Naked Gardening Day is in May, and World Naked Bike Riding are coming in June, and nude and

underwear runs happen all over the world, but all this naked celebration got me pondering

the intersection of nudity, health and science. Being naked helps us form a realistic body

positive connection to the human form. People who spend time naked have a better body image,

don't objectify as quickly, and are more confident and cozy in our skin! But outside of bonus

of a realistic self-image; there ARE concrete, scientifically proven benefits to being naked!

Firstly, being naked exposes more of your skin to the sunlight, which means more Vitamin

D exposure -- which is great -- and it helps your bones absorb calcium, so being naked

will help you get strong bones. But you also have to look out for UV radiation, so remember

sunscreen.

A study from the University of Reading claims if naked, we would have fewer parasites living

on our bodies overall. Humans are petri dishes as it is, we're constantly covered in bacteria

-- some good some bad. Clothing, like fur, promotes increased bacterial load by giving

it a comfy dark place to gather and spread. Since the invention of clothing, scientists

can point to specific evolution of lice and other human skin parasites,; though, unlike

fur we can swap our outfit when it gets too germy. But, by comparison, research looked

at the bacterial load on naked molerats and other hairless non-aquatic species and found

lower-than expected levels! So being naked, would likely decrease bacterial load on the

skin for humans too!

Sleeping nude has been shown to have myriad of scientific benefits. When the human body

settles into the sleep cycle, our temperature drops; which is why it's better to sleep in

a room that's less than 70 degrees [21C]. Research in the journal Sleep found sleeping

with clothes on prevents this natural cooling cycle. That cooling triggers the release of

human growth hormone from the brain, restoring skin and regenerating the body -- that regeneration

requires energy, which your body gets from fat -- which burns when we cool off during

sleep. Get naked, and you'll sleep BETTER because the body won't be fighting to control

your temperature. Plus, you decrease stress hormones like cortisol because you'll sleep

better overall.

Sleeping naked with a partner has some obvious bonuses… wink wink; but less-than-obvious

is simple skin-to-skin contact during sleep. When skin touches during sleep -- even in

a non-sexual way -- the hormone oxytocin is released lowering blood pressure, decreasing

inflammation and lowering stress hormones. A study in Japan found sleeping with a bra

or girdle constricts the anatomy and can raise body temperature and decrease melatonin. So,

sleep naked at least, but that's easy! The rest of the day is a challenge, but there

are benefits there too.

For instance, though this doesn’t exactly make the case for total nudity, research shows

that neckties can be harmful to your health. A study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology

asked men to wear and tighten a necktie, while doctors monitored their intraocular pressure

-- a moderately tight tie caused physical changes to the eyeball which upped a risk

factor for the development of glaucoma! So do ditch the tie. And while you're at it,

ditch the tight pants too. The science is iffy, but some doctors claim tight pants for

men can inhibit sperm development, and tight clothing for women allow for bacteria to cultivate

in the vulva and within the vagina.

Hair or fur exists to keep animals warm, AND to protect them from the sun. We don't have

the fur, likely because we have one of the best sweat systems around! Sweatier humans

needed less body covering, because it interfered with the evaporation of that moisture. Clothing,

like artificial fur, interferes with sweating… so in case you didn't get the moral of this

little story… GET NAKED MORE.

Do you like being naked? Or are you a never-nude? When i get home, the first thing I do is take

my pants off. Seriously. Tell us how you feel in the comments. And

while we’re talking about skin, have you ever wondered how your skin is being affected

by the sun? You can find out in this video