(NOTE CONTENT) Remember when Gwyneth Paltrow told women to put jade eggs and other gemstones in their private parts for the “health benefits”? Well, it looks like the bizarre health trends have come for the men, with a new craze promoting the benefits of putting one’s nether regions on ice.
Vice reports the practice encourages men to dunk their genitals in ice — or simply blast them with cold water or cover them in ice packs. Why? Apparently it improves testosterone levels and enhances the quality of one’s sperm.
Other perks of icing one’s testicles reportedly include a sex drive boost and better sleep.
The idea behind this whole deal is that excessive heat to one’s nether regions has too many bad side effects, so chilling them out can help reverse the apparent damage. Those promoting the icing practice claim heat worsens sperm health and reduces one’s testosterone levels.
Urologist Lye Diwa encourages caution. He said, “Although there are small studies that would attest to cold temperature and improvement in sperm quality, there are no large clinical trials that would advise icing as a means to improve sperm count.”
These claims have not been proven. In addition, one study from 1991 found that cold stimulation reduced testosterone in 19-year-old men.
At the end of the day, more research needs to be done to prove if this actually works.
Meanwhile, a filmmaker named Vlad has started cooling his gentlemen and is singing this practice’s praises. “At first, it was sort of uncomfortable, but I rapidly grew fond of it, as it gives you a nice buzz and clears your mind,” he said.