"Cuddle Hormone" Oxytocin's Boozy Quality Turns People into Loveholics, Brain Study Reveals

You can be drunk in love. If you thought being in love was like getting high- you may be right, according to a new study.

Researchers at University of Birmingham have shown that behavioral effects of 'love hormone' oxytocin are similar to those of alcohol. Just as alcohol can help pluck the nerve to ask someone out but can also cause one to behave aggressive, so can oxytocin, the study establishes. It works by helping an individual overcome inhibitions, fears, stress and anxiety. The effects of oxytocin as a hormone essential for mother-child bonding and for sexual partners are well known.

"They appear to target different receptors within the brain, but cause common actions in the prefrontal cortex and the limbic structures. These neural circuits control how we perceive stress or anxiety, especially in social situations such as interviews, or perhaps even plucking up the courage to ask somebody on a date. Taking compounds such as oxytocin and alcohol can make these situations seem less daunting," said Ian Mitchell, from the university's School of Psychology.

Dr. Mitchell warned against the abuse of oxytocin though such use was improbable. Oxytocin may inhibit fears that the body may need to restrain from acting reckless, a consequence often associated with uninhibited alcohol consumption.

 "I don't think we'll see a time when oxytocin is used socially as an alternative to alcohol. But it is a fascinating neuro-chemical and, away from matters of the heart, has a possible use in treatment of psychological and psychiatric conditions," said Steven Gillespie.