out of date zinc gluconate supplement twice per day @25mg.

If it is not zinc, what else could cause this effect? Copper, low testostorone, low amino acids, high prolactin? What are common variables between semen and stomach acid that I'm missing? Anyone else had this experience? @nanonug

Thanks.
 

sb4

Senior Member
Messages
1,654
Location
United Kingdom
As it relates to your (@nanonug) recent SOD post I will post a theory that a guy from another forum posted in response to my question.

He basically said that he thought the reason for my increased appetite was increased ghrelin. He thought that ghrelin was low in me because of high ROS, specifically hydroxyl radicals. These hydroxyl radicals are using up my hydrogen that ghrelin needs to work. I think he means by this that carbonic anhydrase is needed for example to convert CO2 into CHO3 + H+, yet I guess my H+'s are getting used up to make H2 to quench OH*. Either way this checks out as molecular hydrogen has been shown to increase ghrelin.
He thinks that because spermatogenesis uses up a lot of glutathione, I don't have enough left to properly scavange OH* and thus produce ghrelin.

I think this theory is more legit than a zinc deficiency as I don't have other symptoms of zinc deficiency and the above theory chimes very well with CFS; Chronic infection -> too much ROS -> Increased Glycolysis + reduced OXPHOS -> Low antioxidant systems -> decreased mitochondrial function and overall energy generation.

I intend to try some molecular hydrogen next week to see if it affects my ghrelin / stomach rumbling.
 

sb4

Senior Member
Messages
1,654
Location
United Kingdom
Curious how you are planning to do this in a way that doesn't kill you...
I was thinking of picking up some lose hydrogen off the floor, putting it in a syringe and injecting it straight into my heart.

Wait a minute, that's not what I was thinking at all. :D. It appears you can dissolve (?) hydrogen in water by reacting pure magnesium in water in a sealed bottle. Mg + H2O = Mg(OH)2 + H2. I have purchased some tablets that apparently do this (though I'm skeptical), there ingredients are basically Mg, Mg malate, acid. I have also purchased a magnesium rod of which I can add my own malic acid to it a sealed bottle.

I am somewhat doubtful if this will get me a meaningful level of H2, enough to test the hypothesis but I guess we will see.
 

nanonug

Senior Member
Messages
1,709
Location
Virginia, USA
Mg + H2O = Mg(OH)2 + H2.

Isn't Mg(OH)2 magnesium hydroxide? I foresee quite a bit of diarrhea in your near future...

Solubility of hydrogen in water is low so I don't think you'll be ingesting much (which is probably a good thing!)

I can tell you that, if I were in your place, I wouldn't be doing this. But, whatever you decide to do, good luck!
 

sb4

Senior Member
Messages
1,654
Location
United Kingdom
Yeah it looks like people have diarrhea if they take too much.

Yes I think you are looking at 0.1-5.0ppm. Apparently this amount is enough for effects.
 

hapl808

Senior Member
Messages
2,052
Have you heard of POIS?

This was a good resource:

https://poiscenter.com/forums/index.php?topic=2502.0


(Yeah i'm 5 years late posting on this thread.)

It's a great thread - his knowledge is always quite impressive. Shame he doesn't post there much anymore.

Unfortunately it didn't really seem to help me much, but since I have ME/CFS symptoms all the time (just even worse after any sexual activity), it's a bit more severe I guess.

Five years late is fine seeing as we've made little progress. :( So you're just on time.
 
Messages
13
I have noticed a bit of a pattern. Last month I didn't ejaculate for 5 weeks. Starting on the 4th week I noticed my stomach had started to growl a little between meals. This is massive for me as thanks to my gastroparesis and possibly low stomach acid, my stomach hasn't growled in years and I have to force food down me. My appetite significantly increased in this time. Then once I ejaculated a week later my stomach growling instantly disappeared and my appetite decreased (although it was still more than I'm used to).

Tuesday I ejaculated after 4 days abstinence, in those 4 days my appetite was good, the day post ejaculation it was poor, and that night I was awoken by gastroparesis sickness feeling, of which I haven't had in months.

It seems that abstaining from ejaculation is positively correlated with increased appetite/stomach growling. This makes me think that a nutrient/hormone used up in making sperm and used in making stomach acid is deficient in me.

The obvious choice would be Zinc. It is used in great quantities in semen, and is also a cofactor for carbonic anhydrase which is used in the process of create stomach acid. 2 Slight doubts I have with this though is that I have taken zinc before (not for very long) and noticed no benefit, although it appears the benefit is soubtle / takes a while to build up. The other doubt is that I had a hair mineral analysis done years ago that had normal zinc whereas most other minerals where right on the deficient borderline (including copper).

I can see this deficiency occurring through dysautonomia -> gastroparesis -> poor absorption -> low zinc -> low stomach acid -> low zinc absorption, vicious circle. I have started today taking a 3 year out of date zinc gluconate supplement twice per day @25mg.

If it is not zinc, what else could cause this effect? Copper, low testostorone, low amino acids, high prolactin? What are common variables between semen and stomach acid that I'm missing? Anyone else had this experience? @nanonug

Thanks.
Did you end up finding out your issue with this?

Maybe a Pregnenolone/DHEA deficiency. I think supplementing either of those will create more demand for zinc too.
 

sb4

Senior Member
Messages
1,654
Location
United Kingdom
Did you end up finding out your issue with this?

Maybe a Pregnenolone/DHEA deficiency. I think supplementing either of those will create more demand for zinc too.
I didn't unfortunately. I couldn't get my initial experience to repeat. I abstained for around a month again soon after but appetite was still poor.

Overall when I don't ejaculate I feel better, more energy, etc but the effect is subtle.