Oxytocin has been dubbed the love hormone for good reason, but did you know

it can also relieve pain and toggle your memory too.

Today we're going to talk about some cool facts about this

amazing hormone and how you can help your brain to release

more of it.

Welcome back to savvy psychologist. your host, Dr. Jade Wu, and every week I'll help you meet life's challenges

with evidence-based research, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

You know those warm and fuzzy feelings you get when you cuddle a puppy, hug your friend,

or kiss your partner?

That's oxytocin at work.

You may already have heard of oxytocin,

what people have called the love hormone,

the cuddle hormone, or even the moral molecule. This is because oxytocin has been in the headlines,

gaining a reputation for making people more trusting, generous, and even more love.

It is a neuropeptide, meaning that it is a protein-like molecule your brain cells use to communicate with each other.

Oxytocin is also a hormone, meaning that the brain releases it

into the bloodstream to communicate with the rest of the body. Clearly this

little brain chemical has some big jobs.

It plays a role in sex, childbirth, bonding, social interaction,

emotions, and many other functions important to us mammals.

Our brains produce it naturally, but there's also synthetic oxytocin that is sometimes used

therapeutically.

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