The researchers from Tel Aviv University discovered that exposure to the sun affects, among other things, the regulation of the sexual endocrine system (hormone secretion system) among humans.
A new study by Tel Aviv University revealed that exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun increases romantic desire in humans. As part of the study, men and women (experimenters) were exposed to UVB radiation (ultraviolet radiation) under controlled conditions and the findings were unequivocal: an increase in romantic desire was found in both sexes. The researchers discovered that exposure to the sun affects, among other things, the regulation of the sexual endocrine system (hormone secretion system) among humans.
The research was conducted under the leadership of doctoral students Roma Farik and Ashar Sorek from the laboratory of Prof. Carmit Levy from the Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. The treatment of the experimenters who were treated with UVB phototherapy (light exposure treatment) was done at the Ichilov and Asuta Medical Centers. The groundbreaking discovery was published as a cover story in the prestigious journal Cell Reports.
Prof. Levy explains that "for many years research has known that ultraviolet radiation from the sun increases testosterone levels in men and it is clear to us that exposure to the sun plays a central role in regulating sexuality - both behaviorally and hormonally. But the mechanism responsible for this regulation has been a scientific mystery until now. For the first time, we were able to better understand the mechanism that activates them."
The first stage of the research was done in an animal model, and it included exposure to UVB radiation - ultraviolet radiation (UV) type B, that is, sun rays with wavelengths of 320 to 400 nanometers. The effects were dramatic: exposure increased the females' hormone levels, enlarged their ovaries and extended their fertile period. Moreover, both females and males were more attracted to each other, and were more open to sexual contact.
In the second phase, the researchers repeated the experiment in an animal model, but this time the experiment involved removing from the skin a protein called p53, a protein that is responsible for detecting DNA damage and activating the skin's pigmentation system during sun exposure. Removing the protein eliminated the effects of UVB exposure on the sexual behavior of the animals tested, so Prof. Levy and her colleagues have no doubt that it was the exposure to radiation through the skin that resulted in the observed hormonal, physiological and behavioral changes - and that this system is also responsible for regulating sexuality.
The last phase of the study was done on humans and included 32 experimenters who received valid behavioral questionnaires of romantic desire and aggressiveness. The experimenters received UVB phototherapy at the Ichilov and Asuta Medical Centers. An increase in romantic desire was found in both sexes, while the men testified to an increase in aggressive levels.
Similar results were obtained when experimenters were asked to avoid sunlight for two days, and then tanned for about 25 minutes. In the blood tests conducted, it was found that the exposure to the sun resulted in an increased secretion of hormones such as testosterone compared to the blood tests conducted the day before the exposure. An increase in testosterone in men in the summer was also found in the analysis of information collected by the Maccabi and General health funds.
Prof. Levy: "The skin has various mechanisms designed to deal with solar radiation, another of which is the transcription factor p53. It should be remembered that UV exposure is dangerous and can cause DNA damage, as in the case of skin cancer. At the same time, as a structure, the skin has two programs which are activated following exposure to the sun and which are designed to protect against DNA damage, namely: the DNA repair system and the pigmentation system. p53 is responsible, among other things, for DNA repair after exposure as well as for skin pigmentation, tanning, depending on the levels of exposure - and thus it regulates the levels of DNA damage. Now we have discovered that the exact same system is also active in activating the endocrine system of reproduction and sexuality. This transcription factor recognizes the sun, specifically the UVB range of the sun's radiation, and probably results in an increased secretion of the hormones that make us crave and fall in love more."
The new discovery from Tel Aviv University has hope for practical consequences, such as the treatment of sexual disorders of hormonal origin using UVB irradiation, but more research will be required to implement the discoveries. According to Prof. Levy, the breakthrough will lead to further discoveries in basic science. "We are opening a series of scientific and philosophical questions here. After all, we humans do not have fur, our skin is exposed to the sun's radiation much more than the skin of a furry animal and we are only beginning to understand what exposure to the sun does to us, and in which physiological and behavioral processes this exposure plays a key role. This is the tip of the iceberg."
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One response
This has been known for a long time.
Always after tanning or tanning machine, I feel an increase in libido.