Oxytocin

Akin to women, men also experience a surge in parenting hormones, as soon as they become a new parent, suggests the findings of a new study.

Rise in hormonal levels
The study revealed that levels of oxytocin, the ‘cuddle chemical’ which is released into the blood during labour, also rises in new fathers.

Moreover, prolactin, a hormone that is linked to milk production in new mothers also increases in men.

These hormones rewire men’s brains, making them more empathic, good-humored and cuddly, suggest the study authors.

In order to ensure a regular supply of ripened vegetables, much before their time, retailers and traders use chemicals and ripening agents, which not only compromise the natural taste and nutrition value but also the health of millions of consumers.

Awakening to the gravity of the situation, the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dinesh Trivedi, has sought action against farmers using harmful chemicals to regulate the growth of vegetables in order to make them look tempting and attractive.

Scientists used a chemical known as oxytocin -- a hormone naturally made in the body and involved in sex, sexual attraction, trust and confidence -- to develop the spray.

Oxytoxin, also known as cuddle hormone, is also released during labor and helps strengthen the mother-child bond.

This study is the first one to show that the hormone can modulate the emotional empathy in men, making them as sensitive as women.

48 men evaluated
Researchers from the Babraham Institute in Cambridge looked at 48 healthy men to come up with this finding.