Sunbathing can increase our libido, according to a new study published in the journal Cell Reports , which found that greater exposure to sunlight releases higher levels of sex hormones, thus increasing sexual passion and desire.
The sun makes us more inclined to love and sex
The team of researchers from Tel Aviv University (Israel) exposed 32 adults to different levels of ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, while questioning them about how excited they felt. When asked to avoid sunlight for two days and then sunbathe for 25 minutes, both male and female volunteers were more sexually aroused, compared to days when they were not exposed to sunlight.
They also found, through blood tests, that UV exposure increased sex hormone levels and testosterone levels in men, making them more aggressive, compared to a day before exposure. According to experts, women scored higher on questions about physical arousal, while men scored higher on the “cognitive dimension of passion,” including feeling a deep desire to get to know their partner better.
The tip of the iceberg
The connection between sex and the sun is not new. Scientists have long observed that sunlight fuels desire in men by increasing testosterone production, but the process that causes such changes was not well understood. Now this work sheds a little more light on this association.
The new research adds to previous findings by confirming the existence of a similar effect in women. It also identifies the first player in the chain of biological processes that causes the phenomenon, a DNA repair protein in the skin known as p53 . Although it is still unknown if p53 stimulates the release of sex hormones, communicating directly with the body’s hormone storage centers or if it first has to send messages to the brain, the identification of this protein confirms that there is an associated mechanism between hormones and Sun exposure.
The experiment was also tested in mice. The researchers observed a group of mice after exposing them to low-intensity UVB. The animals started having sex soon after. When his team measured the levels of sex hormones in the mice, they were much higher than before the sunbath, for both males and females, and the females went into heat, causing an enlarged ovaries.
In the future, this new discovery may lead to practical applications, such as UVB treatments for sex hormone disorders, the team explained. Lead to therapies that assess p53 levels and, depending on your position, administer specific amounts of ultraviolet type B (UVB) radiation, mimicking sunlight, to impact hormone levels and increase sexual desire. However, they cautioned that much more research is required before any treatment can be designed, so everyone should continue to beware of excessive sun exposure.
Referencia: Skin exposure to UVB light induces a skin-brain-gonad axis and sexual behavior. Roma Parikh, Eschar Sorek, Shivang Parikh, Ruth Percik, Aron Weller, Carmit Levy et al. Cell Reports (2021).DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109579
