This little known and misunderstood hormone could be the missing link in balancing runaway cortisol levels . I’m really excited to dive into telling you about this secret hormone superpower, but first, let’s review…
In my last blog, I talked about how elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol could take a hit on your gut and immune health . While I focused on those two areas, elevated cortisol levels can also sabotage weight loss, your mood, increase your risk for diabetes, and erode your overall well-being.
In the short-term , when you experience an acute stress, cortisol works in your favor . The problem happens when this hormone stays “on” when it really should be off. That’s when the repercussions can have serious effects on the gut, immune system, and your peace of mind .
I left you with 10 ways to manage cortisol levels in that last blog. Today, I’m going to show you the most important way you can put a checkmate on that hormone.
Boosting your oxytocin levels is your secret weapon to dial down cortisol and help you maintain a sense of calm, even during these crazy times.
The last few months have been rough for us all. If you’re like most everyone I know, you need a healthy dose of “feel-good” emotions to give you a respite from the constant stress. That’s where oxytocin comes in. Many of you are walking around with diminished oxytocin release, without even knowing it .
However, what you do know is you feel like life has lost its joy for you . The days drag, and you feel like it’s a struggle to make it to the finish line. You think there’s something terribly wrong with you, but all you need is a healthy dose of the “love” hormone. I call oxytocin the “cuddling and connect hormone,” and it’s very important for your sense of life satisfaction.
The good news is that even if you’re feeling anxious or stressed out right now, you can build more oxytocin . And it’s the one time I’ll tell you that you can be “naughty” doing so . These strategies are actually fun to implement (including a three-letter word…. Hint, hint), and you will feel its effects immediately.
Let’s start first by diving into what and how…
Oxytocin is essential for your gut, immune and overall health.
What is Oxytocin?
Researchers have traced the development of oxytocin back at least 400 million years. The hormone played a role in helping our ancestors survive. Oxytocin fosters healthy brain development at birth. Over time, a healthy brain contributes to things that humans need for survival: Social sensitivity, complex thinking, and language. As a child develops, oxytocin provides nutrition in the form of human milk. That bond between mother and child, supported by oxytocin, supports emotional and intellectual development as well as selective attachment. This allows a child to develop skills that he or she will use throughout life, including social behavior and emotional health. As the child grows up, oxytocin supports growth during development, resilience, and healing. All of these things help the child thrive and be resilient throughout life.1
Oxytocin can help you better manage strong emotions such as stress and anxiety, while promoting a feeling of calm and peace.
Your body produces oxytocin naturally. This tiny molecule of a hormone, produced in your hypothalamus, then stored and secreted by the pituitary gland, acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory . When you release oxytocin, you protect your body from being bombarded with stress hormones, like cortisol . Think of oxytocin as the hormonal equivalent of a feel-good movie, a meaningful hug from a friend, a warm towel after a shower, or cuddling up in a blanket on a cold winter day. This is your ahhh hormone that keeps you calm and collected.
“If you ever experience burnout, emotional disconnection, or withdrawal from things and people you love, it is probably due to cortisol knocking oxytocin down”, says Dr. Anna Cabeca in The Hormone Fix . “ Thankfully, oxytocin helps counterbalance cortisol’s negative effects.”
You’ve probably experienced the calming, peaceful effects of oxytocin , even if you didn’t recognize that this hormone was at work at the time. Maybe you felt moved by music or recognized a pleasant smell? Go back to that moment. Do you remember the feeling inside? Immediately, you felt relaxed. Your levels of anxiety or stress went down. You felt safe in that environment, and maybe even a deep sense of camaraderie with the people you were with. That’s the benefit of oxytocin, and you can tap into it right now!
Mother nature is wise — the body releases oxytocin whenever you need to feel connected with someone else.
And who’s the most important person that should connect with you when we’re born?
Your mom!
From the moment you were born, you felt the effects of this hormone: Moms release oxytocin during childbirth and breastfeeding. Oxytocin fosters a bond between mother and child , earning it the title “the hormone of labor.”
Over the past 100 years, though, scientists have found that oxytocin plays a role in many other functions including sexual activity, social bonding, and managing stress . “The hormone of labor during the course of the last 100 years has had multiple orgasms to be the hormone of love,” write Navneet Magon and Sanjay Kalra. “Many more shall be seen in the times to come!”2
Oxytocin and Mood Disorders
If you’re feeling stressed out or anxious –– and who isn’t these days? –– oxytocin can rescue you and help you manage these uncomfortable feelings. And this is based on science. Research shows that oxytocin can lower stress and anxiety .
When the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) responds to stress by releasing cortisol, as I talked about in my last blog , oxytocin can help keep that response from getting out of hand.3 One example of the measurable physiological effects of oxytocin is lowering blood pressure.4 When something triggers anxiety or stress, oxytocin is released in specific brain regions that help manage the response to dial down those mood imbalances . Researchers are better understanding how oxytocin and oxytocin-receptor genes can help improve stress- and anxiety-related conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder.
One animal study looked at how physical activity impacted oxytocin and its effects on anxiety and empathy levels. (I’ll talk more about empathy in a minute.) Male and female mice ran in wheel cages for six weeks. Researchers measured their empathy and anxiety levels, followed by brain and blood oxytocin levels. Exercise improved empathy-like behavior and lowered anxiety in all the mice.5 Boosting oxytocin levels helps lower anxiety and stress while helping you better empathize with those around you. Talk about a win-win during these turbulent times!
Are you with me so far?
Oxytocin: The Love Hormone
