Chemistry of Love
First attraction, first "sparks" in the air followed by
falling in love are caused by combination of three
neurochemicals: phenylethylamine, norepinephrine
and dopamine. Later stages of long relationships
are guiding by another two: oxytocin and serotonin.
That's our five candidates for today. Lets take a
more close look on the first three:
Norepinephrine
Norepinephrine, as is clear from its other name
Noradrenaline, stimulates the production of
adrenaline, which makes our heart race, and the
palms sweat. Norepinephrine is getting released
from neurons, or, simply, nerve cells in the brain,
which are called noradrenergic neurons, of course.
The noradrenergic neurons in the brain form a sort
of system, which is, in its turn, called
norepinephrine system, that, when activated, exerts
effects on large areas of the brain [1]. By this action
we can call it a neurotransmitter system, because its
main function is the transmission of nerve impulse,
which causes the other nerve to fire and pass the
message along the "chain". The noradrenaline
system consists of just 1500 neurons on each side
of the brain, which is tiny compared to the total
amount of more than 100 billion neurons in the
brain. Nevertheless, when activated, the system
plays major roles in the brain, Norepinephrine
performs its actions on the target cells by binding to
and activating its adrenergic receptors. The target
cell expression of different types of receptors
determines the ultimate cellular effect, and thus
norepinephrine has different actions on different
cell types. The main targets of the norepinephrine
system to "ignite " are receptors in spinal cord,
thalamus, phypothalamus, neocortex .etc.
High level of norepinephrine in the brain increases
the experience of joy and reduces appetite
Dopamine
Dopamine is a neurochemical that is getting
released by the brain when we feel good, for
instance, by the influence of a good food [3] or
reading a fascinating book. It also makes people
more "talkative" and excitable. It affects brain
processes that control emotional response,
movement, ability to express pleasure, but also
pain.
Dopamine is very similar in structure to the
norepinephrine, and is actually its precursor [4].
What does that mean? There will be no adrenaline
produced, no sweating and heart racing if the brain
can not produce enough dopamine first. The natural
sources fordopamine are proteins from such
sources as meat, nuts and egg whites, they are
getting broken down by the digestive system into
amino acids such as l-tyrosine, a precursor to
dopamine. So, if you want to be more vulnerable, a
vegetarian diet is not for you.
Dopamine is the most mysterious of these three
neurochemicals. Arvid Carlsson was awarded
the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for
showing that dopamine is not just a precursor of
norepinephrine but a neurotransmitter, as well. This
means that in addition to the norepinephrine
system, there is also a dopamine neurotransmitter
system. Briefly, dopamine makes us feel better and
better by activating as many as five types of
different receptors in the brain [5], which, of
course, are called "dopamine receptors". Most of
them are associated with the pleasure system of the
brain, providing feelings of enjoyment and
reinforcement to motivate a person proactively to
perform certain activities.
Sociability is also closely tied to dopamine
neurotransmission. Low dopamine receptor-binding
is found in people with social anxiety. Traits
common to negative schizophrenia (social
withdrawal, apathy,) are thought to be related to a
hypodopaminergic state in certain areas of the
brain. A state of becoming hypersocial, is also
credited to an increase in dopamine.
So, we can say, that dopamine has a dual role: it
can act as a neuromodulator and a neurotransmitter.
Phenylethylamine
PEA deserves a special attention because it is
famous for being found in chocolate. You've
probably heard that eating chocolate makes you
feel good and even happy. And mostly, all sources
are saying that it is because chocolate contains
PEA [8].
Now you know that it is mostly dopamine which
makes us feel good from the tasty food, and as far
as PEA is concerned, it's role, unfortunately, has
been exaggerated. Phenethylamine from chocolate
is getting rapidly metabolized by the different
enzymes of gastrointestinal tract, preventing
significant concentrations from reaching the brain.
So, when you eat chocolate, you feel good from a
sweet taste, and not the concentration of PEA in it.
In fact, phenylethylamine levels are higher in
cheese and sausages [9], which are not associated
with chemistry of love, well, at least by now.
Compare to the other two, PEA acts more as a
neuromodulator rather than a
neurotransmitter [10], [11]. While increasing the
extracellular levels of dopamine, it also modulates
noradrenergic transmission (as we have called the
ignition of norepinephrine system). In other words,
it would be fair to say, that PEA is more of a
"helper" for bighting up the action of the previous
two players. The mechanism for PEA "helping" is
still not very clear, but most probably, when present
in the brain, PEA is captured into the presynaptic
vesicles and occupies the space normally taken by
dopamine [12]. This leads to an increase in
dopamine free-circulating, therefore enhancing
dopaminergic transmission.
So, only when these three chemicals combine
together, we feel the real "chemistry" of love. It is
due to this combination that new lovers feel
euphoric and energized and can talk days and
nights long.
The 3 stages of love
Stage 1: Lust
This is the first stage of love and is driven by the
sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen in both
men and women.
Stage 2: Attraction
This is the amazing time when you are truly love-
struck and can think of little else. Scientists think
that three main neurotransmitters are involved in
this stage; adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin.
Adrenaline
The initial stages of falling for someone activates
your stress response, increasing your blood levels
of adrenalin and cortisol. This has the charming
effect that when you unexpectedly bump into your
new love, you start to sweat, your heart races and
your mouth goes dry.
Dopamine
Helen Fisher asked newly love struck
couples to have their brains examined
and discovered they have high levels of
the neurotransmitter dopamine. This
chemical stimulates desire and reward
by triggering an intense rush of pleasure.
It has the same effect on the brain as
taking cocaine!
Fisher suggests couples often show the
signs of surging dopamine: increased
energy, less need for sleep or food,
focused attention and exquisite delight in
smallest details of this novel
relationship .

Serotonin
And finally, serotonin. One of love's most
important chemicals that may explain why when
youre falling in love, your new lover keeps
popping into your thoughts.
Does love change the way you think?
A landmark experiment in Pisa, Italy showed that
early love (the attraction phase) really changes the
way you think.
Stage 3: Attachment
Oxytocin - The cuddle hormone
Oxytocin is a powerful hormone released by men
and women during orgasm.
It probably deepens the feelings of attachment and
makes couples feel much closer to one another after
they have had sex. The theory goes that the more
sex a couple has, the deeper their bond becomes.
Oxytocin also seems to help cement the
strong bond between mum and baby and is
released during childbirth. It is also
responsible for a mums breast
automatically releasing milk at the mere
sight or sound of her young baby.
Diane Witt, assistant professor of
psychology from New York has showed
that if you block the natural release of
oxytocin in sheep and rats, they reject their
own young.
Conversely, injecting oxytocin into female
rats whove never had sex, caused them to
fawn over another females young,
nuzzling the pups and protecting them as if
they were their own.
Vasopressin
Vasopressin is another important hormone in the
long-term commitment stage and is released after
sex.
Vasopressin (also called anti-diuretic hormone)
works with your kidneys to control thirst. Its
potential role in long-term relationships was
discovered when scientists looked at the prairie
vole.
Prairie voles indulge in far more sex than is strictly
necessary for the purposes of reproduction. They
also like humans - form fairly stable pair-bonds.
When male prairie voles were given a drug that
suppresses the effect of vasopressin, the bond with
their partner deteriorated immediately as they lost
their devotion and failed to protect their partner
from new suitors.
York psychologist, Professor Arthur Arun, has been
studying why people fall in love.
He asked his subjects to carry out the above 3 steps
and found that many of his couples felt deeply
attracted after the 34 minute experiment. Two of his
subjects later got married.
The chemistry of love
1) Lust
Lust is driven by initial physical attraction and
flirting. This stage can depend on characteristics
such as a symmetrical face and proportionate body
dimensions. Flirting can include gazing into the
eyes, touching, and mirroring in body language.
The two chemicals that surface during this stage are
the sex hormones (testosterone and estrogen) and
pheromones.
In the animal world, PHEROMONES are
individual scent "prints" found in urine or sweat
that dictate sexual behavior and attract the opposite
sex. The existence of human pheromones was
discovered in 1986 by scientists at the Chemical
Senses Center in Philadelphia and its counterpart in
France. They found these chemicals in human
sweat.
2) Falling in love - Attraction
The romantic or passionate love is characterized by
euphoria when things are going well, and terrible
mood swings when they're not. When you fall in
love you may have many physical symptoms: lose
of appetite, can't sleep, can't concentrate, palms
sweat, butterflies in stomach... This is due to
surging brain chemicals called monoamines:
- DOPAMINE: it's commonly associated with the
pleasure system of the brain, providing feelings of
enjoyment and reinforcement to motivate us to do
certain activities. It's released by naturally-
rewarding experiences, such as sex or food. Some
research studies show that when female rodents
were injected dopamine in the presence of a male
rodent, the female will pick him out of a crowd
later.
- PHENYLETHYLAMINE: It's a natural
amphetamine like the known drug and can cause
the same stimulation effects. It contributes to that
on-top-of-the-world feeling that attraction can
bring, and gives you the energy to stay up day and
night with a new love.
- SEROTONIN: it controls impulses, unruly
passions, obsessive behavior, aiding the sense of
"being in control".
- NOREPINEPHRINE is another neurotransmitter
which induces euphoria in your brain, exciting the
body by giving it a booster dose of natural
adrenaline. This causes the heart to beat faster and
blood pressure to rise. That's why you can
experience a pounding heart or sweaty palms when
you see someone you're attracted to.
3) Attachment - Staying together
- OXYTOCIN: it's sometimes known as "the
cuddle chemical." It's the hormone best known for
its role in inducing labor by stimulating
contractions. But recently it has been observed that
it may influence our ability to bond with others, as
both genders release this hormone when touching
and cuddling, with the oxytocin level peaking
during orgasm.
- VASOPRESSIN: also called as "the monogamy
chemical". Researchers have found that suppression
of vasopressin can cause males to abandon their
love nest and seek new mates.
- ENDORPHINS: they are biochemical compounds
that enhance our immune system, block the lesion
of blood vessel, have anti-aging, anti-stress and
pain-relieving effect, and also help to improve your
memory.
High levels of oxytocin and vasopressin may
interfere with dopamine and norepinephrine
pathways, which may explain why with the time
attachment grows as mad passionate love fades.
phenylethylamine or PEA - This is an amine that
naturally occurs in the brain and also in some
foods, such as chocolate. It is a stimulant, much
like an amphetamine, that causes the release of
norepinephrine and dopamine. This chemical is
found when you are falling in love. It's responsible
for the head-over-heels, elated part of love.
norepinephrine - When PEA causes this chemical to
be released, you feel the effects in the form of
sweaty palms and a pounding heart.
dopamine - Dopamine is a neurochemical that
appears to be associated with mate selection. An
Emory University study found that voles (a type of
rodent) chose their mate based on dopamine
release. When female voles were injected with
dopamine in the presence of a male vole, they
could select him from a group of voles later.