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Former vegan Tim Shieff has been making mainstream media headlines after revealing that he’d ejaculated for the first time ‘in months’ recently after eating salmon.
Shieff, a former two-time free running world champion, used to be a prominent advocate for veganism, but after a spate of health issues, he returned to eating animal products, blaming his plant-based diet for not feeling his best.
This is a conclusion some have questioned, as Shieff has engaged in controversial health behaviors including drinking urine, and unsupervised water fasting for 35 days in recent times.
‘Hadn’t ejaculated in months
Speaking during the recent video titled Am I Still Vegan?, Shieff said: “The first night after I had that salmon I had a wet dream.
“I hadn’t ejaculated in months. You know, just to be honest with everyone. That turned something on within my body.”
Tim Shieff talks about moving away from veganism
Vegan diets and ejaculation
Now a nutritional expert has confirmed that ‘decreased sexual function isn’t a common side effect of going vegan’. Cynthia Sass, RD, Contributing Nutrition Editor for media outlet Health, said: “In all my years of practice, I have never heard of a vegan diet preventing ejaculation.
“In fact, I’ve had many clients experience an increase in libido and improved sexual performance after adopting a plant-based diet, due to improved circulation and nutrient intake.”
She added that it ‘important to note that this was with nutritionally adequate vegan diets’. Health has questioned whether Shieff’s diet could have been nutritionally adequate following his prolonged fasting and ‘urine therapy’.
Sex and vegan diets
Vegan diets have been linked to improved sexual function by multiple sources. A 2018 article by media outlet Insider quoted registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix speaking about why. According to the article: “Eating more fruits and vegetables can definitely improve your circulation, which, in turn, can improve sexual function.”
In addition, Taub-Dix told Insider: “If someone is eating a healthier diet undefined, it’s less likely that they’ll need to take meds that could interfere with their sex drive and function.”
The Game Changers
The connection between sex drive and a plant-based diet is also explored in upcoming vegan documentary The Game Changers. Executive produced by James Cameron, the film features a host of top athletes, all performing on a plant-based diet.
Cameron made headlines last year when he said he wanted to ‘put viagra out of business’ by spreading the word about the sexual benefits of plant-based eating, in an interview with Toronto-based paper The Star.
The filmmaker referenced a scene from the movie which shows three men having the length and girth of their erections measured after eating plant-based meals – and experiencing better erections. Cameron, who calls it ‘peter meter’ scene, said it is ‘the scene of the film’.
He added: “I’d love to put Viagra out of business, just by spreading the word on plant-based eating.”
