Love is above all a question of a hormone: oxytocin. A study shows that it would have the same effects on behavior and emotions as alcohol…
Oxytocin is the love hormone. It is said of her that she is the hormone of marital bond, trust and attachment. But what is she really doing? It is a peptide hormone produced by the hypothalamus and secreted by the posterior pituitary. It is thus released in the body from the first attachment, then its rate would increase in the organism when trust is there in the couple. Of course, it is also the hormone some pleasure since it is released during kisses, orgasm, and every moment together in general.
It is a hormone that has been studied a lot, since oxytocin is also linked to childbirth (perhaps to create the bond between mother and child). The latest research has proven that oxytocin has the same effect…as alcohol! This is the conclusion of an article published in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews.
Alcohol and oxytocin erase fear and stress
To analyze the similarities between alcohol and the love hormone, researchers from the University of Birmingham compared existing studies on oxytocin and alcohol. Ian Mittchell, the paper’s lead author, explains this approach: “We thought this was an area worth exploring, so we compiled the existing research on the effects of both oxytocin and alcohol and we were hit by the incredible similarities between the two compounds.
Results ? This analysis proved that the similarities between alcohol and oxytocin would be linked to similar actions in the brain, as Ian Mittchell explains: “they seem to target different receptors in the brain, but cause common actions on the transmission of GABA in the prefrontal cortex and limbic structures.These neural circuits control how we perceive stress or anxietyespecially in stressful situations, such as interviews or on a date.” Studies have indeed shown that intranasal administration of this hormone is associated with an increase in generosity and confidence, while lowered our fear.
A hormone that changes our behavior
Oxytocin would therefore provide the same effects as alcohol: it encourages social behaviors such as altruism, generosity and empathy, and allows us to trust others. That’s why, just like alcohol, love can make us do things we never thought we could one day. But the hormone also has its dark side: like alcohol, it can make us adopt aggressive behavior in situations that do not deserve it, and incite us to anger. The interest of this study? Oxytocin could be a solution for treating certain illnesses such as depression… if it is well supervised medically.
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