NEUROSCIENTIST Explains Nofap Relapse (Andrew Huberman)

Summary

The podcast transcript discusses the impact of pornography and masturbation on hormone levels, particularly in males. It highlights the potential for rewiring the brain to prefer visual stimuli over real-life sexual interactions. The conversation delves into how ejaculation increases prolactin, which may inhibit testosterone production. The importance of a balanced diet, exercise, and sleep for hormone optimization is underscored, with a focus on nutrients like IGF-1, vitamin D, and fiber for overall health and development. The debate on the frequency of masturbation and its effects on testosterone levels is also addressed, suggesting that excessive habits could be detrimental.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The script discusses the impact of porn and masturbation on brain wiring and dopamine levels, suggesting that it can condition the brain to be aroused by visual stimuli rather than real-life sexual interactions.
• 🚫 The speaker is not judging masturbation but highlights the potential for it to affect sexual motivation and behavior, particularly in males.
• 💧 The debate on whether masturbation increases or decreases testosterone levels is mentioned, with the acknowledgment that ejaculation can increase prolactin levels, which may temporarily reduce libido.
• 🌊 The 'dopaminergic wave pool' analogy is used to describe how frequent porn and masturbation might deepen the 'pool' of dopamine sensitivity but not increase the overall supply.
• 📉 Frequent masturbation (daily or more) is considered potentially detrimental to hormonal balance, especially when combined with porn use, due to the intense visual stimulus and its effect on dopamine.
• 🍽️ Diet and exercise are emphasized as the first two lifestyle pillars for optimizing hormone status, with a focus on not excluding nutrients that are beneficial during puberty, such as dairy for IGF-1 levels.
• 💤 Sleep is particularly important during puberty, and adequate vitamin D intake is crucial for testosterone production and bone health.
• 🚫 The script advises against extreme diets like pure carnivore or vegan during the developmental years due to potential negative effects on hormone levels and growth.
• 🌱 The importance of prebiotic fiber and essential fatty acids for gut microbiome health and brain development is highlighted, especially during the teenage years and beyond.
• 💊 Taking a multivitamin is generally safe but not necessarily needed for everyone; it may be more reasonable for those with exclusionary diets or planning for fertility.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Caloric restriction can be beneficial for overweight individuals to improve testosterone levels by reducing adipose tissue, but it can lower testosterone in those who are not overweight due to a shift in anabolic and catabolic balance.

Q & A

What is the relationship between dopamine, sexual motivation, and sexual behavior as discussed in the podcast?

The podcast discusses the impact of dopamine on sexual motivation and behavior, suggesting that excessive exposure to pornography and masturbation can lead to rewiring of the brain, particularly in males, to become aroused by watching rather than participating in sexual interactions.

What is the debate around masturbation and its effect on testosterone levels in males?

The debate revolves around whether masturbation increases or decreases testosterone levels. The script suggests that frequent masturbation, especially to the point of ejaculation, can decrease libido due to an increase in prolactin, which inhibits the release of hormones that can increase testosterone.

How does ejaculation influence prolactin levels and its subsequent effects on libido?

Ejaculation and orgasm are associated with an increase in prolactin levels. Prolactin acts on the pituitary gland to inhibit the release of LH and FSH, which can affect testosterone levels, thus potentially blunting libido for some period of time.

What is the significance of the term 'dopaminergic Drive' mentioned in the script?

The term 'dopaminergic Drive' refers to the influence of dopamine on motivation and reward pathways in the brain. In the context of the script, it suggests that intense visual stimuli from pornography can deepen the 'dopamine wave pool' without increasing the overall supply of dopamine, potentially leading to issues with motivation and reward in real-life situations.

What are some lifestyle pillars that can help optimize hormone status in males?

The script mentions diet and exercise as the first two pillars, emphasizing the importance of sleep, especially during puberty. It also suggests that maintaining a balanced diet with adequate nutrients, including dairy for IGF-1 production, and sufficient vitamin D for testosterone production and bone health, are crucial.

Why is dairy consumption important during puberty according to the script?

Dairy can help increase IGF-1 levels, which is beneficial for growth, genital development, secondary sexual characteristics, long bone growth, skin, and hair growth. It suggests that cutting out dairy suddenly during puberty could be detrimental to these developmental processes.

How does vitamin D intake affect hormone production and bone health?

Vitamin D helps with testosterone production and bone mineralization, contributing to bone density and stature, especially up to the age of 25. It is suggested that optimizing vitamin D intake can help prevent issues like osteoporosis or thin bones later in life.

What is the role of fiber and prebiotic fiber in gut health and its impact on the lifespan?

Fiber, particularly prebiotic fiber, is likened to 'fish food' for the gut microbiome, helping to establish a beneficial gut environment. A balanced intake of fiber throughout the lifespan, especially during the developmental years, is important for brain development and overall health.

What are the potential effects of a very restrictive diet, such as a pure carnivore or vegan diet, on hormone levels?

The script suggests that a very restrictive diet during the developmental years can significantly decrease free androgens, leading to less testosterone acting on receptors throughout the body, which could be detrimental to overall health and development.

Is taking a multivitamin necessary or beneficial for everyone, according to the script?

The script indicates that while taking a multivitamin is generally safe, it may not be necessary for everyone. It could be more reasonable for individuals with exclusionary diets or those planning on fertility, but it is not deemed essential for everyone.

How does caloric restriction affect testosterone levels in individuals with different body fat levels?

For individuals who are overweight, caloric restriction and exercise can be beneficial for testosterone levels in the long run by reducing adipose tissue. However, for those not carrying excess body fat, caloric restriction can lower testosterone due to less building blocks for hormones, a catabolic state, and increased SHBG levels.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 Impact of Porn and Masturbation on Hormones

The first paragraph discusses the complex relationship between pornography, masturbation, and hormonal balance, particularly in males. It emphasizes the potential for frequent masturbation to the point of ejaculation to increase prolactin levels, which may temporarily reduce libido. The conversation suggests that while occasional masturbation may not be harmful, a daily habit could negatively affect testosterone levels due to the inhibitory effect of prolactin on LH and FSH hormones. The paragraph also touches on the broader implications of brain wiring and dopamine sensitivity related to sexual behavior influenced by pornography.

05:01

🍽️ Nutritional Considerations for Hormonal Health

The second paragraph delves into the role of diet in hormonal health, advocating for a balanced intake of nutrients from both animal and plant sources. It warns against extreme dietary choices like a pure carnivore or vegan diet, especially during critical developmental years, due to the potential negative impact on free androgen levels and testosterone action. The importance of fiber, prebiotic fiber for gut microbiome health, and essential fatty acids for brain development are highlighted. The paragraph also addresses the use of multivitamins, suggesting they are not necessary for everyone but can be beneficial for those with exclusionary diets or specific health goals. It concludes with a discussion on the effects of caloric restriction on testosterone levels, noting that while it can be beneficial for overweight individuals, it may lower testosterone in those without excess body fat.

Keywords

💡Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with the brain's reward system and plays a crucial role in motivation, pleasure, and reinforcement of behaviors. In the context of the video, it is discussed in relation to how pornography and masturbation can influence dopamine levels, potentially leading to rewiring of the brain to seek sexual gratification from visual stimuli rather than real-world interactions.

💡Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to change and adapt its structure and function in response to experiences. The script discusses how frequent exposure to pornography might alter the brain's neural pathways, particularly in males, affecting their sexual arousal and behavior by teaching the brain to respond to visual stimuli rather than actual sexual encounters.

💡Testosterone

Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone responsible for the development of male reproductive tissues and secondary sexual characteristics. The video script debates the impact of masturbation on testosterone levels, suggesting that while ejaculation may temporarily decrease libido due to increased prolactin, frequent masturbation could potentially affect testosterone levels negatively.

💡Libido

Libido refers to an individual's sexual desire or drive. The script mentions that pornography and masturbation can limit libido in the real world by affecting the brain's dopamine and reward systems, leading to a decreased motivation to seek out sexual partners.

💡Prolactin

Prolactin is a hormone that increases after ejaculation and orgasm, which can temporarily reduce sexual desire by inhibiting the release of hormones that stimulate testosterone production. The script explains that this hormonal response could blunt libido for a period of time after sexual release.

💡IGF-1

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a hormone that plays a role in growth and development. The video script highlights the importance of IGF-1 for growth, genital development, and secondary sexual characteristics, suggesting that adequate levels of IGF-1 are beneficial during puberty and beyond.

💡Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for various bodily functions, including bone health and testosterone production. The script emphasizes the role of vitamin D in helping with bone mineralization and stature, particularly during the growth phase up to the age of 25.

💡Caloric Restriction

Caloric restriction refers to the reduction of the number of calories consumed. The video discusses how caloric restriction can impact testosterone levels differently depending on an individual's body fat status, suggesting that it can be beneficial for overweight individuals but potentially lower testosterone in those without excess body fat.

💡Gut Microbiome

The gut microbiome is the collection of microorganisms living in the digestive tracts of humans and other animals. The script uses the analogy of a fish tank to describe the gut microbiome, emphasizing the importance of prebiotic fiber in feeding beneficial bacteria and maintaining a healthy gut environment.

💡Multivitamin

A multivitamin is a dietary supplement that contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. The script discusses the safety and potential necessity of taking a multivitamin, especially for those with exclusionary diets or specific health considerations, but also notes that it may not be necessary for everyone.

💡SHBG

Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) is a protein that binds to sex hormones, affecting their availability in the body. The script mentions SHBG in the context of caloric restriction, suggesting that it can lead to lower levels of free androgens and estrogens due to increased binding by SHBG.

Highlights

The relationship between dopamine, sexual motivation, and behavior is discussed in relation to porn and masturbation.

Males can develop a brain wiring situation where they become aroused by watching others have sex rather than engaging in it themselves.

Frequent masturbation can decrease motivation to seek real-world sexual partners due to the effects on dopamine and neuroplasticity.

Ejaculation and orgasm cause an increase in prolactin, which can temporarily decrease libido.

Prolactin inhibits the release of LH and FSH, which can affect testosterone levels.

Frequent masturbation, especially daily or more, can be detrimental to hormonal balance.

The importance of defining 'frequent' in discussions about the impact of porn and masturbation on hormones.

Diet and exercise are fundamental lifestyle pillars for optimizing hormone levels throughout life.

Consuming dairy can help increase IGF-1, which is beneficial for growth and development.

Vitamin D is crucial for testosterone production and bone health.

A balanced diet, including animal and non-animal sources of protein, is recommended for optimal health.

A pure carnivore or vegan diet during the developmental years can decrease free androgens and may not be advisable.

Fiber intake is paramount for setting the gut microbiome and has long-term health implications.

Prebiotic fiber and essential fatty acids are particularly important for brain development in the 20s and 30s.

Taking a multivitamin is generally safe but may not be necessary for everyone, especially those with balanced diets.

Caloric restriction can be beneficial for overweight individuals to improve testosterone levels but may lower it for those not in excess body fat.

A caloric deficit can lead to a catabolic state, affecting hormone production and signaling.

Transcripts

you mentioned porn and masturbation this

topic has come up a bunch of times on

this podcast and on other podcasts I've

gone on because of the relationship

between dopamine sexual motivation and

sexual behavior and I've been of the

pretty strong stance that while I'm not

judging Corner masturbation it can

create a brain wiring situation where

males in particular

essentially teach their brain to be

aroused by watching other people have

sex as opposed to being the first person

actor in sexual

interactions in that sense

um you know that's more about the brain

wiring and neuroplasticity and dopamine

but what are your thoughts on porn and

masturbation as they relate to hormones

I mean this is a big debate on the

internet in fact one of the most common

debates is whether or not masturbation

increases or decreases testosterone in

males certainly it will decrease

motivation to go find sexual partners we

know this and there are more and more

data on this all the time in terms of

the effects of pornography and

masturbation and here I suppose we need

to be um somewhat specific and

operationally Define what we're talking

about we're talking about porn and

masturbation to the point of ejaculation

right my understanding is that the

ejaculation and orgasm associated with

it cause an increase in prolactin which

blunts libido for some period of time

the duration of that will vary from

person to person and Circumstance to

circumstance but basically all of this

points to the fact that porn and

masturbation can really limit libido in

the real world and to me uh pornography

and the screen is not the real world the

screens exist in the real world the real

world doesn't exist in the screen

that's an accurate statement and

prolactin does have a significant acute

increase after

ejaculation it does to some degree after

orgasm as well but prolactin acts on the

pituitary to inhibit the release of the

hormones LH and FSH of which LH can

increase testosterone

so this may be one of the cases where

the dose makes the poison and if it is a

very frequent habit certainly daily or

more than once a day would be very

detrimental from a hormonal component

not even taking into account the the

neural wiring listen I think it's

terrific that you've actually defined

frequency because this is the problem on

the Internet or even in the doctor's

office you'll see descriptions about

pornography being dangerous for certain

things or detrimental to hormones people

say frequent but what's frequent so

you're saying daily or multiple times

per day would be potentially detrimental

to the hormone profile of a male of

essentially any age and that's just for

masturbation with porn use as well it

would likely be worse

and why is that just this the sort of

dopaminergic Drive of the stimulus just

a really intense visual stimulus

dopamine sensitivity

um I think that uh using the analogy of

a dopamine wave pool it would deepen the

pool but not increase your supply of

dopamine

um in terms of the other things that all

males should do meaning all males of all

ages um uh puberty and Beyond should do

what what are some of those things so on

a daily basis uh maybe you could just

take us through the Arc of a day and um

and push out some of the protocols that

you use or the things that you'd like to

see your male patients use in order to

try and optimize their hormone status

I'll briefly touch on some of the

lifestyle pillars to start diet and

exercise are the first two and puberty

sleep is particularly important of

course

um but with diet and exercise

throughout a lifespan you want to not

exclude things that are helping you for

example during puberty if you're

consuming Dairy and then all of a sudden

you cut out all dairy dairy can help

increase igf-1 and free igf-1 and just

wait for our audience maybe you just

mentioned what IG what having enough

igf-1 can do for us that's beneficial is

it helps you grow it helps with genital

development secondary sexual

characteristics and long bone growth

skin Growth Hair growth a host of things

so getting an array of nutrients that

include Dairy what other sorts of

nutrients are important during

development you want to have adequate

vitamin D vitamin D helps with

testosterone production it helps again

with bone mineralization

and stature after an age of about 25 and

there's not a strict cut off

but up to about an age of 25 optimizing

your growth hormone and igf-1 helps with

bone density and bone growth from the

dietary standpoint you want to have

enough free estrogen not too much when

you're growing but you want to help

basically stockpile bone to prevent a

risk of osteoporosis or thin bones

fractures when you're older well someone

who broke his left foot five times while

in high school I can say that whatever

young people can do to optimize their

bone density would be great that problem

seems to have resolved itself over time

but I don't know back then I was I did a

short run as a vegetarian but I've

always been an omnivore I realized that

some of this relates to ethics and food

allergies and things of that sort but

would you say that on balance that most

people would benefit from eating a

combination of you know quality proteins

from animal sources and non-animal

sources fruits vegetables and starches I

mean what do you think for instance

about people following a pure carnivore

or a very uh pure vegan diet in their

20s and 30s in their late 20s it might

be a reasonable option in early 20s and

certainly teens it is a horrible idea

because it is likely to significantly

decrease your free androgens so you will

have less testosterone acting on

receptors through the body are there any

other micronutrients or macronutrients

that people in their 20s and 30s should

emphasize we haven't really touched on

fatty acids or Fiber too much fiber is

going to be Paramount and kind of like

setting your set point of your gut

microbiome the rest of your life there

is Prebiotic fiber which you could think

of as fish food for your good gut

microbiome your gut microbiome is kind

of like an aquarium or a fish tank no

I'm just thinking about goldfish

swimming around in that the Goldfish

eating people don't eat goldfish people

but any fiber or food that you're

putting in your gut it's either going to

it's going to skew your gut microbiome

towards something that is more

beneficial or more detrimental and would

you say that the pre Prebiotic fiber and

getting essential fatty acids that would

be important to do throughout the

lifespan or just for people in their 20s

and 30s throughout the lifespan I'm

particularly important in the teenage

20s 30s because that helps with brain

development you're certainly more of an

expert than me when it comes to brain

development but it does continue to

develop through really throughout the

lifespan but certainly through the 20s

and 30s as well about um taking a

multivitamin while you're growing up so

many people do that is it necessary is

it useful and if it's not necessary is

it safe to do anyway it's generally safe

to do anyway

I do not think everybody needs a

multivitamin the more exclusionary your

diet is for example if you have celiac

disease or if you're planning on

fertility soon then perhaps it's more

reasonable to take a multivitamin in a

previous discussion of ours I asked you

about caloric restriction and

testosterone and if I recall correctly

the idea was that if some somebody is

overweight they have excess fat adipose

tissue then getting rid of some of that

adipose tissue but through caloric

restriction and exercise provided it's

done not too fast in a healthy way is

going to be beneficial for testosterone

in the long run but that for individuals

who are not carrying in excess of body

fat caloric restriction is actually

going to lower testosterone that's

correct if you look at an individual in

a caloric deficit several changes will

happen one is that they'll have less

building blocks for hormones another is

that they will be in a catabolic State

more often so that balance of anabolism

and catabolism will be different they'll

likely have less signaling from growth

hormone and igf-1 and they'll also have

the high shbg that we defined earlier as

The Binding protein so they're free

androgens and free estrogens will go

down