A healthy way for men to lose weight might be as simple as falling in love.
A new study involving 25 men has found that oxytocin, commonly known as the “love hormone” that is released during sex, may help men lose weight, as it helps reduce caloric intake in males, according to Fox News.
“Our results are really exciting,” stated Elizabeth Lawson, lead investigator and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
She added, “Further study is needed but I think oxytocin is a promising treatment for obesity and its metabolic complications.”
In the recent study, researchers reportedly randomly assigned 25 participants to either take synthetic oxytocin via nasal spray or an inactive placebo, according to the medical website WebMD. The men were reportedly unaware of which spray they were given during the course of the study.
After receiving the hormone or the placebo, the men reportedly ordered breakfast. The men were reportedly given double portions of whatever they ordered as the amount of food they ate was measured by the end of their meal.
The 25 men reportedly later returned and did the experiment again, but those who received the placebo were given oxytocin this time and vice versa. Those who took oxytocin reportedly ate 122 fewer calories on average, according to the results of the study.
It was also reportedly found that they consumed about 9 fewer fat grams on average.
Whether oxytocin has a similar effect on women has yet to be determined. Despite the small scale of the study, the recent finding reportedly has potential to expand into a possible treatment method.
“From an evolutionary perspective, oxytocin is released during positive social interactions — when we are around other who care about us,” explained Paul Zak, founding director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies at Claremont Graduate University in California.
He added, “This is just when food sharing is likely to occur. If we want to lose weight, having others around us who care about is can help reduce appetite.”
