Oxytocin has been called the "cuddlehormone," but this simplistic label overlooks the complex role it plays in bonding and social interaction.
The posterior lobe, which is about the size of a pea, of the pituitary hormone secretes oxytocin. It is found at the base the brain.
According to Texas Medical Center, it's sometimes called the "cuddle hormone" and the "lovehormone," as it's released when people bond or snuggle together. According to research published in Frontiers in Psychology in 2017, even playing with your dog can trigger an oxytocin spike. These names may not be accurate.
The American Psychological Association states that oxytocin can increase memories of bad bonding, such as when mothers have poor relationships with their sons. People may be less open to people they perceive as outsiders because of it. The environment can also affect how oxytocin makes people feel.
Oxytocin in women
Women are particularly dependent on Oxytocin. Larry Young, Emory University behavioral neuroscientist in Atlanta, Georgia, said that Oxytocin, a peptide made in the brain, was first recognized for its roles in birth and nursing.
According to a chapter of the book "Drugs During Birth and Lactation", (Elsevier B.V. 2015), the hormone helps reduce the size and strength of uterine contractions after labor. The stimulation occurs when an infant suckers at the breast of their mother, which causes the mother to release oxytocin. This in turn orders the body's "let down" of milk for the baby.
The bond between mother and baby is strengthened by oxytocin (Image credit: Getty)
Mother-child bonding is also promoted by Oxytocin. Young explained to Live Science that studies have shown that female rats find the pups to be difficult if they are virgins. He said that once they have given birth, their brains are transformed and they find the pups irresistible. Similar findings can be seen in humans.
Related: The oxytocin hormone could boost spirituality
According to the Association of Psychological Science, bonding behaviors like singing and bathing your baby are more likely when your mom has a higher level of oxytocin in her first trimester.
Similar: 11 Amazing Effects of Oxytocin
Young stated that although maternal bonding is not always hardwired, humans can adopt babies and care for them. Young also said that oxytocin produced during pregnancy "does appear to play a role in motivational and emotional connectedness to a child." He also said that studies have shown that infants' oxytocin levels increase when they interact with them.
Men can take oxytocin
Oxytocin can also help men bond. Live Science found that dads who received a nasal spray of oxytocin had a greater relationship with their babies at 5 months than those who did not. Vasopressin is another hormone that plays a greater role in men's bonding.
The anti-social effects of social hormones add some nuance to the story about oxytocin. Researchers found that students in the Netherlands were more positive about fictional Dutch characters than they were about those with Arabic or German names. Researchers reported their findings in January 2011 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
When a man becomes a father, his oxytocin levels usually increase. (Image credit: Getty)
Another study published in PNAS found that men were given oxytocin by their mothers and asked to remember their mothers' names. People who had stable relationships with their mothers described them as being more caring after receiving the hormone dose. People with difficult relationships saw their mothers as less caring after receiving the hormone dose. According to researchers, the hormone can help form social memories. A whiff of the hormone strengthens any previous associations, good or not.
Young stated that oxytocin makes social information more salient. It connects brain regions involved in processing social data, such as sounds, sights, or smells, and links those areas to the brain’s reward system.
Anxiety and Oxytocin
Oxytocin can create opposite responses to social bonds and trust among people. Researchers published a 2020 study that showed that oxytocin can cause anxiety and envy in mice.
Usually, oxytocin production is in the hypothalamus area of the brain. However, sometimes the hormone can be produced in the "bed nuclear of the stria terminis" (BNST). This area of the brain is crucial in the body's stress response.
The researchers studied the behavior and brains of mice to determine if they were experiencing social anxiety after oxytocin was administered in the BNST.
What are oxytocin-sprays?
Live Science reported that oxytocin nasal sprays have also been considered for autism treatment. This is a neurological disorder that causes difficulties with social functioning and can be treated by using oxytocin sprays. In 2017, PNAS published research that showed children with autism may be able to socially function better if they have higher levels of oxytocin.
This study involved 32 children aged 6-12 years old. Scientists found that the treatment had the greatest impact on those with the lowest levels of oxytocin.
You can inject or spray oxytocin into your nasal cavity. (Image credit: Getty)
Young stated that oxytocin can be used to treat autism-related diseases, but it is important to use it in a positive context.
However, oxytocin sprays are not recommended for use outside of a medical setting. Online sales of oxytocin sprays without prescription promises stress relief and social ease. They were approved by FDA in 2019 for treatment-resistant depression. The side effects and efficacy of other treatments are unknown.
Long-term studies are not available on side effects of legitimate oxytocin products used in hormone research. Most studies only give one dose of the hormone. Healthline describes Pitocin as a synthetic form of oxytocin that is administered intravenously to stimulate labor. Although this can help prevent overdue births from becoming a problem, it also poses risks like infection and overstimulation.
Additional resources
This article is intended to be informative only and not to provide medical advice.
