Two science journalists decided to turn their own wedding into an experiment recently when they had their levels of oxytocin measure before and after their marriage ceremony. Oxytocin has long been associated with a role in reproduction, both in the child birth and the emphatic and monogamous feelings of a sexually active couple.
To no-one’s surprise, both bride and groom had increased levels of oxytocin after the ceremony. What was also interesting was that relatives and friends in attendance also had their levels measured. The results of these tests showed that whilst the immediate family of the newly married couple experienced a rise in oxytocin, only two out of five friends did likewise.
Source : Our Happy Hormone Wedding : How the levels of the love hormone oxytocin before and after ceremony
Owners of dogs have been found to be both happier and healthier than non- dog owners. Children brought up in dog owning families are better adjusted and have a greater moral sense of ‘mutuality’ than children raised in non-dog owning families. Could oxytocin be the reason why?
According to researchers at the University of Japan, dog owners experience a surge in the hormone oxytocin after periods of playing with their dogs or simply being gazed at by them. Oxytocin has been nicknamed the “cuddle chemical” for the role it plays in the mother-child bond. It produces positive, warm feelings and because it’s a serious stress reducer – it dampens down the area of the brain associated with anxiety – may also help explain the myriad health benefits associated with dog ownership.
More at : Why owning a dog is good for you
Autism has again been linked to a malfunctioning ability of the bodies oxytocin receptors. A team at Duke University Medical Center has established a relationship between the oxytocin receptor gene and autism. What is novel about this research finding appears to be that the relationship does not concern the DNA sequence itself within the gene, but the gene ‘signature’ that determines whether the gene is switched on or off.
These results provide a possible explanation of why social isolation forms part of the autism spectrum — because an autistic individual’s ability to respond to oxytocin may be limited. Oxytocin has been tied to levels of trust and ability to read social cues.
Research published in the scientific journal ‘Hormones and Behaviour’ suggests that the gaze of a pet dog can raise levels of oxytocin in the owner’s brain.
interactions with dogs, especially those initiated by the dog’s gaze, can increase the urinary [oxytocin] concentrations of their owners as a manifestation of attachment behavior.”
Read more about how puppydog eyes trigger oxytocin in owners.
A research group in Canada has found that infant mice raised apart from their fathers grew up with less oxytocin in their brain’s and a consequent impaired ability be social and feel positive in the company of other mice. The study follows another which showed that fathers experience a huge surge of oxytocin after a child is born, leading some to believe that fathers play a crucial role in the development of their children.
Researchers have discovered that girlie talk raises oxytocin and lowers stress levels in young women. A team working at the University of Michigan, examined progesterone levels in the saliva of 160 college students in order to indirectly measure their oxytocin levels (oxytocin can only be measured by spinal fluid or brain scans). The students were then asked to work in pairs at a task that was either emotionally neutral or a task that required emotional closeness. Those given the latter tasks were found to have raised progesterone (an by inference, oxytocin) and reduced cortisal levels (a stress hormone).
According to an American author, humans and animals are able to bond with each other because of the miraculous powers of oxytocin. Writing in her book ‘Made For Each Other’, Meg Dayley Olmert claims that oxytocin calms the fear centers of the pituitary gland in both humans and animals, enabling our ancestors to form affectionate feelings and bonds beyond the species barrier.
A new study led by a team of Swiss researchers has concluded that oxytocin may help couples to discuss difficult issues and to resolve conflict with less stress. Couples who were given oxytocin nasal spray were better able to manage a conflict discussion and with less stress than were couples given merely a placebo. The researchers hope that oxytocin might soon be used as a supplement to couples undergoing cognitive therapy to solve relationship problems.
Oxytocin is a hormone best known for its role in female reproduction. In particular, it is a hormone which has been known to rise significantly in females during and after the process of giving birth. Oxytocin is thought to play a key role in establishing a psychological and emotional bond between mother and child. Scientists have become increasingly interested in its possible role in a number of various other social behaviours, from trusting strangers to sexual attraction. There are a now a number of scientific studies that have established links between oxytocin and the psychology involved in such human and social interactions. It is hoped that oxytocin might become a common method of altering human behaviour for the better – for example, in helping people to overcome shyness or even in treating the devastating and up to now incurable symptoms of autism.
It is expected that companies will soon be mass producing oxytocin sprays for the treatment of shyness and social anxiety. One company in America, VeroLabs, has already started selling an oxytocin spray aimed at increasing trust between the user of it and the people he meets in his daily social and buisness life.
It is possible to buy Liquid Trust Oxytocin Spray online by clicking the link below :
Oxytocin Liquid Trust Spray