Ladies, This One’s for You: Is Sunlight Good for Fertility?

A recent study conducted in Israel has identified a correlation between sun exposure and hormone levels among women between the ages of 30 and 40, thus helping women struggling with infertility.

“This study is interesting because it suggests for women between ages 30-40 there is a possible seasonal influence on the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) driven by the amount of sunlight or UV exposure,” says Dr. Kelli V. Burroughs, a national media women’s health medical expert and department chair of OB-GYN at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land in Texas.

2,235 women aged 20 to 40 participated in the study over four years. Researchers were looking to examine levels of AMH during different times of the year. Solar radiations were measured in the central district of Israel using data from the Israel Meteorological Service website. The results show that women over 30 had higher levels of AMH in the spring and autumn when moderate levels of solar radiation intensity were occurring. As for women under 30, solar radiation did not affect hormone levels, meaning that solar radiation could affect female fertility with age.