Love fact #1 Love makes us crazy For one thing, love causes serotonin levels in the brain to drop, which may lead people to obsess about their lover. The levels of serotonin, a chemical produced by the body, are also low in people who have obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Next, it ramps up production of the stress hormone cortisol, leading to slightly higher blood pressure and possible loss of sleep.
Scientists at the University of London have found that when people look at their new lover, the neural circuits that are usually in charge of social judgment are suppressed.
All in all, love kind of leaves you obsessive, stressed, and blind!
Love fact #2 Broken hearts always hurt A new study suggests the psychological hurt of a break up is just as real as a physical injury.
Two areas of the brain that respond to physical pain also become activated when a person is dealing with social or romantic pain, such as being dumped.
The study’s authors at UCLA used an MRI to monitor brain activity in participants while they played a game simulating social rejection.
The researchers believe that the pain of being rejected may have evolved as a motivating force that led humans to seek out social interaction, which is crucial for the survival of most mammals.
Love fact #3 Kiss the right way Did you know there is a “right” way to kiss? People are more likely to tilt their heads to the right when kissing instead of left, says a report published in the journal, Nature. A scientist from Ruhr University in Germany analyzed 124 pairs of smoochers and found that 65 percent tilt their head toward the right.
Love fact #4 Blushing is best If we take our cue from apes, rosy cheeks are crucial in the dating game, says a new study. Scientists at Stirling University in Great Britain have found that primates prefer mates with red faces.
A rosy glow might also act as a similar cue