Love Molecule

When we fall in love it seems like our brain doesn't work in the usual way. We get sweaty palms, heavy breathing or feeling breathless, we can't think clearly, and it feels like we have butterflies in our stomach. Nevertheless, this feeling is wonderful. It can be triggered by something as simple as the meeting of eyes, touching of hands, listening to music or reading a book.

The little molecule phenylethylamine (PEA), PEA900 is the infatuation inducing stimulant. Together with dopamine and norepinephrine they can create a feeling of euphoria and uncertainty, resulting in insatiable desire. But unfortunately there is a limit due to the neurotransmitter bombardment over an extended time dulling the response. PEA is a natural chemical similar to amphetamine and dopamine, causing us the high experience by lovers.

We will now try to explain how this "love molecule" works.

NEUROTRANSMITTERS

A neurotransmitter is a substance that carry out the actual passage of of a signal across a synapse.

Moods and behavior are largely influenced by the ratio of five central nervous system chemicals known as amines. These include; norepinephrine, epinephrine, serotonin, phenylethylamine (PEA) and dopamine. These neurotransmitters can be divided into two groups, the amines that excite the central nervous system (CNS) and those that inhibit or modulate that excitement.

Excitatory (fight and flight hormones)

Epinephrine Affects contractions of muscle vessels. Increase in blood-pressure and heart-rate. Temporarily increase of blood sugar. Triggers anxiety.
Norepinephrine Always present in the blood. Regulate the blood-pressure and distributes blood in the body. Triggers hostility and irritability.
Serotonin Has a multiple regulatory role in the nervous system, neurotransmission included. Synthesized in the pineal glands, which is known to regulate the light-dark cycle in animals. Serotonin regulates sleep and wakefulness. Serotonin is also secreted by cells in the small intestines, where it regulates testinal peristalsis. Finally , seroronin is a potent vasoconstrictor that helps regulate blood-pressure. At increasing levels serotonin stimulates nervous tension, drowsiness, heart palpations, water retention and inability to concentrate and perform.

Inhibitory

Dopamine Modulates or off sets the negative effects of the excitatory hormones by inducing relaxation and mental alertness. The importance of dopamine in diseases seem to be associated with improper dopamine regulation. Deficiency of dopamine seem to cause Parkinson's disease, too muck of dopamine causes Schizophrenia.

PEA. Is a chemical that speeds up the flow of information between nerve cells. Is a mood elevator that makes us feel euphoric at low levels. (At higher levels it causes paranoia).

As we can see are adequate dopamine and PEA levels extremely important to balance the excitatory hormones for enhanced emotional stability.

PEA PRODUCTION AND ACTIVATION

L-phenylalanine is a precursor for PEA. Vitamin B6 is the key nutrient in the production of the beneficial biogenic dopamine and PEA. Vitamin B6 in the form of pyridoxine hydrochloride is biologically inactive. Once B6 enters a cell,enzymatic transfer of the g-phosphoryl group from ATP forms the coenzyme pyridoxal 5’-phosphat, PLP. This conversion to the active form requires magnesium and vitamin B2. PLP is a prostetic group for many enzymeS that catalyze a vareity of reactions involving amino acids. PLP is tightly bound to to the enzyme by many weak noncovalent interactions.

	Decarboxyalase + PLP + Mg + Vitamin B2 ---&gt
Phenylalanine		PEA

The carboxylgroup of phenylalanine is removed by decarboxylase and a hydrogen is added

The activity of PEA is largely determined by an enzyme known as monoamine oxidase (MAO). MAO is the chemical of risk takers. It is known to be 20% lower in women. This is the hormone which causes fear is to warn us of danger - not to make us afraid of danger. MAO is divided into two types. MAO type A deactivates the excitatory hormones while MAO type B deactivates dopamine and PEA. They can be inactivated by oxidative removal of their aminogroup by monoamineoxidase. An increase in type A MAO and a lower level of type B MAO is ideal for creation of emotional stability.

Progesterone and dihydro-testosterone increases type A activity and suppressing type B activity and therefore increasing biological levels of PEA (and dopamine)

WHAT AFFECTS LOVE?

As difficult as love is to define, its first flickers apparently begin in the prefrontal cortex, the section of your brain that enables you to anticipate the joy of being with a particular person, even one you ever met. If it´s powerful enough, this so called memory of the future engages the ancestral “fight and flight” response of the lower brain, which is responsible for such involuntary functions as stammering, tripping, drooling and laughing too loudly at someone else´s joke.

Endorphins fuel the chemical cocktail. Similar in structure to morphine, endorphins are perhaps best known for creating a blissful sense of calm in long distance runners. They leave lovers feeling similarly tranquil, but not in the early going. During the initial stages of attraction, endorphins serve as a catalyst by triggering special cells in the midbrain to produce dopamine and PEA, powerful natural amphetamines. In the boot camp of romance, dopamine and PEA are the drill sergeant. They barks at the brain to select a plan of action, any plan.

SIMILARITY BETWEEN PEA AND AMPHETAMINE:
PEA and amphetamine are very similar to each other. Some of the effects of amphetamine is increased energy, enhanced awakeness, less appetite, increased breathe and heart rate. Do you recognize this? It seems to be the same effects as that of PEA when we fall in love. An over consumption of amphetamine and overproduction of PEA leads to paranoia.

RESEARCH

Last year the scientists Dr Peter Godfrey, Dr Lynette Hatherly and Emeritus Professor Ron Brown, University of Monash, announced that they had determined the arrangement of atoms that make up the PEA molecule.Recent research of the molecular shape of PEA could help advance treatment of mental illness, simplify chemical research and save drug companies millions of dollars. The research team said that the PEA breakthrough is especially important because it is one of the simplest neuro-transmitters and their research success opens a path for future testing of related ,but more complex, chemicals associated with mental illness. “Pea is structural relative of a series of hormones, some of which are linked to human motor system functions and the occurrence of Parkinson´s disease, while others such as serotonin effectively dictate our emotional balance.” Dr Godfrey said.

If you have too high levels of PEA in your body it can affect you in some undesired ways. Scientists believe that amounts higher than 5 mg PEA is suspected to give migraine, they also believe that high levels can cause paranoia. A reduction in brain levels of phenyletylamine is thought to be one factor in causing depression. When phenylalanine (percursor) is metabolited to PEA it exerts antidepressant activity. In a study some patients took 100-500 mg phenylalanine every day for two weeks and it completely eliminated those patients depression. Researchers have also tried to find a connection between PEA and bulimia, but we found no results of these studies.

CHOCOLATE

On Valentines day many people receive a box of chocolate from the man or woman in their life. Is this only a gesture of love or do they know the secret of chocolate? Chocolate is one of several romantic foods that consist PEA, yes that is correct. But don´t think that you fall in love when you eat it. Small amounts of chocolate makes you feel happy but the molecule of love is often quickly broken down by our bodies, so that it doesn´t even reach the blood. If you eat pounds of chocolate you only get a headache, so please don´t run away to the chocolate box and eat it up. Save the box for those times when you feel down and take a piece of chocolate. Other food with PEA present are strawberries and spicy food.

 

OXYTOCIN*
*Oxytocin is a mammalian hormone that acts primarily as a neuromodulator in the brain that is best known for its roles in sexual reproduction, in particular during and after childbirth. It is released in large amounts after distension of the cervix and uterus during labor, facilitating birth, and after stimulation of the nipples, facilitating breastfeeding.
Recent studies have begun to investigate oxytocin's role in various behaviors, including orgasm, social recognition, pair bonding, anxiety, and maternal behaviors. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as the "love hormone". The inability to secrete oxytocin and feel empathy is linked to sociopathy, psychopathy, narcissism and general maladaptiveness.

It is worth noting that oxytocin was not mentioned in the original article. However, as I refer to the feeling of being in love as “chemical handcuffs” mostly because of the effects oxytocin, I feel it is relevant to the discussion of feeling “in love”.