Sunlight should be absorbed in moderation and with plenty of sun block

According to a new research project a little bit of sunbathing could improve the sexual desire of a man. The study done in Austria shows that levels of the all important male hormone testosterone are increased when vitamin D is present and that its production is greatly boosted when the skin is exposed to sun. While it is true that vitamin D comes from your diet most of it is produced by the skin being in contact with the sun.

The study which was undertaken by the Medical University of Graz, Austria and published in the journal Clinical Endocrinology involved almost 2,300 men and it was clear that those with good levels of vitamin D had significantly more testosterone in their blood than those men with lower levels. The researchers saw that levels of both testosterone and vitamin D dropped in the winter months and went up in the summer months.

Professor Winfried Marz who led the study explained that doctors should consider whether giving men patients vitamin D supplements in the winter months could improve their testosterone levels and therefore their libido. Testosterone is also responsible for high levels of energy and therefore a lack of it produces lethargy and tiredness. Testosterone also plays a part in muscle growth and a healthy bone density.

A word of warning however to men who think that they can just go out and roast themselves alive to boost their sexual desire is that too much sun will cause severe sunburn and over time could even be responsible for skin cancer. Sunlight should be absorbed in moderation and with plenty of sun block to prevent damaging skin.

A spokesman from Cancer Research UK said that people should “strike a balance” between getting sun to produce vitamin D and at the same time taking care not to expose themselves to a high risk of skin cancer.