Oxytocin: what it is, what it is for and how to increase it

Oxytocin is a hormone produced in the brain that facilitates childbirth and breastfeeding and regulates social interactions, expression of emotions and libido, increasing pleasure in intimate contact.

Furthermore, in men, oxytocin is capable of reducing aggressiveness, promoting ejaculation and regulating prostate growth. Discover other effects of oxytocin on men.

This hormone can also be found in some medications used in hospitals or sold in pharmacies, generally in the form of a nasal spray such as syntocinon, and should only be used under medical advice.

What is it for

Oxytocin is a hormone that:

1. Makes childbirth easier

Oxytocin stimulates the contraction of the uterus, aiding labor. Due to this effect, oxytocin is sometimes used as a medication to induce labor and to treat postpartum hemorrhage, for example.

It should only be used with the advice of an obstetrician and cannot be used on other occasions by pregnant women, due to the risk of miscarriage or premature birth.

2. Helps breastfeeding

Oxytocin is naturally produced by a woman’s body due to the stimulation of breast sucking by the baby and acts by promoting milk secretion during breastfeeding.

3. Regulates social interactions

Oxytocin plays a regulatory role in social interaction, perception of emotions and sensitivity. Thus, this hormone appears to have beneficial effects in the treatment of some cases of autism and schizophrenia, for example.

4. Helps fight depression and anxiety

This hormone helps modulate the expression of emotions, reducing the feeling of stress or fear and improving mood, for example. Thus, it is believed that oxytocin can help in the treatment of people with illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

5. Increases pleasure in intimate contact

It is believed that oxytocin increases libido, acting in conjunction with testosterone in men and progesterone in women, in addition to facilitating vaginal lubrication and reaching orgasm.

How to increase oxytocin

Oxytocin medications exist in the form of a nasal spray or for injection directly into a vein and can be used to increase levels of the hormone, and are normally indicated to facilitate labor or stimulate milk secretion. See what oxytocin medications are for and how to use them.

Furthermore, oxytocin levels naturally increase during breastfeeding, due to the baby sucking the breast, and physical contact, in the form of hugs, massages and/or sexual intercourse, for example. Check out other natural ways to increase oxytocin.