by dr. joel trambley health lab INDULGENCES
ORIS IT LOVE? As long as there has been love, there have been people
trying to make sense of it. For much of history, explaining love was a pursuit for artists, philosophers and mystics. Poets have described it as a drug, even an addiction. They may have been more right than they knew. In recent years scientists have joined the fray, looking at
love not just as a behavior, but as a complex biochemical process. At a molecular level, it seems you might really be “addicted to love”.
A new technique called “functional MRI” allows researchers to look at what parts of the brain are active, and what they are doing. When people “intensely in love” are shown pictures of their significant others, the areas of the brain associated with reward and motivation ramp up. In some areas, the level of activity actually correlates with how they ranked their level of passion on a questionnaire. The regions of the brain active in lovers are primitive, and they produce a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine can do many things in the body, but in the brain it is most associated with pleasure and happiness. Succulent food, pleasant memories and hard- fought victories all make us feel great in part, because they stimulate dopamine in the brain. So does sex. It also can lead to a surge in oxytocin, which seems to play a role in es- tablishing emotional attachment. Best known for its role in the physiologic changes of labor and nursing, oxytocin was found to be important in mothers bonding with their newborns. Think about it; there has to be some reason a physically exhausted mother would pick up and cuddle the screaming child that just wore her out! More recently, it has also been linked to playing a role in romantic attachment. Some even hypothesize that oxytocin has a “roll” in the social lubricant effects of club drugs like ecstasy. Does sex lead to love—or does love lead to sex? The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle. The monogamous part of love may well be a result of intercourse: the oxytocin released during sex appears to “rewire” parts of your brain to strengthen your attachment to a specific partner. However, that surge doesn’t explain how that partner got into your pants in the first place; or why they became a keeper instead of another in the line of one-night stands.
JUST AN ADDICTION? That part of “love,” the infatuation and attraction, may prove to be even more com-
plex. Scents, facial dimension, hip girth and voice are among the qualities noted to play a role in attraction. More bizarre, some research shows that mammals can actu- ally evaluate the strength of a potential partner’s immune system—and perhaps how it would mix with their own. “Opposites Attract” may fail when applied to personali- ties, but it makes a lot of genetic sense. Attraction markers such as skin tone, hair color and eye color may be evolution’s way of telling you to jump into that particular gene pool, because for some reason it will get you the best dopamine and oxytocin surges. How did evolution get into this? Evolution, not you, is driving the crazy love train, and has been millions of years. It has two goals for you; one breed strong children and two keep them alive long enough to have their own children. To paraphrase one of my professors; “Everything you have ever done, every choice you have ever made (that includes reading this column) was made to help you keep more family members alive longer. The pleasure of orgasm gets humans to breed, but evolution needed a way to keep someone around to help raise the children.“ What better way than to make the ecstasy get better each time, and to leave you wanting more? Fortunately, as addictions go, love is a pretty healthy one. Sex alone can decrease
stress (duh!) and isn’t a bad calorie burn. Men in healthy, loving relationships live lon- ger than their single counterparts. Studies also suggest that people in love have lower blood pressure, decreased risk of cancer and heart disease, and a stronger immune system. Why wouldn’t we all want something that feels good and is good for you? Yet some people are never snagged by love addiction, and others eventually kick the habit—at least for a while. One reason may be, that new love is associated with the biggest dopamine surges and the most plea- sure. Whether you call it a dopamine rush or love, the best way to be together next February may be to make this year feel like your first year together.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
FEBRUARY 2011 | RAGE monthly 57
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