It’s widely believed that cum is filled with protein and may even be good for you. But gym rats meticulously watching their protein intake should strike it off their superfoods list, because someone shooting a load into the back of your throat will not, for better or worse, substantially impact your dietary regimen.

“Both in male and female ejaculate, the fluid is mainly water,” explains Amy Davis, a New Orleans-based registered dietitian and nutritionist. “So, in terms of nutrition, it’s going to be digested and absorbed just like any other food, water or substance would be.”

That said, Davis does clarify that the “cum is protein” myth isn’t completely baseless when involving men. In addition to water (which, again, is the largest component), male ejaculate contains natural sugars, trace minerals, biologically active sperm cells and a little bit of protein.

That amount of protein, however, is insignificant. Per Davis, one load of cum contains less than one gram of protein. For the sake of comparison, a single almond contains 0.3 grams of protein, which makes the two fairly similar in protein-based nutritional value. Or, if you’re not a nut person (pun unavoidable), a singular egg contains, on average, six grams of protein.

As for female ejaculation, the nutritional bar is even higher. “If a woman squirts, it’s more water than anything else, and some studies show that you may get trace amounts of urine in the squirting fluid as well,” says Davis. “But again, it would just be tiny amounts that wouldn’t contribute any sort of calories or protein. You may just get a little bit of sugar, but that’s about it.”

But while cum won’t up your gains, it will contribute to your hydration. “Every little bit helps,” Davis says. “If you’re trying to get to 80 ounces of water and you get five with cum, that’s cool.”

Nutritionally speaking, there’s really no limit to how much cum you can swallow. That changes, however, if the cum belongs to someone with an STI. “As long as both parties don’t have any of that, it’s really not going to cause any harm,” Davis explains.

Similarly, Davis notes, those allergic to semen — a rare condition called human seminal plasma hypersensitivity, or HSPH — should also avoid swallowing male cum (although they’ll likely refrain from doing so after the first time, since the localized reaction includes itching, burning and swelling).

Once those two asterisks are cleared, though, Davis says you can swallow away. “Do whatever makes you comfortable, and do whatever makes you happy,” she tells me. “And if he’s telling you to swallow for the protein, tell him you’d get more from a single almond.”