How Getting a Little Sun Can Help Light Up Your Romance

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According to a new study, if you’re looking to heat things up in your romantic relationship, a little sun can go a long way. Maskot/Getty Images
  • A new study shows that exposure to sunlight enhances romantic passion in humans.
  • Getting sunlight with your partner can boost your passion and help ease your mind during these troubled times.
  • There are also many ways to boost passion away from the sun with your partner.

If you’re looking to heat things up in the bedroom, a little sun can go a long way.

According to Israeli researchers at Tel Aviv University, exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight enhances romantic passion.

“The sun or UV exposure, and I’m talking about very mild exposure – I’m not talking about getting redness – so very soft exposure, is enhancing the sexual system and some aspects of romantic passion in humans via the skin,” Carmit Levy, PhD, professor of human molecular genetics biochemistry at Tel Aviv University, told Healthline.

Levy explained that two skin systems in the body respond to UV exposure: One produces pigment to protect the skin from the next UV exposure, and another is called the DNA repair system.

When UV rays hit the skin, the rays induce DNA damage in the cells of the skin. The DNA repair system, which comes into action milliseconds after exposure to UV rays, begins to fix the DNA damage.

“We found that the DNA damage system that is recognizing the damage and starts fixing it is also activating the endocrine sexuality system,” said Levy.

Her study involved exposing 32 college students to 20 minutes of UVB phototherapy. The participants’ blood was drawn before the exposure and after. They also filled out questionnaires on their behaviors of romantic passion and aggression.

After sun exposure, both men and women exhibited a rise in romantic passion. Males also noted an increase in levels of aggression.

“It was amazing to see that in both men and women, we saw enhancement of the sexuality hormone systems, not the actual hormones, but the systems of sexuality, as well as metabolism and immune system,” Levy said.

She hopes that her research will open the door to better treatments for conditions related to sex hormones and those affected by the endocrine system.

“Maybe phototherapy can be used to solve these aspects. More research needs to be done for sure, [but] it’s opened the idea and mind toward [that] direction,” said Levy.

Source: healthline