LOVE: AN OUTCOME OF CHEMISTRY

LOVE: AN OUTCOME OF CHEMISTRY

 PROF WAQAR HUSSAIN

                  A year ago, a teenager boy was working on a book shop as salesman. One evening, the owner of the shop came to me and said: “the boy had expired.” It stunned me as I used to go to bookshop daily to look for new arrived books or buy stationary items and used to encounter with the boy. The boy had pleasant, jovial and noble character. And he was kind to me. His smiling face came on my mind screen and grief gripped the heart. After some restoration from sorrow, I inquired the owner: “What happened to the boy?” The owner replied: “He committed suicide”. I suddenly asked: “Why?” The owner said, “He had a love affair with a girl and her parents settled her marriage with some one else. In disappointment and sudden flare of sentiment and rush of thoughts, he threw gasoline on himself and set fire. He was taken to hospital but couldn’t succumb to the burns and died.”

               After few days, I found a new salesman on the shop, very similar to the deceased one, I asked, “Who is he?”The owner replied, “He is the younger brother of that boy, I gave him job to compensate his parents at least economically. So, he could help his parents to earn bread and butter.” The time gone by and I kept on visiting the book shop on regular basis.

                One day I noticed that new boy is not there since many days. I asked the owner. “Where is he?” He replied, “Alas! You don’t know? he died in a road accident last week.” I got severe shock and almost got stunned and came out of the shop, thinking about the tragedy fell upon the unfortunate parents. But I had nothing to do. I had no remedy either for accident or suicide. But my mind struck more on the “willful” departure of the eldest brother. Why he became so emotional? What compelled him to undergo such a dreadful act? The days passed by and I remained in perplex to find the answer. One day my friend telephoned me and sought a piece of advice. He told that his teenager son had fallen in love with a girl. When, he stopped him meeting that girl and confined him to home. He is doing unusual things. He takes knife and says I will kill you or my self. Some time he locks the door from inside and starts shouting and threw thing here and there.” In reply, I told my friend the tragic episode of the “lover” boy and gave him certain tips and also advised him to consult psychiatrist. He followed my instruction, got in touch with doctor of psychiatry and now his son is recovery rapidly. The above two events persuaded me to know about the factors which forces an individual to fall in love. Lao Tzu has rightly said: love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart and the senses. But what is behind this violent passion?

               First I started reading Will Durant’s chapter on LOVE from his book: Pleasure of Philosophy. In the opening paragraph he writes: “Love is by acclaim the most interesting of all forms of human experience; and it is astonishing that so few have cared to study its origin and development. What a majestic stream of literature has poured forth about it in every language, and from almost every pen-what epics, what dramas, what fiction, what passionate and endless poetry-and yet how little science, how scare the efforts to scrutinize the wonder objectively, to find its source in nature and the caused of its marvelous growth from the simple merging of the protozoa to the devotion of Dante, the ecstasy of Petrarch, and the loyalty of Heloise to Abelard! Yes, of course, men desire women and love, “which moves the sun and the other stars, lifts every soul to passing nobility before life ends. But why?”

               I closed the book and followed Will Durant and started searching the causes of love and started thinking what makes some one so emotional to abdicate throne like Edward IV; revolt against family and society like Heer; opt to be squeezed in wall like Anarkali; embrace death like Romeo and Juliet; stimulate Shah Jehan to build the Taj Mahal; confiscate Napoleon to do everything for Josephine; encourage Sasi to cross torrent waves of river in midnight on a pitcher; energies Sussui to search Punhu in vast desert; spend 40 year of loneliness like Queen Victoria after the death of prince Albert in seclusion; commit suicide like Cleopatra and Anthony; clung of Donelson on death for Jackson; and above all what made this boy to burn himself alive? So I started to find its origin, development in science as poets, writers, artists, play writers, musicians had made considerable progress in understanding the phenomenon of love but very little on its biological aspect. It is the subject for which so much is known but about which so little in truly understood! So I started searching scientific material to know the reasons lying behind this emotional activity. Astonished to found a lot of research and plenty of literature were available on the subject. That was enough to answer my baffling and jittery query. Probably if Will Durant were alive, he would have different view.

                           The recent studies have disclosed that neurochemicals are kindling, fanning and blazing the fire of love. These chemicals are mostly produced in brain and then go to other parts of body and create severe multitude of effects. Among many only few are mentioned below:

                 Center of emotional love activity is not lying between the legs as many believe but its epicenter is brain where neurochemical are produced and undergo chemical reactions that drive emotion of love. The part of brain related to love passion is primitive or Limbic system. Brain scan showed that the frontal cortex, vital center of judgment, shuts down when someone falls in love. This is the reason; it becomes hard to convince a lover. Brain scan further indicated that area that control fear also close down explaining why lover of unafraid of what might go wrong. Thus they plunge into extreme, dangerous and dreadful acts.

                Love is the outcome of chemicals present in brain that have powerful affect on limbic brain centre. These chemicals are described below:

1. Dopamine: It is a neurochemical, released by brain which activates brain rewarding system by triggering intense feeling of pleasure, stimulates desire which in turn is the driving force behind love. It affects the brain comparable to taking cocaine (an alkaloid used as local anaesthetic, stimulant and intoxicant). It increases energy, lessens sleep, focuses attention and creates exquisite delight.

Aron conducted a research on 10 women and 7 men who had fallen in love within one year span. MRI of participants showed high amount of dopamine in ventral tegmental area (VTA) of brain. It is responsible for the reward and motivation pleasure, pain, euphoria and a surge may result in acute feeling of reward that makes love hard to give up. Dopamine activates 5 different types of receptors, most associated with pleasure, enjoyment and motivate for proactive set of activities. That is why, advice has no effect on lover, and they carry on their venture at all cost.

2: New growth factor (NFG): It is a protein secreted by neural gland and is responsible for growth, implicate mediator in anxiety, emotional response and change in behavior. It also provokes for readiness of action and philanthropic behavior. It belongs to family of protein neurotrophins. Other members include brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and Neurotrophin 4/5 (NT-4/5). A research was conducted which disclosed that NFG level was significantly higher in people having romantic love as compared to other. However, after one or two year, NFG level reduced to normal. It explains why passion of love fades after one year!          

              Marazziti and Canale carried out a research. People were divided into two groups; lover group and control group. Level of BDNF, NT-3 and NT-4/5 remained constant between two groups. Astonishingly, love group had elevated level of NFG as compared to control group.

            People of love group who remained with their partners, showed return of NFG to normal level when examined after about a year. . It further elucidates why obsession of love obliterates after one year!

3: Serotonin: It is monoamine derived from tryptophan. It is primarily found in brain, intestine, platelets, etc. It regulates intestinal movement and haemostasis (stoppage of flow of blood). It is popularly thought to be contributor of feeling of well-being and happiness. It also explains why someone falls in love.

            Italian scientists found that people in love has 40% lower serotonin level. It’s level fall in a similar way to those seen in patients of obsessive-compulsive disorder, explaining why love make ones feel anxious and nervous.

4: Testosterone: It is a steroidal hormone, secreted by testicle of male and the ovaries of female. In males, it develops male reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics, also increase general health, muscle, bone mass and growth of body hair. It is essential for health and well being as well as prevents osteoporosis (brittleness of bone) and plays a key role in libido energy. Testosterone can be blamed for crazy, aggressive and weird behavior of some rogue males.

              A research was conducted by dividing people in two group love groups (fallen in love with last one year) and control group (people either single or in stable long term relationship). When testosterone level was measured, it came to be known that men from the love group had lower level of testosterone than men in control group, while women from the love group had higher testosterone level than control group women. Probably it exhausted in men during the course of love activity.

5: Estrogen: (oestrogens) It is a steroid responsible for development of female’s reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics. It is believed romantic love depends on estrogen. Estrogens are present in both men and women.

6: Oxytocin: A powerful hormone released by men and women during orgasm. It is released in human during prolonged eye contact, touch, hugging, etc. It deepens the feeling of attachment and makes couple feel much closer to each other after they had sex. It seems to play a role in reducing xenophobia (fear of stranger), anxiety, reduces fear and promote social behavior such as pair bonding thereby facilitate social contact and pave the way for making love. Experiments proved its love driving and pair making effects. In prairie vole (rat like herbivorous), two hormones oxytocin and vasopressin are released. If their release in blocked, they stop sex. If injected with these two hormones, they indulged in frequent sex. In other words, love between voles is just away from an injection. In an experiment, female prairie vole were treated with oxytocin, they showed hastened pair bonding. This is the hormone that causes mother to love her infant. In an experiment, natural release of oxytocin was blocked in sheep and rate; they rejected their own young ones.

 7: Adrenalin: It is a hormone secreted by adrenal gland present on kidneys. When someone sees the person one likes, one’s heart races, palms sweets and mouth get dry. It is all due to this love chemical adrenaline.

                Adrenaline also releases in fear. It means if two people, loosely attached, could go made in love if they come by any frightening experience. It explains the lure of forbidden love.

8: Norepinephrine: It is catecholamine with multiple roles including as a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It affects the part of brain which control attention and response. It increases heart rate, triggering the release of glucose, increase blood flow to skeletal muscle, increase brain’s oxygen supply and stimulates the production of adrenalin. High level of norepinephrine increases the experience of joy and reduces appetite. In sum, helps an individual to launch a love affair.

9: Phenylethylamine (PEA): It is an amine structurally similar to amphetamine naturally occurring in brain and in foods like chocolate, bitter almond, etc. It is stimulant that causes the release of norepinephrine and dopamine. This chemical is found when someone has fallen in love. It is responsible for exalted intensified love.

              The first attraction trigger production of PEA which results in woozy feeling associated with romantic love. Larger amount increases both physical and emotional energy. It is antidepressant and induces positive mood change and promotes love.

10: Endorphin: It is a peptide hormone and is found mainly in brain. It is an endogenous morphine produced by pituitary gland during exercise, excitement, pain, love, consumption of spicy food. It relieves pain, calm anxiety and reduces stress, produces feeling of well being and is associated with feeling of attachment and comfort. All escort towards the romantic love.

11: Vasopressin: It is a peptide hormone which functions to retain water in the body and to constrict blood vessels and play a key role in homeostasis (stoppage of flow of blood). It co-work with kidney to control thirst, it is anti-diuretic hormone. Further it plays an important role in social behavior, sexual motivation and bonding. In an experiment, prairie vole were injected with vasopressin, they also formed pair bond. When male prairie voles were given a drug that suppresses the effect of vasopressin, bond-pair collapsed. Vasopressin has similar effect on human.

 12: Cortisol: It is another steroidal hormone secreted by adrenal cortex. It is synthesized from its precursor hormone progesterone in adrenal cortex.Its main function to promote gluconeogenesis(conversion of fat, protein and lactate molecules into glucose), increases hypertension and prevent excessive immune response. It lessens stress and may involve in intense attachment.

               Scientist found raised cortisol level in persons of love group as compared to control group, with no difference of sex. When hormone levels were measured in love group after a year, cortisol level returned to normal. It once again explained why love recedes in a year or so!

                 Consequently, love is nothing but the effect of these chemicals.

          Love is the soul of life, fragrance of flower, colour of rainbow, lapse of a mother, eternal reality of nature and The Blessing of God. Plato once said: “love is the joy of the good, the wonder of the wise, the amazement of the Gods”. But it must be in manageable level and it must not become an obsession, madness and craziness otherwise it is pain replacing fain, destruction in place of construction and curse instead of blessing. Follow Oscar Wild: to love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. Loving oneself is essential, vital and universal principle of nature.

          I once wrote in The Muslim newspaper in a thought of the day: Things are neither good nor bad; it’s their use that makes them so. The passion of love should be used as positive driving force, a basis of happiness, a source of creativity, an origin of ventures, a spring of construction, a core of philanthropy, a foundation of bonding in family, society and the world. The lover boy forget to love his mother who nourished her; his father who earned livelihood for him; his country which gave her residing place;  His Creator Who created him as a super creature and his own self by setting aside Lucille Ball’s advises: love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.

        Please learn to differentiate between “love” and “maniac obsession”!