Oxytocin is often called the “love hormone”—a magical chemical behind romance, trust, and human connection. But neuroscience tells a much more nuanced story. 🧠✨

In this episode, we unpack why oxytocin doesn’t create love, but instead amplifies what already matters. Acting as a social salience booster, oxytocin strengthens existing bonds, intensifies emotions, and even sharpens in-group loyalty—sometimes at the cost of out-group hostility.

We explore four surprising scientific insights:
🔹 Why oxytocin reinforces relationships but can’t spark new attraction
🔹 Its unexpected “dark side,” including envy, bias, and parochial altruism
🔹 How it regulates childbirth, metabolism, blood pressure, and appetite
🔹 How early life experiences can epigenetically rewire the oxytocin system

This episode reframes oxytocin not as a feel-good molecule, but as a biological highlighter shaped by experience, context, and culture.

🎧 Tune in to discover how your brain decides what—and who—is worth amplifying.

#Oxytocin #Neuroscience #LoveHormoneMyth #SocialBrain #SciencePodcast #Psychology #Epigenetics #HumanBehavior