Oxytocin is a hormone that plays a role in bonding, orgasms, trust, and maternal instincts. One way to activate the hormone is through love-making. And making love is a way to keep intimacy alive and stave off a man’s wandering eyes.
We learned from Dr. Larry J Young, neuro-scientist at Emory University, that: “Experiments have shown that a nasal squirt of oxytocin enhances trust and tunes people into others’ emotions.
“Internet entrepreneurs are already marketing products such as Enhanced Liquid Trust, a cologne-like mixture of oxytocin and pheromones ‘designed to boost the dating and relationship area of your life’.
“Although such products are unlikely to do anything other than boost users’ confidence, studies are under way in Australia to determine whether an oxytocin spray might aid traditional marital therapy.” Being Human: Love: Neuroscience reveals all : Article : Nature
Re-ignite that oxytocin — naturally
Dr. Scott Haltzman, whom I often interview for my Providence Journal columns, tells us that natural highs “can produce excitatory neurochemicals that the brain interprets as excitement about your partner, not the activity.” He suggests:
- Making love –sex produces a natural high that can boost oxytocin levels.
- Doing something out of your normal routine, such as, going to an amusement park or walking in the rain. And if you are walking in the rain, skip puddles or see who can jump into a puddle and make the biggest splash.
- Going to a new restaurant and order a dish that is completely unlike anything else you have ever ordered.
These activities will trigger the bonding effect. These and many other thoughts are in his latest book: The Secrets of Happy Families: Eight Keys to Building a Lifetime of Connection and Contentment
Have you read this piece at the Examiner adapted from my Lifebeat column? Valentine’s Day love and gratitude tips, start now!
Copyright 2011 Rita Watson/ All Rights Reserved