Submitted by Diamond Medical Spa and Vein
Thirty years ago, I embarked on a mission to help bring unspeakable joy (and pain) into the lives of thousands. Little did I know that as an Obstetrician/Gynecologist I would be the active participant in not only the miracle of life, but one the most powerful expressions love (most of the time)! For thousands of years, poets, musicians, and artists knew what scientists are only recently appreciating — love is healthy for you! For a scientist, this is exciting, like discovering that coffee is a health food (Really, it isn’t just to keep me going so I can do more work?).
Huey Lewis and the News performed “Power of Love” for the blockbuster film “Back to the Future.” As an OB, this could have been my anthem every time I wrote labor induction orders for oxytocin (pitocin). You might say, “isn’t that the medication that gave me all my labor pains?” Ironically, this hormone is even more powerful than causing labor contractions. Scientists, supported by the National Institutes of Health, have begun to understand this hormonal biochemical interaction and how our bodies respond to love and affection.
Oxytocin is a natural hormone made in the hypothalamus in our brains. It is released into the bloodstream, but most of the effects occur in the brain. That good feeling we get when we are close to loved ones, (certain) family, and even pets is due to the dopamine reward system in the brain triggered by oxytocin. Dopamine is crucial to our perception of pleasure. When dopamine or seratonin are imbalanced, people may express symptoms of serious mental illness.
Dr. Kathleen Light studied happy couples while holding hands and talking about good times. The blood tests of these couples have higher levels of oxytocin than couples in conflict. In fact, she found that people that received lots of hugs and warm physical contact at home had the highest oxytocin levels. Also, frequent warm contact “primes” the system and causes it to turn on quicker. She found this relationship held true when mothers hold their infants more at home.
Many different types of animals researched clearly demonstrated the long-term positive behavioral effects of those animals groomed and cared for by their mothers. Conversely, neglected and ignored animals displayed social and physical illnesses, like heart disease.
Cardiovascular studies, like the one done by Nancy Frasure-Smith, found that six months after a heart attack, people who were depressed were four times more likely to be dead than those who were not depressed. Another study has shown that people who are lonely and depressed are three to 10 times more likely to die prematurely than well-adjusted people with a stronger sense of love. One study showed that couples that had brief, warm social and physical contact exhibited lower heart rates and blood pressure compared to others.
Suicide rates are actually lowest in December according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Could it be due to all of the hugging and warmth people share? Still, for many, the Christmas season can be a lonely time. My encouragement is to not be afraid of oxytocin. Reach out. Take the risk to show love and raise those oxytocin levels. Even better, raise someone else’s oxytocin levels (responsibly). Give more hugs, hold more hands. Unless there is research I am unaware of, I predict that Facebook, Tweets, IM, and social media cannot increase oxytocin levels the way the warmth of human touch can.
God, who made these incredibly complex hormonal systems, knew exactly what to put in our brains to bring us joy, peace, contentment, pleasure, satisfaction, and fulfillment. Who could know better about love and how to love than God? Merry Christmas!
Diamond Medical Spa & Vein is located at 3170 E. 53rd Street in Davenport. Call 563-275-4701 today to schedule a consultation.