September 2021: Carmit Levy: UV radiation enhances romantic passion
Prof. Carmit Levy (Medicine) published a new study in Cell Reports: Exposure to sunlight affects the regulation of the endocrine system, responsible for the release of sexual hormones in humans.
Prof. Carmit Levy, Edmond J. Safra affiliate, and her lab students, found out that the very same protein in the skin cells that protects DNA from being damaged by sunlight — p53 — causes hormonal, physiological and behavioral changes that trigger sex in animals and seemingly also get humans in the mood for love.
In the study, men and women were exposed to UVB (ultraviolet radiation type B) under controlled conditions and the findings were unequivocal: there were increased levels of romantic passion in both genders. The study showed exposure to sunlight affects the regulation of the endocrine system, responsible for the release of sexual hormones in humans.
The findings were published as a cover story in the scientific journal Cell Reports and were extensively covered in the media around the world:
FLORIDA TIMES, DAILYUKNEWS, SCIENCE TIMES, MIDDLEEAST, HEALTHNG and many more.