Oh, to be in love! It’s a heavenly feeling. From young couples in the middle of courtship to older couples celebrating their golden anniversary, there is no doubt that to love and to be loved is simply blissful. Of course, not every love is exclusive to couples. There are different kinds of love such as familial love between parents and offspring, and philia love for friends, to name a few. Is love an emotion from the brain? Do wedding rings symbolize ownership? Will keeping pets keep the love alive? Read these 70 love facts, its history, and more, to find out!
- 01Love stimulates 12 areas of the brain.
- 02Vena amoris (vein of love) is located at the fourth finger of the left hand.
- 03People fall in love seven times before getting married.
- 04Men fall in love on an average of 88 days.
- 05The heart symbol was first used in 1250.
The brain is responsible for making a person fall in love.
They say when you fall in love, you follow your… hypothalamus? Located near the brain’s pituitary gland, the hypothalamus is responsible for releasing hormones, controlling the appetite, and maintaining daily physiological cycles. Some of the hormones the hypothalamus releases are cortisol and oxytocin, which gives you that lovey-dovey, I’m-high-up-in-the-heavens feeling when you’re in love.
High cortisol levels make a person “lovesick.”
You know you’re in love when thinking about the person already makes you feel light on your feet. The brain releases hormones to make a person feel this way. Short bursts of cortisol feel amazing. But too much? You’re already lovesick. Literally! This hormone helps regulate blood pressure and boost the body’s energy. When too much cortisol is released, the body gets stressed, which may lead to headaches, heart disease, anxiety, and depression.
Oxytocin can also trigger bad memories.
That warm, fuzzy feeling in your chest when you see the person you love feels addicting. But it’s not always a good thing. The love hormone oxytocin plays a role in human and animal emotional attachment. A study by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine found that oxytocin has the “ability to increase anxiety and fear” and will intensify bad memories. So, in a way, love does hurt.
