What makes oxytocin

This wellness practice offers plenty of benefits , including:. But research from suggests yoga may help increase oxytocin production, too.

This small study aimed to explore whether yoga could help increase oxytocin in people with schizophrenia , a mental health condition that often involves trouble recognizing facial emotions and other social difficulties.

According to the study results, the 15 participants who practiced yoga for 1 month saw improvements in their ability to recognize emotions and socio-occupational functioning. They also had higher levels of oxytocin. While musical taste can vary widely from person to person, most people enjoy listening to some type of music. You probably listen to music because you enjoy it, but you might have noticed it has other benefits , like improving your mood, focus, and motivation.

It also seems to help improve the ability to create social bonds — an effect also associated with oxytocin. Research is still limited, but a few small studies have found evidence to suggest music can help boost oxytocin levels in your body:. Love a good massage? A study looking at 95 adults found evidence to suggest 15 minutes of massage could not only help people relax, but it could also boost oxytocin levels.

Research from supports this finding and expands on it, noting that oxytocin levels also increase in the person giving the massage. What does oxytocin do for you? Well, people often report less pain, stress, and anxiety post-massage.

Many also notice an improved mood and greater feelings of well-being. Research suggests that massage from a partner or other loved one may work just as well.

Sharing your love and affection with the people who mean the most to you can help increase oxytocin in a few ways:. Strong friendships can make a big difference in your emotional well-being. Kicking it with your pals can make for a good time, but it can also help you feel socially supported and less alone in the world.

The good feelings you experience around your friends can help you feel more positive about your interactions, making you want to spend more time together. The trust and affection you have for them also tends to increase when you share their company more often.

Whether you make specific plans or simply enjoy hanging out, the more time you spend together, the stronger your bond will likely become. For an added bonus, try doing something with a friend that neither of you has done before. Sign up for our email newsletter. Sign Up. Support science journalism. Knowledge awaits. See Subscription Options Already a subscriber? Create Account See Subscription Options. For example, when contraction of the uterus starts during childbirth, oxytocin is released.

This stimulates more contractions and more oxytocin to be released. In this way, contractions increase in intensity and frequency. There is also a positive feedback involved in the milk-ejection reflex. Stimulation of the nipple during breastfeeding leads to increased oxytocin production and secretion into the blood, which then causes milk to be let down into the breast.

The positive feedback cycle is maintained until the baby stops suckling. The production of oxytocin during childbirth is also self-limiting; release of the hormone is stopped once the baby is delivered. At present, the implications of having too much oxytocin are not clear. This may cause difficulty in passing urine. It may be possible to treat this condition by manipulating oxytocin levels; however, more research is needed before any possible treatments are available. Similarly, it is not fully understood at present if there are any implications of having too little oxytocin in the body.

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