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The Love Hormone: How much do you know?

Last updated on: June 04, 2015 18:33 IST

5 fascinating facts about the love hormone

Image: Emraan Hashmi and Kangana Ranaut in Gangster

It is quite normal for most people to think of the reproductive system as having just one dominant role to play: creating offspring.

And, where that is not the main issue, for the gratification of sexual desire.

Actually, the reproductive system is linked with several neuro-chemicals that decode who you are, decide your personality type, dictate your tastes and manipulate your moods.

Often, addictive behaviour, risk-taking, greed, love and caring -- all seemingly unrelated emotions -- can be traced back to the reproductive system, whose health, therefore, is vital for who you are as a thinking, feeling, human being. 

That highly hyped emotion -- love -- is really a cocktail of bio-chemicals. One of them, oxytocin, is better known by more descriptive names -- hug hormone, trust hormone, or bonding hormone, and, most famously, as the cuddle hormone.

Shameem Akthar, yogacharya trained with the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, takes you through five questions that will challenge your knowledge of love’s biology.

Shameem Akhtar