Mumbai,
February 02: The search for aphrodisiacs is almost as old as history,
with a variety of foods, both exotic and mundane, being accorded the
status of substances that increased the libido or sex drive. Now a
study puts sunbathing in the same league as Viagra for the effect it
has on men.
Scientists from the Medical University of Graz,
Austria, found that levels of testosterone – the hormone responsible
for sexual drive in men – in men’s blood increases in proportion to
doses of vitamin D. While vitamin D is present in some foods such as
meat and oily fish, an excellent source of this important nutrient is
sunlight.
The research showed that men who had a minimum of 30
nanograms of vitamin D per milliliter of blood had much higher levels
of testosterone, as compared to men with vitamin D in their blood lower
than 30 nanograms. The researchers also found that average
testosterone levels fluctuated in proportion to the fluctuations of
vitamin D levels in blood over the period of a year.
Thus, both
vitamin D and testosterone decreased with the onset of winter, around
October, reaching their lowest levels around March, coinciding with the
period when the sun’s radiation is at its lowest.
Spokesman for
the Sunlight Research Forum in Veldhoven, the Netherlands, Ad Brand
explained that men who ensured themselves the minimum required levels
of vitamin D would benefit in terms of good testosterone levels and
strong libido. The study substantiated earlier research that found
that an hour of sunlight increased testosterone levels by 69 percent.
Testosterone
is an important hormone that plays a role in developing the sex organs
and producing sperm, as well as controlling the sexual urge in men.
Also read: Biweekly sex reduces risk of heart attack in men by halfTags: Vitamin D, Testosterone
Read more:
How to recognise low testosterone
Urinary incontinence in men
Why men should talk to their doctor
