According to a new study from researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine, your brain falls in love not your heart.
The researchers told DNA India that the brain releases oxytocin, dopamine and opiates, which are essential for the brain to feel feelings of love. These chemicals, which people experience every time they see their significant other, make people feel rewarded when they smell, touch or see their partner, which, according to the study, is the feeling we describe as love.
This is similar to a 2014 press release from the Loyola University Health System which states that dopamine creates a mix of chemicals that create physical reactions, like our hearts skipping a beat, that also make us feel the feelings of love. For example, the press release says that dopamine creates chemicals like adrenaline and euphoria, which makes our hearts literally skip a beat.
"Falling in love causes our body to release a flood of feel-good chemicals that trigger specific physical reactions," Pat Mumby, Ph.D., said in a press release for the study. "This internal elixir of love is responsible for making our cheeks flush, our palms sweat and our hearts race."
Some say, though, its better for you to follow your heart when making decisions since the brain consults the heart and its emotions in order to make the right choices about who you love, according to Dr. Baba Shiv of Stanford University.
For example, first impressions made by the heart or gut feelings give us an emotional front-runner that the brain sticks to when making decisions about people, situations and life, Shiv said. This is why some people often rely on their gut feelings and intuitions to make decisions, according to Carolyn Gregoire of The Huffington Post.
The heart also sends signals to the brain that help with decision-making, according to Dr. Joel Khan. Khan wrote the heart is often called the little brain because it recognizes situations and people and transmits emotions to the brain to help people make decisions.
Update: This article originally identified the information from Loyola University Health System as a study conducted by the university. It's been corrected to reflect that it was information published in a press release from Loyola about one of their psychologist's expertise elsewhere.
The researchers told DNA India that the brain releases oxytocin, dopamine and opiates, which are essential for the brain to feel feelings of love. These chemicals, which people experience every time they see their significant other, make people feel rewarded when they smell, touch or see their partner, which, according to the study, is the feeling we describe as love.
This is similar to a 2014 press release from the Loyola University Health System which states that dopamine creates a mix of chemicals that create physical reactions, like our hearts skipping a beat, that also make us feel the feelings of love. For example, the press release says that dopamine creates chemicals like adrenaline and euphoria, which makes our hearts literally skip a beat.
"Falling in love causes our body to release a flood of feel-good chemicals that trigger specific physical reactions," Pat Mumby, Ph.D., said in a press release for the study. "This internal elixir of love is responsible for making our cheeks flush, our palms sweat and our hearts race."
Some say, though, its better for you to follow your heart when making decisions since the brain consults the heart and its emotions in order to make the right choices about who you love, according to Dr. Baba Shiv of Stanford University.
For example, first impressions made by the heart or gut feelings give us an emotional front-runner that the brain sticks to when making decisions about people, situations and life, Shiv said. This is why some people often rely on their gut feelings and intuitions to make decisions, according to Carolyn Gregoire of The Huffington Post.
The heart also sends signals to the brain that help with decision-making, according to Dr. Joel Khan. Khan wrote the heart is often called the little brain because it recognizes situations and people and transmits emotions to the brain to help people make decisions.
Update: This article originally identified the information from Loyola University Health System as a study conducted by the university. It's been corrected to reflect that it was information published in a press release from Loyola about one of their psychologist's expertise elsewhere.
