Why oxytocin is called love hormone?

Oxytocin is often referred to as the "love hormone" because of the role it plays in social bonding and attachment. Oxytocin is a hormone produced by the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland. It plays a critical role in various physiological processes such as childbirth, lactation, and sexual reproduction.

When it comes to social interactions, Oxytocin is released in the brain during positive social interactions such as physical touch, trust, and emotional bonding. It has been found to increase feelings of trust, empathy, and generosity and decrease feelings of stress and anxiety. Oxytocin has been shown to increase feelings of bonding and attachment in romantic relationships and parent-child relationships.

Research has also found that oxytocin levels increase during sexual activity, which may explain why people often feel more emotionally connected to their partners after sex. Oxytocin also plays a role in the formation of new relationships and helps to strengthen existing ones.

It's also worth noting that oxytocin is not only associated with positive emotions, but also with negative emotions such as envy and schadenfreude. Oxytocin has been found to increase negative emotion in some contexts, such as when people feel excluded from a group or when they perceive a threat to their social bonds.

In summary, Oxytocin is called the "love hormone" because it plays a critical role in promoting positive social interactions, emotional bonding and attachment, and is released in the brain during positive social interactions such as physical touch, trust, and emotional bonding. It has also been found to play a role in sexual activity, and in the formation and strengthening of relationships.