OXYTOCIN—THE LOVE DRUG
Last week I posted on Endorphins (Endorphins—Our Natural Painkiller); two weeks ago on Dopamine (Dopamine—The Pleasure Hormone); and three weeks ago on Serotonin (Serotonin—Our Natural Antidepressant). These are three of four feel-good hormones that affect our mind, mood and body. This week I’m featuring oxytocin, a hormone your body releases to promote bonding with loved ones; the reason it is called the love drug.
My listening to the Billie Ellish song “Oxytocin” is what initiated my research into the several “feel good hormones.” A couple of lines from the 20-year-old Grammy winner lyrics of this song are:
“Can’t take it back once it’s been set in motion You know I need you for the oxytocin”
I’m sharing excerpts from the 4th (and final) of Stephanie Watson’s July 20, 2021 Harvard Medical School online articles on feel-good hormones, Oxytocin: The love hormone:
Oxytocin can help us bond with loved ones and can be released through touch, music and exercise
Oxytocin is a hormone that’s produced in the hypothalamus and released into the bloodstream by the pituitary gland.
Our bodies produce oxytocin when we’re excited by our sexual partner, and when we fall in love. That’s why it has earned the nicknames, “love hormone” and “cuddle hormone.”
Just the simple act of touch seems to boost oxytocin release. Giving someone a massage, cuddling, making love, or giving someone a hug leads to higher levels of this hormone and a greater sense of well-being.
Its other major function is to facilitate childbirth
Oxytocin both stimulates the muscles of the uterus to contract, and boosts the production of prostaglandins, which also increase uterine contractions. Women whose labor is slow to proceed are sometimes given it to speed the process. Once the baby is born, it helps to move milk from the ducts in the breast to the nipple, and foster a bond between mom and baby.
How to increase oxytocin
Low oxytocin levels have been linked to symptoms of depression, including postpartum depression. Researchers have been studying whether giving it in a pill or nasal spray might help to ease anxiety and depression, but so far the results have been disappointing. In part, that’s because it’s hard for this hormone to slip across the blood-brain barrier.
A more promising way to boost oxytocin naturally is with exercise. One study noted a jump in the hormone’s levels measured in participants’ saliva after high-intensity martial arts training. Music also seems to have the ability to increase levels, especially when people sing in a group, which adds the element of bonding.