Bright lights help men with flagging sex drives increase their libido and perform better, study finds
Exposure to bright light boosts levels of the male hormone testosterone increasing sexual satisfaction, research reveals
BRIGHT light may help men with flagging sex drives to switch back on in bed, a study found.
Exposure to strong white light boosts levels of testosterone and increases sexual satisfaction, the research showed.
Libido varies with the seasons and scientists suspected that might be down to ambient light levels.
Researchers in Siena, Italy, recruited 38 men with low sex drives and treated half with daily 30-minute doses of bright light.
At the end of the two-week trial, their testosterone levels had risen and they reported higher levels of self-rated sexual satisfaction.
There was little change in the other group, whose light was adapted to emit a low non-therapeutic level.
Prof Andrea Fagiolini said: “Both groups averaged a sexual satisfaction score of around two out of ten, but after treatment the group exposed to the bright light was scoring sexual satisfaction scores of around 6.3.
"The other group only showed an average of about 2.7.”
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"The increased levels of testosterone explain the greater reported sexual satisfaction. In the northern hemisphere, the body's testosterone production naturally declines from November through April, and then rises steadily through the spring and summer with a peak in October.
"You see the effect of this in reproductive rates, with the month of June showing the highest rate of conception. The use of the light box really mimics what nature does," Fagiolini said
He added: "We believe that there may be several explanations to explain the underlying mechanism.
"For instance, light therapy inhibits the pineal gland in the centre of the brain and this may allow the production of more testosterone."