Sun Exposure Increases Sex Hormone Levels... Male Testosterone Levels Rise, Boosting Arousal

Somewhat Excited Sexually... Prolonged Exposure to Sunlight Is Risky

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[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Jinsoo Lee] Research results from a team at Tel Aviv University in Israel, published in the online edition of the life sciences journal Cell Reports on the 24th (local time), show that exposure to sunlight increases sexual desire and raises sex hormone levels.

The researchers exposed 32 adults to varying levels of ultraviolet radiation from sunlight and then investigated how sexually aroused they felt.

The researchers instructed the participants to avoid sunlight for two days and then be exposed to sunlight again for 25 minutes. As a result, both male and female volunteers showed some degree of sexual arousal. Blood tests revealed that sex hormone levels, such as testosterone, were higher than the day before sunlight exposure. In men, testosterone levels increased along with higher arousal.

The findings discovered by the research team may have clinical applications, such as ultraviolet radiation therapy for treating sex hormone disorders. However, the researchers emphasized that more studies are needed before developing treatments and warned that prolonged exposure to sunlight can be dangerous.

Associate Professor Karmit Levi of the Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, who participated in the study, said, "There are various mechanisms in the skin that handle ultraviolet radiation from sunlight. However, excessive exposure to UV rays can be dangerous and may cause diseases such as skin cancer due to DNA damage."

The researchers began with animal experiments before conducting human trials. In the experiments, animals were exposed to sunlight. As a result, female animals showed noticeably higher sex hormone levels, and their ovaries (organs that mature follicles to produce eggs, secrete female hormones, and contribute to the development of secondary sexual characteristics in females) enlarged. Furthermore, even outside of estrus, males and females showed increased interest in each other and a stronger tendency to mate.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.