9 | id == 9
9 | category_id == 2
9 | category_order == 2
9 | category_name == Relationships
9 | category_color == #C47AC0
9 | slug == oxytocin-relationships
9 | title == How to Make Your Relationships Stronger (OXTR)
9 | meta_description == Personalized genetics blog article
9 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>What&rsquo;s your attachment style? Are you naturally good at resolving conflicts? The oxytocin receptor gene could help answer these questions&mdash;and influence how likely you are to be happy in a relationship.</strong></p>
9 | overall_score_text == Relationship Strength (based on OXTR gene)
9 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/Can-Your-Oxytocin-Genes-Make-Your-Relationships-Stronger-OXTR_JPG.jpg
9 | author_id == 1
9 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
9 | author_title == BSc, BEd
9 | author_order == 36
9 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
9 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
9 | reviewer_id == 2
9 | reviewer_name == Joe Cohen
9 | reviewer_title == BS
9 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
9 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
9 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
9 | publish_date == 2019
9 | publish_date == 8
9 | publish_date == 6
9 | avg_rating == 5.0
9 | tags_id == 1
9 | tags_name == Dating success
9 | tags_id == 16
9 | tags_name == OXTR Gene
9 | tags_id == 17
9 | tags_name == Relationship Success
9 | permissions_favorite == False
9 | permissions_rate == False
9 | content_article == <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Can Oxytocin Activity Predict Relationship Strength?</span></h2> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Happy Marriage Study</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers tested the DNA of 356 married people (in 178 marriages) between the ages of 37 and 90. They determined each person&rsquo;s genotype at </span><a href="../../snp/rs53576/"><strong>rs53576</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (AA, AG, or GG) and asked each person a series of questions meant to evaluate how strong or happy their marriages were [</span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0213083"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Strength or happiness of marriage is an extremely subjective measurement, so the researchers broke their questions down to evaluate aspects of each marriage: general happiness with the relationship, the way that they handle disagreements, and each partner&rsquo;s opinion of the other, to name a few [</span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0213083"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The most robust link they found was also the simplest: people with the &lsquo;GG&rsquo; genotype at rs53576 were more likely to feel close to their partners and secure in their relationships. Even a single copy of the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele reduced these measurements of happiness in marriage [</span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0213083"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why is OXTR Important?</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We&rsquo;ve known for decades that </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;">, sometimes called the love hormone, is vital for social bonding and empathy. That may be why the oxytocin receptor gene, </span><a href="../../gene/oxtr/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">OXTR</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, is among the best-studied genes in the human genome [</span><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0269881112473788"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; display: block; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; padding: 20px; background-color: #e8ebfc;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">At rs53576 of the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">OXTR</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene, people with the &lsquo;GG&rsquo; genotype tend to have stronger, happier marriages.</span></span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Oxytocin &amp; Attachment Security</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is Attachment Theory?</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The theory of attachment (also called attachment style) is a framework psychologists use to describe the way we form social bonds with each other. According to this theory, our relationships are defined by whether our view of self and of other people is positive or negative [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1920064"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If, for example, a young man has positive thoughts about himself and about his long-term girlfriend, he is said to have a secure attachment. Negative thoughts about himself, his girlfriend, or both lend themselves to one of the three types of insecure attachment: anxious (negative view of self), dismissive-avoidant (negative view of others), or fearful-avoidant (negative view of both) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1920064"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">People with insecure attachments are, unsurprisingly, much less likely to have happy, long-lasting relationships [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1920064"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Where Does Oxytocin Come In?</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Behavior affects oxytocin release, and oxytocin affects attachment security. Pleasant physical touch (like hugging, cuddling, or sex) and rewarding interactions (like receiving gratitude for a gift or favor) cause oxytocin to be released, which makes us feel good about these social experiences [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5734372/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0265407517702012"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, some people get more of a boost than others. Those with the &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele at </span><a href="../../snp/rs3796863/"><strong>rs3796863</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in the </span><a href="../../gene/cd38/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">CD38</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> release more oxytocin than those without it [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3327852/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meanwhile, people with the &lsquo;GG&rsquo; genotype at rs53576 are more sensitive to oxytocin, likely because they have more efficient oxytocin receptors. Therefore, the burst of oxytocin that comes from satisfying social interactions will have more of an effect on &lsquo;GG&rsquo; people than on those with the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3500580/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why is CD38 Important?</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In recent years, this gene was identified as part of the pathway that releases oxytocin in the brain. More CD38 activity releases more oxytocin and enhances empathy and social communication [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3327852/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22336563"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One recent study found that the 'G' allele at <a href="../../../snp/rs3796863/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rs3796863</a> is associated with higher reported levels of relationship security and satisfaction compared to the 'T' allele. People with the 'GG' genotype were, on average, more cooperative with their romantic partners than those with the 'T' allele [<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-69520-y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">R</a>].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; display: block; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; padding: 20px; background-color: #e8ebfc;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">More active and efficient oxytocin systems are associated with secure attachment and strong relationships.</span></span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your OXTR Gene Results for Relationship Strength</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">*6535191511602778*</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">*1134761079020147*</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Primary SNP: </span><strong>OXTR rs53576</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = More attachment security, more optimism, more empathy and trust, relationships more resilient to stress</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Less attachment security, more pessimism, relative lack of empathy, less resilient relationships</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other SNPs that may be involved:</span></p> <p><strong>OXTR rs2268494</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = More empathy in relationships, better communication with a partner</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Less empathy in relationships, poorer communication with a partner</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>OXTR rs2254298</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;AG&rsquo; = The most empathy</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;AA&rsquo; = Less empathy</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;GG&rsquo; = Least empathy, less supportive of romantic partner</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>OXTR rs1042778</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = More empathy in relationships, more generosity, more total oxytocin in the body</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Less empathy in relationships, less generosity</span></li> </ul> <p><a href="../../gene/cd38/?utm_source=seo&amp;#38;utm_medium=selfhacked&amp;#38;utm_campaign=id00002"><strong>CD38</strong></a><strong> rs3796863</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = More oxytocin released, more sensitive parenting</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Less oxytocin released, poorer social communication</span></li> </ul> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How Does Oxytocin Affect Your Relationships?</span></h2> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Chemistry of Love</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is extremely difficult to unravel the effect of any one hormone on something as complex as a social relationship. This sort of research can be controversial; some people still get downright angry about the idea of love as &ldquo;just a bunch of chemicals.&rdquo;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That hasn&rsquo;t stopped researchers from trying to understand the biochemical nature of relationships, and oxytocin and its receptors have emerged as central players [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5601408/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3312973/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5573563/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At OXTR rs53576, the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele is associated with increased receptor efficiency, while the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele is associated with decreased receptor efficiency. That is, the more &lsquo;G&rsquo; alleles you have, the more sensitive you are to the prosocial (and love-promoting) effects of oxytocin [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3500580/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Flexibility and Forgiveness</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dispositional forgiveness is a term used to describe a person&rsquo;s willingness and ability to repair a relationship after it is damaged [</span><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453018308941"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Each copy of the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele at rs53576 is linked to more dispositional forgiveness; in other words, if a person with this allele is hurt or hurts another person, they are more likely to make amends. They are more likely to forgive and to be forgiven, which helps them build stronger relationships after conflict [</span><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453018308941"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers believe that highly active oxytocin receptors may encourage people to pursue constructive interactions to preserve a relationship in crisis&mdash;as opposed to destructive interactions that might end the relationship for good [</span><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453018308941"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is an important thing to remember if you have one or more &lsquo;A&rsquo; alleles at OXTR rs53576: oxytocin isn&rsquo;t a magic bullet. It just promotes good behavior! If you have the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele here (or other alleles that may make conflict resolution more difficult), you can still take action to counteract those effects, and knowing your genetic predispositions is the first step.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400; display: block; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; padding: 20px; background-color: #e8ebfc;">More efficient oxytocin systems encourage people to resolve conflicts and respond constructively to disagreements.</span></span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Partner Effect</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you don&rsquo;t have the rs53576 &lsquo;GG&rsquo; genotype, but your spouse does, you&rsquo;re in luck: their genes benefit you, too! Researchers call it the partner effect, and it may have to do with the way oxytocin promotes dispositional forgiveness [</span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0213083"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If your partner has the &lsquo;GG&rsquo; genotype and you have at least one &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele, that doesn&rsquo;t mean you should rely on them to solve all your relationship problems. You might just have to work a bit harder than they do to learn the same conflict resolution skills.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400; display: block; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; padding: 20px; background-color: #e8ebfc;">If even one partner in a pair has the &lsquo;GG&rsquo; genotype at OXTR rs53576, the relationship is more likely to last through conflict.</span></span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recommendations for Secure Attachment</span></h2> <p>Believe it or not, you can feel more secure in your relationships by carefully stimulating certain types of activity in your brain. But remember: talk to your doctor about any exercise regimens, diets, or supplements before you make the change.&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">*1061775059117089*</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lifestyle</span></h4> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-yoga/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yoga</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> 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;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/massage-health-benefits/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Massages</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> 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 improving mood [</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;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-14-proven-health-benefits-exercise-references-mechanisms/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exercise</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> triggers the production and release of oxytocin in the brain, and may even increase the activity of the OXTR 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></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Given oxytocin&rsquo;s close ties with physical contact and social bonding, it shouldn&rsquo;t be surprising that sexual activity increases oxytocin activity. In other words, having sex may strengthen relationships on a biochemical level. According to a study of male rats, sex may also increase the expression of oxytocin receptors [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3782434"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3715561/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">More generally, pleasant physical contact with other people and companion animals increases oxytocin release. If you want to increase the amount of oxytocin in your brain quickly and easily, hug your friends and pet your cats and dogs [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18842740"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5645535/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]!</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diet</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In middle eastern traditional medicine, women use </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/benefits-fenugreek/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fenugreek</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to increase oxytocin and promote lactation. Fenugreek is a versatile plant; you can add the greens (also called </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">methi</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) to your salads or make tea with the seeds [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4561638/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/21-proven-science-based-reasons-magnesium-amazing-including-drawbacks/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magnesium</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is required for oxytocin to bind to its receptor, so any deficiency in magnesium would result in less effective binding [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1135623/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supplements</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 42 healthy adults, high doses of </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/need-know-vitamin-c-32-science-based-health-benefits/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin C</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (3000 mg per day) increased oxytocin release and sexual activity and decreased </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/natural-treatments-depression/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">depression</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> scores [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12208645"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to a handful of studies, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/melatonin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">melatonin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> boosts sensitivity to oxytocin by increasing OXTR expression. Melatonin is considered generally safe with few (if any) serious side effects [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2730229/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4273450/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. For a comprehensive list of strategies to increase melatonin naturally, check out </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/melatonin-part-2/#Factors_That_Increase_Melatonin_Levels"><span style="font-weight: 400;">this SelfHacked post</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, the </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/probiotics-good-bacteria/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">probiotic</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> bacterium </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;"> may increase the expression of oxytocin receptors in your brain [</span><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0078898"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Always remember that you should talk with your doctor before starting any new supplement or exercise regimen.&nbsp;</span></p>
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9 | content_learn_more_6535191511602778_hidden == False
9 | content_learn_more_6535191511602778_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your oxytocin genes may make you slightly more insecure and less empathetic in your relationships. If you want to feel more secure in your relationships, you’ll need to increase OXTR expression, sensitize your oxytocin receptors, or increase oxytocin release. Keep scrolling to see how.
9 | content_recommendation_1061775059117089_key == 1061775059117089
9 | content_recommendation_1061775059117089_blur == True
9 | content_recommendation_1061775059117089_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs3796863,rs2268494,rs1042778,rs2254298,rs53576
rsStatus = rs3796863,CD38,chr4,15848363,G,A,T,,33,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs2268494,OXTR,chr3,8760360,T,A,C,G,33,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs1042778,OXTR,chr3,8752859,G,A,C,T,25,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs2254298,OXTR,chr3,8760542,G,A,T,,37,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs53576,OXTR,chr3,8762685,A,G,T,,28,15,HET
