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The Chemical of Love

Blogger: LORAINEJD

Love is in the air indeed. Here comes The Month of Love again. Are you ready to celebrate it? Are you excited?

While waiting for the 14th to arrive, why don't we talk about something related to it first. Have you ever fallen in love with someone? The right one or the wrong person? Have you ever wondered why we fall in love? Yes, have you ever thought of that? What if we talk about this? Good? Alright.

You fell in love. It is such an amazing thing—to others it is a cacophony of different emotions. But how exactly? Well, you'll need chemistry. There are different hormones being released by your brain that cause those feelings. Along with these comes the neurotransmitters that can influence how we feel, too.

Oxytocin. Have you heard this before? This one here is called the love hormone, sometimes it is referred to as the cuddle hormone. This is the chemical that is responsible for the promotion of bonding and this intensifies our feelings of trust and security. It also regulates our central nervous system. This is released whenever physical interactions—like hugging, holding hands, or kissing—happen with the one you admire. Dopamine triggers the release of this.

Testosterone and estrogen. Here comes the sex hormones. We all have them. These are the primary sex hormones of men and women.

Testosterone is the one that boosts libido and aggression in BOTH men and women—much like for a drive of pursuit (perhaps to finally take the first move before their loved one already finds another). Still lacking the strength to finally confess? You'll need to have high testosterone levels because these are linked to increased confidence and assertiveness.

Now what about estrogen? This is the one that offers contribution to the regulation of the sexual arousal of women. This also has a role to modulate attraction.

Dopamine. Now let us head towards the neurotransmitters involved. Dopamine here is also called the feel-good hormone or feel-good neurotransmitter. This gives us motivation, pleasure, and enthusiasm. It provides us the feeling of happiness and excitement whenever we are connecting to someone special. Heard of the term falling in love? If you ever fell in love with the wrong person, this is the hormone responsible for it. During the early stages of a romantic relationship, this is said to be released in large amounts and you feel the euphoria.

I want to share this excerpt that I read from the blog from Asynt. Kirsty noted that a study from Emory University found out that there is this kind of rodent (voles) that bases their mates based on their dopamine release.

I have a few tasks for you to make your brain create some chemicals for you to be happy. Dopamine is related to the word kilig. I want you to search for that peculiar word. You are not required to do so. But, if you want a challenge, I'm giving you one.

Serotonin. This is the neurotransmitter that regulates mood and overall wellbeing. This stabilizes the emotional highs and lows that can be associated with romantic love. Be careful because this one can become unbalanced. Have you been obsessed before or read a novel about an obsessive person over their partner? This neurotransmitter is the one who makes you feel that way. However, as time goes by and the relationship finally becomes stable, serotonin levels will be promoting a sense of stability, calmness, and contentment.

This one is related to the word kirot. What could be the meaning of this?

Norepinephrine. Another neurotransmitter but this time, this acts like adrenaline. This triggers the increasing heart rate and a surge of energy. Sweet palms are also sparked by this. Hence, the one that is in charge of the symptoms we feel and will soon be diagnosed as the phenomenon of falling in love. Stressed out because of love? This neurotransmitter plays a role with stress response.

Phenylethylamine (PEA). This is one of the amines that is said to naturally occur inside our brain and is also brought in by foods. Eating chocolate? Yes, it causes this, too. This is like amphetamine which is a stimulant. If you are watching some medical dramas, then you probably heard of these as well. This causes the release of neurotransmitters mentioned above—dopamine and norepinephrine. I read that this is in control for the head-over-heels, elated part of love.

Endorphins. These are associated with feelings of attachment and comfort. I read from a related blog that these are like opiates. They calm anxiety, relieve pain and reduce stress.

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While reading some related blogs, I found a very interesting thing. Just like what the blogger found from Cosmopolitan Magazine, I would like to share it with you as well.

Want to make some love potions for Valentine's? Here are the ingredients.

♡ Rocket leaves

♡Olive oil

♡Cinnamon

♡Basil

♡Truffles

♡Ginger

♡Sweet potato

♡Maca root

♡Pumpkin

♡Champagne (in moderate amounts)

♡Celery

♡Garlic

♡Ginseng

♡Apples

"If any chemists reading this attempt to mix up a love potion then you can definitely take over our annual Valentine blog next year!" (Kirsty, from asynt.com)

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Now, go and be happy. You now know what is going on inside your brain. Even if you are single, brokenhearted, or unhappy, just smile. It'll trick your brain to produce happy hormones. Just smile. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

References:

https://www.calm.com/blog/science-of-love

https://www.asynt.com/blog/the-chemistry-of-love/