21 | id == 21
21 | category_id == 7
21 | category_order == 5
21 | category_name == Mood
21 | category_color == #C47AC0
21 | slug == Boost-Your-Mood-With-OXTR
21 | title == Protect Yourself Against Stress and Mood Problems with the Oxytocin (OXTR) Gene
21 | meta_description == Personalized genetics blog article
21 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>When it comes to determining your overall mood and sensitivity to stress, one of the most important neurotransmitters is oxytocin. Oxytocin helps regulate many different systems in the brain involved in stress, anxiety, and promoting positive moods. Therefore, learning about your oxytocin-related genes is a key step when it comes to boosting your mood!</strong></p>
21 | overall_score_text == Mood score (based on OXTR gene)
21 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/Protect-Yourself-Against-Stress-and-Mood-Problems-with-the-Oxytocin-OXTR-Gene_JP.jpg
21 | author_id == 4
21 | author_name == Matt Carland
21 | author_title == PhD
21 | author_order == 10
21 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Matt.jpg
21 | author_intro == <p><strong>Matt received his PhD at the Universit&eacute; de Montr&eacute;al in Neuroscience.</strong></p>    <p>Matt holds multiple degrees in psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. He has over a decade of experience in academic research and has published a number of articles in scholarly journals. He currently works as a neuropsychologist in Montreal, where he performs research on the links between personality traits and the development of clinical disorders such as addiction, compulsive gambling, and disordered eating.</p>
21 | reviewer_id == 2
21 | reviewer_name == Joe Cohen
21 | reviewer_title == BS
21 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
21 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
21 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
21 | publish_date == 2019
21 | publish_date == 8
21 | publish_date == 21
21 | avg_rating == 4.4
21 | tags_id == 15
21 | tags_name == Empathy
21 | tags_id == 12
21 | tags_name == Mood
21 | tags_id == 16
21 | tags_name == OXTR Gene
21 | tags_id == 49
21 | tags_name == Oxytocin
21 | tags_id == 14
21 | tags_name == Social Smarts
21 | tags_id == 50
21 | tags_name == Stress
21 | permissions_favorite == False
21 | permissions_rate == False
21 | content_article == <table style="width: 90%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" border="1" cellpadding="10"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: justify;"><strong>Note:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">OXTR</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene is one of the 92 unique mood-related genes that we analyze in our comprehensive </span><a href="https://get.selfdecode.com/mood/"><strong><em>Mood DNA Wellness Report</em></strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. If you&rsquo;re interested in learning more about the genes that affect your mood and mental well-being, and the actionable steps that you can take to give your overall mood a boost, check it out!</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />You&rsquo;ve probably heard of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/the-social-chilled-out-and-empathetic-genes-oxytocin-receptor-snps/"><strong>oxytocin</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> before. This important hormone neurotransmitter (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">neuropeptide</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) is pretty famous for its role in </span><strong>stress</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><strong>social behavior</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><strong>emotional bonding</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30786104"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16884725"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26321019"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30509888"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30818381"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A lot of research has shown that people&rsquo;s natural levels of oxytocin determine how friendly, empathetic, and trusting (&ldquo;</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">pro-social</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo;) they are [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26321019"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Boosting peoples&rsquo; oxytocin levels &ndash; such as by giving them nasal sprays that contain oxytocin &ndash; </span><strong>increases trust</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><strong>promotes social cooperation</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in humans [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15931222"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30539300"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. Similar results are seen when giving oxytocin to animals. For example, increasing oxytocin levels increases pro-social behavior and </span><strong>reduces social anxiety</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in both rats and mice [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21677650"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30953682"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Therefore, the level of oxytocin you have &ndash; and how sensitive you are to its effects &ndash; can play a major role in your behavior and mood on a daily basis. But how does it work?</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this post, we&rsquo;re going to focus in on one of the main genetic mechanisms involved in determining how sensitive you are to social stress, and what this can tell you about your relative risk for developing chronic mood problems.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; display: block; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; padding: 20px; background-color: #e8ebfc;">Oxytocin is a neurotransmitter that can have a powerful influence on your overall mood and long-term mental health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Oxytocin: How Does It Work?</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The brain&rsquo;s oxytocin system is complex, and there are many different mechanisms and pathways that are responsible for its diverse effects on mood, social behavior, </span><a href="../article/oxytocin-relationships-9"><span style="font-weight: 400;">interpersonal relationships</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and even </span><a href="../article/oxytocin-cognitive-enhancement-8"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cognitive ability</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">But when it comes to how you react to stress, one of the main mechanisms involves the effects of oxytocin on a specific brain structure: </span><strong>the amygdala</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The amygdala is well-known for its role in stimulating </span><strong>fear and anxiety</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in response to stressful or dangerous situations. However, its role is actually more complicated than just triggering or creating these emotional states: the amygdala is constantly &ldquo;scanning&rdquo; your environment for potential threats, and helping you to prepare for action accordingly. </span><strong>The more sensitive your amygdala is to signs of threat &ndash; and the more strongly it responds &ndash; the more stressed out and anxious you will feel</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9861466"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18655902"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">So where does oxytocin fit into this? Well, </span><strong>oxytocin is one of the main neurotransmitters responsible for inhibiting the amygdala</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">. In other words, having more oxytocin activity gives you better protection against stress, fear, and anxiety, since it counteracts the part of your brain that is triggering and amplifying your body&rsquo;s stress responses in the first place [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9861466"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29019100"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16339042"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20647384"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15821089"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This means that there are </span><strong>two main factors</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that determine how sensitive you are to these negative moods:</span></p> <ol style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>How sensitive your amygdala is.</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The larger and more active your amygdala is, the more easily it will trigger negative moods like stress and anxiety [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21516542"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20832055"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24912179"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20647384"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].<br /><br /></span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Your levels and sensitivity to oxytocin.</strong> If you have higher levels of oxytocin &ndash; or a greater number of oxytocin <em>receptors</em> in your brain &ndash; then you&rsquo;ll be less susceptible to negative moods and emotions [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26321019">R</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25881796">R</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29019100">R</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14675803">R</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10718919">R</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16884725">R</a>].</li> </ol> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://decodify.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/assets/report/Amygdala_Oxytocin_figure.png" alt="Amygdala_and_Oxytocin_figure" width="2419" height="1079" /></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; display: block; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; padding: 20px; background-color: #e8ebfc;">Oxytocin levels and amygdala activation are two of the most important factors that shape your mood.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The Role of the Oxytocin Receptor (</strong><strong><em>OXTR</em></strong><strong>) Gene</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="../../gene/oxtr/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">OXTR</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is important for your mood because it plays a role in both sides of the &ldquo;stress reactivity&rdquo; equation.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The gene itself codes for </span><strong>oxytocin receptors</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which are the main mechanisms that allow oxytocin to shape and control how your brain processes information. In other words, the number of oxytocin receptors you have determine how sensitive your brain is to oxytocin&rsquo;s effects (such as reducing stress and anxiety) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29019100"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28435979"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because oxytocin also suppresses amygdala activity, </span><strong>this gene also affects the sensitivity of your amygdala</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to potential threats. For example, if you have a copy of this gene that makes you less sensitive to oxytocin, your amygdala will be chronically over-active, which will cause it to grow larger and stronger. This, in turn, will further increase your sensitivity to common sources of stress and anxiety [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20832055"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29019100"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18655902"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16339042"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25881796"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="display: block; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; padding: 20px; background-color: #e8ebfc;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">OXTR</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene affects multiple biological mechanisms that influence your overall sensitivity to stress and anxiety.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>OXTR</em></strong><strong> Genotype &ndash; And What It Means For You</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Below is your genotype for </span><a href="../../snp/rs2254298/"><strong>rs2254298</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, one of the most important and well-studied SNPs in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">OXTR</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene:</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">*4256775448929173*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">*6411366619130874*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><br />In general, the more common &lsquo;GG&rsquo; genotype is the better one to have when it comes to being resilient against stress, anxiety, and other mood problems.</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>However, it does have a downside</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> &ndash; while &lsquo;GG&rsquo; carriers are happier and more social, they are at increased risk of experiencing </span><strong>loneliness</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19376182"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the other hand, the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele is associated with a tendency to experience less </span><strong>positive emotion</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> overall [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19376182"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. This allele is also associated with </span><strong>greater sensitivity to stress</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, poorer stress management skills, and </span><strong>increased risk for a variety of mood-related disorders</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Presumably, this is because people with the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele have oxytocin systems that are not working as efficiently [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26477647"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22487732"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14675803"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, in a task where subjects were asked to evaluate a series of faces with different emotional expressions, </span><strong>people with the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele were more likely to interpret ambiguous or neutral faces as threatening</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26477647"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Carriers of the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele also have larger amygdalas</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, as well as elevated neural activity in the amygdala when looking at facial expressions. This suggests that they are more easily &ldquo;stressed out&rdquo; by social cues in general [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26477647"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21208749"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20832055"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This greater propensity for social stress and anxiety also translates into </span><strong>impaired decision-making behavior and executive function</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">. For example, subjects with the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele are slower to categorize the emotions of different faces, suggesting that this added stress is probably affecting them </span><a href="../article/oxytocin-cognitive-enhancement-8"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cognitively</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> as well [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26477647"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27620964"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28511728"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24814480"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">So how significant are these effects in the bigger picture? Well, being more sensitive to stress has been linked to</span><strong> increased risk of developing chronic mood problems.</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, if you take two groups of people who experienced early-life stress and sort them according to their genotype for this SNP, people with the &lsquo;AA&rsquo; or &lsquo;AG&rsquo; genotype will be significantly more likely to have a mood disorder than people with the more typical &lsquo;GG&rsquo; genotype &ndash; </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">even if their overall stress levels were similar</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22510359"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20708845"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26477647"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This illustrates how even individual genes can have a big impact on how we respond to stress, and can even affect the long-term consequences that this can have on our health.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; display: block; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; padding: 20px; background-color: #e8ebfc;">The &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele for rs2254298 is associated with elevated risk of chronic mood problems, whereas the &lsquo;GG&rsquo; genotype is associated with reduced risk.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What You Can Do About Your </strong><strong><em>OXTR</em></strong><strong> Gene</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finding ways to </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/factors-counteract-stress-response/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">reduce your stress levels</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is helpful for anyone, since we all experience stress from daily life.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nonetheless, this will be even more crucial for people who carry an &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele for this SNP, since this will also address the other &ldquo;side&rdquo; of the stress equation (increased vulnerability to stress and other negative emotions) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23974948"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">*6624593200169774*</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Therefore, we highly recommend the following lifestyle hacks:</strong></p> <ol style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-yoga/"><strong>Yoga</strong></a><strong>:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Practicing yoga has been found to increase oxytocin levels throughout the body and nervous system [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30732846"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30233119"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. It also helps reduce stress, as practicing yoga typically involves improving your breathing, lowering your heart rate, and reducing overall blood pressure. All of these physical effects help regulate your </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/reasons-cortisol-low-high/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">HPA axis</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which not only reduces stress levels, but also enhances your ability to cope when especially stressful situations arise [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22891145"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25558129"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].<br /><br /></span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/massage-health-benefits/"><strong>Massage</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">: Massages help stimulate the production and release of oxytocin throughout the brain, which is probably one of the main reasons why massages are so good at reducing stress and </span><a href="https://get.selfdecode.com/mood/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">improving mood</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23251939"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9924739"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].<br /><br /></span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-14-proven-health-benefits-exercise-references-mechanisms/"><strong>Exercise</strong></a><strong>:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Exercise triggers the production and release of oxytocin in the brain, and may even increase the activity of the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">OXTR</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene itself [</span><a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/180/1/012177"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29143998"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19638362"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. In fact, increased oxytocin levels may also be why exercise is so beneficial for the heart and circulatory system [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31112739"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27268060"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26958805"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25094035"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19638362"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. Exercise also has strong psychological benefits, such as increasing your overall </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/factors-counteract-stress-response/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">resilience against stress</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11148895"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12810557"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ol> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>There are also a number of supplements and dietary factors that would be helpful for you as well:</strong></p> <ol style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/21-proven-science-based-reasons-magnesium-amazing-including-drawbacks/"><strong>Magnesium</strong></a><strong>:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The dietary mineral magnesium is very important for your oxytocin system, as it is required in order for oxytocin to actually bind to its receptors in your brain [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2539090"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. This probably explains why magnesium deficiencies can cause mood problems [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21835188"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15567428"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">], as well as why supplementing with magnesium can help treat mood disorders (such as anxiety) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20929532"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25748766"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].<br /><br /></span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/melatonin/"><strong>Melatonin</strong></a><strong>:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> A handful of studies have shown that melatonin may directly increase expression of the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">OXTR</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene, which will result in a higher number of oxytocin receptors, thereby increasing your overall sensitivity to oxytocin and its effects [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25380732"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19001515"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. This is probably the reason why melatonin has been linked to improvements in overall mood [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29749262"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].<br /><br /></span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/probiotics-good-bacteria/"><strong>Probiotics</strong></a><strong>:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Certain probiotic bacteria, such as </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/top-12-scientific-health-benefits-of-l-reuteri/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lactobacillus reuteri</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, can increase the expression of oxytocin receptors in your brain [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24205344"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. Mechanisms such as these may explain why taking probiotic supplements have been shown to reduce depressed moods and alleviate anxiety [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28239408"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29924822"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></li> </ol> <p style="padding-left: 80px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&gt;&gt;&gt; <em>To learn more about over 30 other ways to boost your oxytocin levels, check out </em></span><em><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/the-social-chilled-out-and-empathetic-genes-oxytocin-receptor-snps/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">this SelfHacked post</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; display: block; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; padding: 20px; background-color: #e8ebfc;">No matter your genotype for this SNP, you&rsquo;ll probably benefit from reducing your stress levels and boosting your oxytocin levels.</span></p>
21 | content_snp_table_4256775448929173_key == 4256775448929173
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21 | content_snp_table_4256775448929173_hidden == False
21 | content_learn_more_6411366619130874_key == 6411366619130874
21 | content_learn_more_6411366619130874_blur == True
21 | content_learn_more_6411366619130874_hidden == False
21 | content_learn_more_6411366619130874_text == Based on your data for this SNP, your OXTR genotype puts you at slightly increased risk of experiencing mood problems. To find out what you can do to counteract this, see your personalized recommendations below.
21 | content_recommendation_6624593200169774_key == 6624593200169774
21 | content_recommendation_6624593200169774_blur == True
21 | content_recommendation_6624593200169774_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs2254298
rsStatus = rs2254298,OXTR,chr3,8760542,G,A,T,,37,0,Normal
