The Chemistry Behind Chemistry

We all know that our feelings are regulated by several somewhat ethereal compounds in our body called hormones. Secreted in extremely minute quantities, these chemicals are capable of causing every emotion, ranging from sadness to happiness. It's kind of unimaginable that the whole reason we are capable of feelings is a bunch of compounds having a volume of barely a few millilitres, but that's life.

Love is no different. We are only capable of loving due to certain hormones in our body that make it possible. Many gushing romantics would spew allegations of blasphemy and sacrilege if one ever pointed it out to them: but then again, so would many people. It's not that I am suggesting that love is made any less precious just because hormones control it. I am only attempting to inform you about the hormones that make love possible and leave you with a bit of extra knowledge in the process.

Now, let me play a little game with you. I am going to present a question to you, as well as a few possible answers. Give your best guess with regards to the answer, and good luck!

Q) How many hormones are responsible for controlling love?

A) One

B) Two

C) Six

D) Can't say

Believe it or not, the answer is D. Now you might ask- what on Earth, man? I thought you were here to tell us which hormones are responsible for love, and now you can't even tell us how many there are?! Well, let me assure you: I can tell you which hormones are responsible for love- but what needs to be made clear is the kind of love you are talking about.

Is it the familial love you feel for your parents, or the kind you feel for your significant other? Is it the love you feel for your pet, or the love you feel for your friends? They are all mostly different kinds of love, are they not? You feel differently about your parents and your significant other, but in the end, they are under the same category of love. However, there are different hormones to regulate each one of these loves, and I shall elucidate that right now.

The familial love you feel for your parents or your pet is regulated by a very familiar hormone (at least to every high schooler) called oxytocin. Oxytocin is a 'cuddle hormone'- it reduces stress, increases comfort and contentment, and gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling experienced after a long hug from your mom. Oxytocin is also released in copious amounts in the mother during pregnancy, as it stimulates lactation; but studies have found that the higher the oxytocin levels, the higher the mother-baby bonding. Of course, oxytocin also plays a part in the love you feel for your significant other (butterflies in your stomach is also due to this guy), but it plays a larger role in the familial spectrum.

Be warned, however: oxytocin isn't such a straightforward hormone in the sense that oxytocin is directly proportional to magnitude of love. Remember, it reduces stress, which makes it somewhat obvious that the body would produce it after a breakup or a fight too! In fact, oxytocin is also released in large amounts after a lover's tiff, to reduce stress. So if you observe that some guy has got high levels of oxytocin, it could be due to a recent breakup or a recent relationship- you never know!

The love you feel for your significant other, however, isn't as simple: the hormones regulating it change levels as you get further in your relationship. In the first stage, adrenaline and cortisol are in charge, making you feel things like blushes, breaking out in a cold sweat, et cetera. Dopamine also plays a huge part- it is the pleasure hormone and has the same effect on your brain as cocaine!- and explains the honeymoon stage, when all the couple can think about is each other.

As we go further, things get a little more complex. A hormone called serotonin comes into play: and that makes you notice all the annoying habits of your partner- or at least some habits about them that you don’t like. Serotonin levels are usually low at the first stage, but at the second stage, they increase and give you a sense of calm. You aren't as obsessive as you were earlier, and can now look at your relationship more peaceably and in a more unbiased manner. Or in other words, the rose-tinted glasses are off.

If the partnership continues to the third stage, oxytocin comes back into play. It gives you a deeper sense of joy when you are in contact with your partner, and you feel more at peace when they are around. It is then that the prospects of marriage and family arise, if they haven't already.

Of course, neurochemists are still unsure if there are any other hormones in play or if these ones have more effects on the body, and who can blame them? Feelings are highly abstract, after all. However, as technology develops and techniques improve, we can be sure to expect breakthroughs in brain chemistry and endocrinology, which will tell us more about love and what is responsible for it.

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