5 Surprising Science Facts About Love
There are more and more scientific facts about love, and many of them are surprising. Research in this regard has enabled us to verify that this feeling has much more to do with the brain and hormones than with dreams and illusions.
The science of love reminds us that falling in love is all about physics, chemistry, and biology. Of course, this feeling does not boil down to that, as it also takes on meaning in the mind and shapes our perceptions of life and our relationships with others.
Romantic love is and will remain a source of motivation and dreams. It enriches life because it makes us more creative and happier. Beyond that, scientific data on love explains that this feeling elicits interesting physiological reactions, and that hardly anyone escapes its charm.
Some scientific facts about love
1. Love is like a frenzy
The expression “to be drunk with love” can be taken literally. A study published by the journal Neuroscience and Biobehavorial Reviews in 2015 explains that the feeling of love is felt “like drunkenness”.
Research by scientists at the University of Birmingham has indicated that during the infatuation there is a strong release of oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone”. The effect that this substance causes in the body is very similar to that of excessive alcohol consumption.
2. Surprising scientific facts about love? It can change the brain!
An interesting study by a team of scientists from Anhnui University of Science and Technology was published in the journal Frontiers of Human Neuroscience. 100 volunteers participated in this study: among them, there were singles, people in couples and people who were leaving a romantic relationship.
The brains of all participants were examined via an MRI. The finding was as follows: lovers had greater brain activity in areas related to motivation, reward and social skills. Their brains were remarkably similar to those of drug addicts.
3. Love has nothing to do with chocolate
There is a belief that heartaches are more easily forgotten when eating chocolate. This food would contain substances that balance the chemical effect that the absence of a loved one creates on the brain. This is why some of us consume cocoa in all its forms following a disappointment in love.
Science tells us that this belief is absolutely wrong. It is true that chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a substance linked to infatuation. But when ingested through the digestive tract, it loses all of its effect.
4. Love makes us feel butterflies in our stomachs
When we love someone, we tend to say that we love them with all of our heart. In view of certain scientific data, we could also mention the stomach: the famous butterflies in the stomach exist.
These butterflies correspond to a kind of tingling that evokes a “happy fear”. Science explains that there is an association between the brain and the digestive system. If you love someone, just seeing them can trigger a number of physiological reactions including that fast, light heartbeat in the stomach.
5. Monogamy in animals
This scientific fact does not have to do with love itself, but rather with fidelity. Some species of animals have only one partner for life. Why ? The reasons are not particularly romantic.
In some cases, this is because there are few specimens. In other cases, this is because the young specimens are very vulnerable to a hostile environment: staying together improves their chances of survival.
The information available indicates that only 5% of the species are monogamous. And in any case, it is for practical matters.
Either way, love is and will be a fabulous state. This leads us to experience each sensation intensely. It also makes us more dynamic and more sensitive. Whether this feeling is explained by chemistry, physics, biology or semantics, it doesn’t matter, love is always worth it.
Our thoughts Lack of passion in a relationship is one of the most dissatisfied problems in the world of relationships.
