您常牽著另一半的手嗎？平時會主動擁抱對方，或者是依偎在其身邊聊天嗎？
2005蘇黎世大學(Zurich University)費爾(Ernst Fehr)團隊進行研究時，要求受測者參與「信任遊戲」，同時使用功能性磁振造影術掃描他們的腦部。學者發現，催產素會抑制腦部兩個原本充當天然「防衛牆」之區域的活動。
第一個便是杏仁核，即腦部處理恐懼與危險的部位；第二個是紋狀體，是腦部憑著過去回饋而指引未來行為的地帶。
孤獨症病患，深受社交恐懼症所苦的人，腦部杏仁核極其活躍，所以催產素幫得上忙的機率很大。
蘇黎世大學的研究對了解心理疾病有深遠的意義，雖然一定程度的戒心對保護人免受傷害有幫助，但是要維持長久關係，能夠「寬恕並遺忘」是最重要的一步。
2008由美國楊百翰大學(Brigham Young University)心理系的Julianne Holt-Lunstad博士的報告指出， 夫妻若能培養簡單的親暱互動的習慣，除能增進彼此關係外，更重要的是，還能緩解精神緊張，預防與壓力相關疾病的發生。 催產素已被確認可以降低個體的防衛心態與恐懼感受，提高對他人的信任，促進社交關係的發展，也因此又被學界取名為「抱抱化學物質」。
催產素會在女性分娩時釋放至血液中，引發人體分泌母乳，也會在女性餵母乳時湧入大腦，增進母親與嬰兒關係。
上帝賞賜給我們一個可以獲得催產素（oxytocin）的方法，就是夫妻多親親抱抱,體內的催產素濃度會高出許多。 仔細觀察，經常手牽手散步或喜歡依偎在對方身邊的夫婦，他們的人際關係、社交情形都比「相敬如冰」的夫妻好，也比較容易相信別人、對別人慷慨。 有鑑於此，建議在正常性生活外，夫妻若能不時也有表達關愛、親密的小動作出現，相信長期下來，對於雙方的健康維護與感情穩固會有潛移默化的效果。
Seeking a healthy boost to kick start your day? Look no further than the bedroom.
Dr Debby Herbenick, an American research scientist and sex advice columnist, said: ‘Having sex in the morning releases the feel-good chemical oxytocin, which makes couples feel loving and bonded all day long.’ Adults who make love first thing in the morning apparently not only feel more upbeat for the rest of the day, but also benefit from a stronger immune system.
Research suggests that adults who begin their day this way are healthier and happier than those who simply opt for a cup of tea and some toast before heading out of the door. Not only does it make them less likely to catch a cold or flu, it can also improve the quality of their hair, skin, and nails.
Sex releases the hormone and will create a bond between the two people involved. Since the release of oxytocin can be classically conditioned, after repeatedly having sex with the same partner, just seeing that partner could release more oxytocin, making you want to be with that person all the more. Breaking this bond is often difficult and can lead to depression and other psychological woes.
The world today promotes the notion that sex is pure recreation, that the “hook-up” culture is natural and even empowering to women, and that love and sex are two completely different things.
That’s not the whole story. Casual sex is not a natural part of the human make-up. Sex is a bonding experience and when the bond is broken by multiple partners, your body and mind have a conflict. This conflict is caused by a hormone called oxytocin and this is what makes love so ecstatic but also hurt.
Remaining sexually pure until marriage is the way the human body was designed. To be with and desire one person in your life time is part of the human chemical make up. Stepping outside of that natural design creates conflict between body and mind.
The hormone Oxytocin comes from a Greek word meaning “quick birth”. It is a mammalian hormone that also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. In women, it is released mainly after distension of the cervix and vagina during labor, and after stimulation of the nipples, facilitating birth and breastfeeding. Oxytocin is also released during orgasm in both sexes. In the brain, oxytocin is involved in social recognition and bonding, and is involved in the formation of trust between people.
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