Love Hormone, Oxytocin, Keeps Men Faithful

After a long research, science have discover the unknown forces that cause loving couples to be faithful. Researchers at the Bonn University Medical Center have showed that administering oxytocin, the “love hormone”, to men results in stimulation of the brain reward system when men view their partners. This increases the attractiveness of the partners and “strengthening monogamy.

Prof. Dr. René Hurlemann, at the Bonn University Medical Center said, "An important role in partner bonding is played by the hormone oxytocin, which is secreted in the brain."

A team of scientists at the University of Bonn under the direction of Prof. Hurlemann and with participation by researchers at the Ruhr University of Bochum and the University of Chengdu (China) examined the effect of the "bonding hormone".

As the part of research, researchers showed pictures of their female partners to a total of 40 heterosexual men who were in a permanent relationship – and pictures of other women for comparison. First a dose of oxytocin was administered to the subjects in a nasal spray and then a placebo at a later date. The scientists also studied the brain activity of the subjects with the help of functional magnetic resonance tomography.

Dirk Scheele, a lead author said, "When the men received oxytocin instead of the placebo, their reward system in the brain when viewing the partner was very active, and they perceived them as more attractive than the other women."