The Chemistry of Love

It’s that time of year again where chocolates fly off the shelves in stores and florists are inundated with requests for larger than life bouquets of flowers for people to show their affections for their loved ones.

For some valentine’s day is a seen as an opportunity to show their special someone how much they love them and for others they do not want to be seen partaking in a corporate ‘money making’ holiday.  No matter what your opinion or approach to Valentine’s Day is there is definitely some chemistry surrounding it. 

So what exactly is the chemistry of love?  Leeann Obringer from how stuff works, explains this is due to the dopamine, norepinephrine and phenylethylamine we're releasing. Dopamine is thought to be the "pleasure chemical," producing a feeling of bliss. Norepinephrine is similar to adrenaline and produces the racing heart and excitement. Apparently together these two chemicals produce elation, intense energy, sleeplessness, craving, loss of appetite and focused attention. 

To read the full article please visit http://people.howstuffworks.com/love6.htm.

Happy Valentine’s Day from all at PEAK Scientific.