Essential Woman has your answers for Hormone function.
Oxytocin can help us bond with loved ones and can be released through touch, music, and exercise.
What is oxytocin?
Oxytocin is a hormone that's produced in the hypothalamus and released into the bloodstream by the pituitary gland. Its main function is to facilitate childbirth, which is one of the reasons it is called the "love drug" or "love hormone." Oxytocin, like endorphins or serotonin, is a type of hormone in your body that promotes positive feelings.
What does oxytocin do?
Oxytocin both stimulates the muscles of the uterus to contract, and boosts the production of prostaglandins, which also increase uterine contractions. Women whose labor is slow to proceed are sometimes given oxytocin to speed the process. Once the baby is born, oxytocin helps to move milk from the ducts in the breast to the nipple, and to foster a bond between mom and baby.
Our bodies also produce oxytocin when we're excited by our sexual partner, and when we fall in love. That's why it has earned the nicknames "love hormone" and "cuddle hormone."
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